PHOTO: Newly commissioned second lieutenants (from left) Benjamin Heilig, Hayden Miller, Dillon Salluzzo and Anthony Vezina celebrate with cake following a commissioning ceremony Saturday. 

Graduating seniors who served as cadets in the U.S. Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) at St. Bonaventure University were commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army on Saturday. 

The commissioning ceremony, held in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, was followed by the Silver Dollar Salute, a traditional event in which each newly commissioned officer hands a silver dollar to the first soldier who salutes them. Cadets choose someone who was instrumental in their upbringing, education or training for this honor.

 

The cadets are part of the Seneca ROTC Battalion, which comprises cadets from St. Bonaventure, Alfred State College, Alfred University, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, Houghton College and Jamestown Community College.

 

Cadets from St. Bonaventure who commissioned Saturday include: 

 

Benjamin Heilig, a cybersecurity major, served as the cadet battalion operations officer. He is the son of Mark and Suzanne Heilig from Hamburg, New York. A Distinguished Military Graduate, Heilig received the American Legion Scholastic Excellence Award and the School of Arts and Sciences’ Military Science Award. He commissioned into the Army National Guard as a cyber-warfare officer. 

 

Hayden Miller, a criminology major, served as the cadet battalion logistics officer. He is the son of Scot and Michelle Miller from Rushford, New York. A Military Science Award winner, Miller commissioned as an active duty infantry officer. 

 

Dillon Salluzzo, a sociology major, served as the cadet executive officer. He is the son of Steven and Mary Salluzzo from Rochester, New York. Salluzzo, a Distinguished Military Graduate, received the Veterans of Foreign Wars Award, the Battalion Commander’s Award, and the Olean VFW Leadership Award. He commissioned as an active duty military intelligence officer, detailed as an infantry officer.

 

Anthony Vezina, a criminology major, served as the cadet battalion commander. He is the son of Rich Vezina and Heather Shea-Canaley from Lakewood, New York. Vezina commissioned as an active duty signal officer, detailed as a field artillery officer.

 

Commissioned cadets from the battalion’s other member colleges and universities include:

 

Makenzie Cashmer, a mechanical engineering major from Alfred University, served as the cadet battalion command sergeant major. The daughter of David and Kimberly Cashmer from Weedville, Pennsylvania, she commissioned as an active duty engineer officer. 

 

Stone Lisek, a construction management major from Alfred State College, served as the cadet battery commander. The son of Michael and Amy Lisek from Olean, New York, he commissioned as an active duty air-defense artillery officer. 

 

Liam McNeill, a business administration major from Houghton College, served as a cadet platoon leader. The son of Robert and Ann McNeill from Rushford, New York, he commissioned into the Army National Guard as a transportation officer. 

 

Wyatt Niedziejko, a mechanical engineering major from Alfred University, served as a cadet platoon leader. The son of Rodney and Heidi Niedziejko from Saratoga Springs, New York, he commissioned into the Army National Guard as a military intelligence officer. 

 

Timothy Vallely, a criminal justice major from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, served as a cadet platoon sergeant. The son of Sean and Theresa Vallely from Erin, New York, he commissioned into the Army National Guard as an infantry officer. 

 

Timothy Wright, a construction supervision major from Alfred State College, served as the cadet battery first sergeant. The son of Timothy and Christine Wright from Frewsburg, New York, he commissioned into the Army National Guard as an armor officer.   

 

 

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. St. Bonaventure was named the #5 regional university value in the North in U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 college rankings edition.