Cape High JROTC cadets place in national competition

Cape High JROTC cadets spent 10 days this summer at the Junior Leadership and Academic Bowl in Washington, D.C., where they competed against students from thousands of other schools and placed in each contest.

This year’s Academic Team of Korey Glenn, Lucas Santini, Mason Furman and Kamille Glenn competed in a high-pressure event similar to the “Jeopardy!” game show and finished in 13th place nationally.  

The Leadership Team of Jazmine Ramos Trejo, Tyler Haun, Rylee Tipton and Cole Huxtable placed 11th nationally. 

Preparation for JLAB is a yearlong process, with a lot of studying and focusing on working as a team, said Army JROTC instructor Sgt. Richard Hurt. Students must be able to perform regarding their knowledge base, but they also have to work together, communicate effectively as a group and complete complex tasks with skills they have been honing all year.

Most schools, if they are successful enough to place in the national competition, will send one team. However, under the leadership of Hurt, Cape’s JROTC program has consistently placed two teams into nationals, both Leadership Team and Academic Team, about eight times.   

“It’s a lot of hard work, with long hours and a lot of studying,” Hurt said. “I am proud of the students’ performance and dedication.”

JROTC cadets who participate in JLAB are exposed to an intensive curriculum that hones their academic abilities to absorb and retain large amounts of information across a wide spectrum of academic topics. They also get the experience of being part of a team that competes throughout the year, with the pride of achieving a national ranking.  

Most important, Hurt said, these students are learning to become future leaders through collaborative, hands-on exercises. The experience of being in the nation’s capital, celebrating their hard work and showcasing their achievements is an excellent way the JROTC program helps students shine. 

Students also honor their annual tradition of visiting Arlington Cemetery to pay respects at the gravesite of Major Angela Marie Erale, the daughter of Lt. Col. Ronald Erale, retired head of Cape High’s JROTC Program. 

JROTC is a character development and citizenship program for youth. Individual school districts in collaboration with the U.S. Army hire retired service members as instructors. ROTC curriculum offers challenging academic content and real-life experiences to help students develop a sense of personal responsibility and community service as they move through their academic career.