Britany Patino, a sophomore in the Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, said she has absolutely no idea what she wants to do with her life. She doesn’t know if she wants to join the military, go to college or join the work force straight away after high school. For her, though, the Prosper Independent School District military-based program offered different skills and values that she said can help her when she does decide what she wants to do.
Taught by 1st Stg. Sedric Wade and Staff Sgt. Michael Songy, the class meets at Rock Hill High School, so Prosper students in the program travel there on B days to participate in the class. JROTC teaches students different skills for whatever job they choose to pursue.
“Say I want to go to college, or I want to build a business,” Patino said. “They help you achieve that business by showing you steps you can take to do it.”
Not only does JROTC offer the opportunity to learn about “smart goals,” as Patino puts it, but many students in the program said it can also be a fun class for anyone willing to try it.
“Some kids in my company are just there, and they’re bored, and they’re like, they don’t want to be there,” Patino said. “Like, if you’re not going to enjoy the class and really engage and do the activities that are provided for you because it’s a fun class if you make it fun. If you don’t try to be your best or try to aim for perfection and don’t try to have fun, then it’s not going to be a fun class for you.”
Or, as Cadet 1st Lt. Sarah Whitley puts it, you have to be in the correct mindset to really enjoy the class.
“If you’re not motivated or ready to get things done or even just trying to get through the class, you will be miserable,” Whitley said. “But, I have had the best time, and I look forward to the class everyday.”
Not only does the class provide necessary life skills, Patino said it also provides a strong sense of friendship for most of the cadets taking it.
“I love ROTC,” Patino said. “It’s so amazing because it becomes like your family. And, I’m just so close with everyone there, and the bond is like no other.”
Others in JROTC experienced the same sense of companionship with their fellow cadets when taking the class and have emphasized the family-like relationship they feel.
“Me personally, I love the family you build,” Cadet 1st Lt. Samuel Sontag said. “Yes, I understand it sounds corny, but all these people you’re with share a common interest, and that just builds a family in your class period or company.”
While JROTC is a military-based program, most cadets in the class don’t join the military.
“ROTC is more than prepping you for the military,” Patino said. “It definitely helps if you are going to go to the military, but if you’re not planning on going to the military, like myself, I don’t really plan on it, still deciding. But, it helps you with leadership, speaking, and you know, in the class you can speak in front of a lot of cadets and just kind of getting those jitters out and getting used to being in front of a lot of people.”
There are some who take advantage of the military-based program and plan to join.
“I do plan to join the military after college,” Samuel Sontag said. “I plan to follow in my father’s footsteps because, for me, the military is a huge part of my family.”
Whether students plan to join the military, start a business, or something else entirely, JROTC offers many valuable life skills that can be essential for succeeding later in life.
“The things we learn in JROTC are preparing me to be a humble leader,” Whitley said. “And, it teaches me many things about my character that can help me in the work force.”
