JROTC - PERSONAL ESSAY

“JROTC instruction is unique in that it includes student involvement in both the teaching and learning of the curriculum. How has your involvement in JROTC teaching and

learning helped you prepare for future college and career challenges?”

I often revisit a memory of the time when I feel my life began to shift. It is my sophomore year of high school, and I’ve just been selected as a competing member of our battalion’s academic team. I am surrounded by people older than me, more experienced than me, and I am more than a little intimidated. But all the same, I knew that these confident, capable cadets around me started right where I currently was; eager to learn, and perhaps one day teach, the vast quantities of material we covered during practice.

We began with learning the Naval Science 1 textbook. Sitting in a classroom and going over the textbook definitions may not have been everyone’s preferred method of learning, but for me, it was my first peek into the world of leadership and followership. I analyzed the text, ran possible interactions through my head, and asked the team commander and my teammates questions. In this scenario, what if...? I learned from the glossy pages of the NS1 book how to identify the aforementioned categories of participants.

Then, in my experiences, I learned how to draw all the types together into a cooperative unit; in other words, I learned how to lead, and by example, teach others as well.

That summer, my Naval Science Instructors had encouraged me to attend Basic Leadership Training Camp. The camp was relatively intense from the beginning; for many, it was our first exposure to a militaristic environment outside of school. A series of unfortunate events unfolded, as they tend to do in uncomfortable experiences. We were soaked with a Florida downpour that appeared out of nowhere. Our tents, having been left open to circulate some of the hot July air, did little to protect our belongings. Mosquitoes plagued us night and day, during the morning runs and nightly fire watches. But as it was, we were all in that same miserable situation. So, on the third morning, when everyone was either dejected or ready to mutiny against yet another round of morning exercises and a run, I addressed the situation. Thankfully, I had been able to lead them to choose the latter option. It was incredible how, through my admittedly forced optimism, I had led my platoon away from the gloomy mood and toward this shared feeling of accomplishment. It filled me with a profound sense of pride.

After the conclusion of BLTC, I have seen those who I attended with at competitions and ceremonies. They expressed to me how they appreciated my leadership, and I learned that I had been an example for them as they returned to their own home units and shared what they’d learned at the camp.

The road I have chosen for myself is a challenging one, physical, emotionally, and academically. My choice to attend the United States Naval Academy has never wavered, but as I have grown more mature, the realities of my dream have become clearer. It would be naïve not to believe that there will be times when I have to push myself, as well as others.

I have come a long way since that first anxious interaction with the people who had become my second family. I am now not only the current academic team commander, but the

Chief Staff Officer of my battalion. I have guided and motivated those around me so that we, as a cohesive team and unit, can tackle any goal set before us. I am ready to take this experience of learning, doing, and teaching with me as I pursue my college and career goals.