JROTC Builds Character and Leadership
The Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program can be a journey of life changing experiences that can and will build character and leadership. I am currently a freshman and I am enrolled in the JROTC program at Boca Ciega High School, and at first I wasn’t sure what to expect and who I would encounter. Throughout my year so far being a cadet, I am being challenged physically, mentally, and emotionally. But I was able to learn more about teamwork and leadership through this short span. The curriculum consists of practical exercises that directly target an individual’s leadership and character. JROTC has taught me what I would not have learned in any other class in high school. Older cadets have overcome fears and have formed lifelong friendships and unforgettable memories. And I do intend on being like my role models in this program. Overall, they have found that JROTC has molded a sense of character within them just it has for me. JROTC is unique because it uses a clear chain of command that consists of the students (cadets) themselves. The fact that the organization is cadet-run is great, because it gives us the independence for us to make decisions that impact us directly and because of that, we are free to make the organization our own. Personally, I gained more confidence, better people skills, great grammar, how to talk in a large number of groups, and personality. JROTC brings out the best in me and my fellow cadets because of the high level of maturity expected of them from the instructors and the huge student participation in running the program. The program also prepares us for life after high school, helping us to learn our personality types and how to interact with other types. We also learned to respect ourselves and others when wearing uniform and when we are not. We learn to step outside our comfort zone and become acquainted with the world around us; the