news-record.com

MCLEANSVILLE — Three Northeast Guilford High School students gave up some of their vacation to learn leadership skills this summer.

The teens were chosen to participate in Navy Junior ROTC seminars and academies, where they did activities including physical training and using air-traffic-control simulators.

Raven Williamson and Chris Jackson, both seniors, attended aerospace and technology leadership seminars at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at Daytona Beach, Fla., and the University of San Diego.

During this five-day workshop, cadets took part in scientific course work and practical experimentation. They trained on air-traffic-control simulators, spatial disorientation and flight courses. They also worked in teams to build a robot, catapult and devices to walk on water. They got a taste of college life and also learned about the Naval Academy and ROTC scholarships.

Jackson and Kevin Mitchell, a junior, completed the NJROTC’s Leadership Academy hosted by Coastal Carolina University. The top 3 percent of the 6,000 NJROTC cadets from more than 65 units in North and South Carolina were selected for the academy.

The cadets were split into six platoons. The academy included physical training, uniform and room inspections and drill competition.
The Leadership Academy helps rising seniors and juniors learn leadership qualities to bring back to their NJROTC unit.

The goal of the academy is to make better leaders by building their confidence, improving their communication skills and working as a team.

About 110 students are part of Northeast Guilford’s NJROTC unit this year. Master Chief Dirk Butler, who leads the group, said there are tentative plans for cadets to make field trips to Fort Bragg and a U.S. Coast Guard base in Elizabeth City.

“We try to do something different every year,” Butler said.

Contact Jamie Kennedy Jones at jamie.kennedy@news-record.com or 449-4610.