SDUSD Brigade Newsletter: September 2017

San Diego Unified School District

September 2017, Volume 1

SDUSD JROTC Joint Brigade Newsletter WELCOME BACK, CADETS! After almost three months of vacation time, over 130,000 students within the San Diego Unified School District returned to school for the commencement of the 2017-2018 school year. For thousands of JROTC cadets, however, the summer was filled with opportunities to further their involvement in their communities, begin intensive training for competitions, and have enormous amounts of fun, all while building lifelong friendships with their fellow cadets.

Among these many experiences was the opportunity to attend Junior Cadet Leadership Camp (JCLC), during which Army JROTC programs in the district sent a handful of their most dedicated cadets to Mataguay Scout Ranch in Santa Ysabel, California. These hardworking cadets spent four and a half days participating in athletic and team-building activities which pushed their mental and physical abilities to

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

the limit. This year’s camp, led by the new Brigade XO, Siddhi Patel, was praised by JCLC veterans as

Letter from the Brigade Commander ............................. 2

having been one of the smoothly-run, amusing

A Message from the J-5 ........... 2

camp session they had ever experienced. Thank you

Get to Know Your Staff! .......... 3

and congratulations to all cadets who participated!

Above: A cadet in mid-jump as they attempt the “Leap of Faith” at the end of the elevated High Cope obstacle course at JCLC.

As a new school year begins, so does the highly and widely anticipated JROTC compe-

JROTC Alumni: Where Are They Now? ............................... 5 Cadet Interviews...................... 6

tition season. In preparation for the upcoming drill and archery competitions, many units conducted over-the-summer training programs, in which new cadets were trained by upperBelow: Several incoming first-year cadets at Patrick Henry High School begin learning the basics of drill and leadership over the summer in order to get a head start on their JROTC curriculum.

level ones, and mid-level cadets were given the chance to reverify their ranks, refresh their knowledge of drill, and expand upon their leadership skills. Additionally, many units held staff meetings for incoming cadet leaders to plan and prepare for what they hope to be their most successful year yet.

UPCOMING EVENTS • Tuesday, Sept. 19th/ Thursday, Sept. 21st: Academic League, Round 1 • Saturday, Sept. 23rd: Cadet Picnic • Thursday, Sept. 28th: Archery League, Round 1

A LETTER FROM THE BRIGADE COMMANDER

A MESSAGE FROM THE J-5 Take any iconic photos of your unit lately?

Have an outstanding cadet whose accomplishments you want to showcase? Want to suggest new content for Brigade Newsletters? If you said “yes” to any of these questions, please contact the Brigade J-5 (Public Affairs Officer) at sdusdjrotcj5@gmail.com with photos and descriptions of what you would like to be written in the corresponding article.

Help ensure that your cadets get the public recognition they deserve!

Greetings, cadets of San Diego Unified JROTC Joint Brigade!

My name is Johnny Nguyen and I am honored to be serving as your Joint Brigade Commander for the 2017-2018 school year. The brigade staff and I are thrilled to be serving all of you. Although I missed out on meeting many of you at JCLC, I do look forward to the many other opportunities that I will receive to bond with you all.

I like to describe myself as a change-maker, a fervent leader who wants to make real and impactful change. I’ve been involved in Key Club, the American Red Cross chapter, student government (ASB), Model United Nations, and other similar clubs and organizations. A little fun fact about me is that I’ve traveled to Vietnam on over 10 separate occasions, and I aspire to serve my country in some way or form in the future. If you ever have any questions about me, personally, do not hesitate to ask!

Moving onto my intentions for this year, whether you’re a first year cadet or in your last year of the program, my staff and I are confident that we can make this year one to remember. My intention is to enhance every single cadet’s experience in the brigade, and for you to all walk out of this year wholeheartedly believing that this program has left an indelible mark on your life. My vision is to improve our engagement with the community, to further expand our network as a brigade with new stakeholders, and I share this vision with every leader in this program so that we can all help strengthen the brigade, collectively and collaboratively.

I will be dedicating my time to ensuring that our approach to events this year will not only be fun, but innovative.

One major piece of advice that I want to give to cadets is please feel free to reach out to us as a brigade staff. Don’t hesitate to ask us questions, whether it be programrelated or not. What are our aspirations, goals, and dreams? Do you have questions about the experience as a brigade staff member?

What makes us do what we do? And to sum it all up, the cornerstone of my vision is simply to build a stronger and closer relationship from brigade staff to each unit. I wish you all luck on your JROTC endeavors, and I hope to see you at our next event!

-c/COL Johnny Nguyen, SDUSD Joint Brigade Commander

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GET TO KNOW YOUR STAFF! Brigade XO (Executive Officer): c/LTC Siddhi Patel (Mira Mesa HS) At Mira Mesa High School, Siddhi serves as the A3 (Operations Officer) for her Air Force JROTC unit. She has been a part of the Unarmed Fancy Drill Team there for over three years now and she was also the team commander her junior year. She also takes part in JROTC teams such as Cyber Patriot and Kitty Hawk. Additionally, she is involved in her local cultural program, GASD. She was previously a part of the Youth Committee in which she helped organize and plan events. Some fun facts about her include that she likes dogs and ice cream crepes. She looks forward to seeing the many cadets of the brigade throughout the school year and working with an amazing staff to make this year a success!

Brigade CSM: c/CSM Eric Mains (Kearny HS) Eric currently serves as the head male of the Kearny High School state champion archery team, and received 1st place BDI LET 2 and 3rd place BDI LET 3. He also holds the position of CSM in his battalion’s staff for the second year in a row, earning him the nickname of CSM3. As the brigade CSM, he will be leading the cadets in brigade tapout, leading brigade color guards, and the honor guard at Cadet Ball. He plans to improve communication among CSMs in all units by making them aware of his expectations for their performances.

Brigade J-1 (Personnel Officer): c/CPT Gemma Samoy (Kearny HS) Gemma is super excited to be your Brigade J1! She is in charge of personnel and administration. The JROTC program has given her so many wonderful opportunities that have allowed her to grow as an individual. She wants to ensure that all cadets have the same experiences she is fortunate to have had throughout her JROTC career. She’s learned that this brigade is filled with incredibly talented cadets that can accomplish anything together. She strives to create a fun and positive environment in which cadets can learn and grow.

Brigade J-2 (Intelligence Officer): c/CPT Joshua Abuyo (Morse HS) As the J-2, Josh is in charge of safety and security during brigade events. In addition, he’s also the scholarship officer within the brigade. As a new school year begins, he hopes to see more units branching out to the community. He wants the brigade to showcase all of the motivated and awesome cadets that all 13 units possess through community involvement. He wholeheartedly takes pride in JROTC and values the opportunities it offers to high school students nationwide.

Brigade J-3 (Operations Officer): c/CDR James Gordon (Patrick Henry HS)

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James’s JROTC experiences include involvement and command of national and local academic teams; as well as competing with his unit’s Cyber Patriot team last year. Outside of JROTC, his leadership style and experience are derived from over 10 years of scouting, during which he successfully reached the rank of Eagle sophomore. While he may have reached my eagle two years ago, scouting continues to be a large influence on his life and leadership. He’s found that, while being in a major role in an organization is important to developing one’s own aptitude for leadership, it is useless unless you can learn to develop the skills and aptitude of more junior members. So even beyond his Eagle, he is most proud of the fact that he has stayed in to mentor two more past himself.

Other hobbies of his include fencing saber and Model UN. He looks forward to working with all the cadets and cadre throughout the school year.

GET TO KNOW YOUR STAFF! Brigade J-4 (Logistics Officer): c/CDR Josephine Hart (Point Loma HS) Josephine Hart served as her unit’s Commanding Officer last year, and is excited to serve as the Brigade Logistics Officer (J-4)! As the J-4, she’ll oversee that all materials (such as awards, PT equipment, score sheets, etc.) are accounted for at each respective event. Since her first year in JROTC, the program has given her a chance to truly express herself. She has participated in Color Guards, Armed Drill, Physical Training, Orienteering, and Academic teams. She also participates in organizations such as AVID, ASB, CSF, and School Site Council. She hopes everyone has an outstanding school year and can’t wait to see you all soon!

Brigade J-5 (Public Affairs Officer): c/MAJ Yasmine Sadoudi (San Diego HS) Formerly an Olympic hopeful, Yasmine recognizes that her invaluable time in JROTC has significantly impacted her career goals, inspiring her to abandon dreams of becoming a pro figure skater in order to devote herself to a life of public service. She is very politically active, and has accrued over 300 hours of community service in high school alone. She currently serves as a Global Ambassador for the International Rescue Committee, the Secretary-General for two Model

United Nations conferences, and has received a number of awards for her dedication to the JROTC program. She hopes to graduate from an Ivy League University or the US Coast Guard Academy

with degrees in Political Science and International Relations in order to pave her way to the U.S. Presidency. She is grateful for the opportunity to serve her brigade and can’t wait to spend the year capturing the moments which shape young cadets into promising leaders.

Brigade J-6 (Communications Officer): c/LTC David Tu (Crawford HS) As the J-6, David will be in charge of maintaining the Brigade website. He is also in charge of other electronic devices that will be used at Brigade events. His primary goal for this school year is to improve communication between Brigade Staff and JROTC cadets. The website will help with this by allowing staff to share relevant documents directly with cadets. David aspires to join the medical field as a neurologist, although that is far in the future. For now, he plans to do what he can to improve the program and staff’s connection with cadets. He hopes that the brigade will have a wonderful year!

Brigade J-8 (Finance Officer): c/LTC Susan Garcia (Hoover HS) This school year, Susan will serve as the BC for Hoover High School’s AJROTC unit in addition to her role as the Brigade J-8. She has participated in multiple JROTC events, focusing primarily on the Academic and Color Guard teams. She volunteers often for monthly canyon clean-ups, Rady Children’s Hospital, and is also involved with Ronald McDonald House. As the Finance Officer, her duties are to maintain and keep record of the brigade’s financial standing and create budgets for brigade events. Some of her goals for this school year are to create a strong precedent for following J-8s and to increase her familiarity with other units. Her professional goal is to attend Brandeis University and major in Biochemistry.

Brigade LNO (Liaison Officer): c/MAJ Melba Nuzen (Scripps Ranch HS)

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As Brigade Liaison Officer, Cadet Major Melba Nuzen is responsible for overseeing all communication in the brigade, including networking with veteran organizations, recruiting offices, and drill team judges. This year, she aspires to improve communication between the thirteen schools, as well as extend the Brigade's network to include more veteran organizations and community programs. Outside of JROTC, Melba enjoys participating in tutoring programs, and volunteering with AWIS (Association of Women in STEM) Outreach and at Marshall Middle School with the Science Olympiad program.

JROTC ALUMNI: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Once a cadet, always a cadet: this is the attitude many San Diego Unified School District JROTC alumni have toward the program upon their completion of high school to move on to their post-secondary educations and careers. Ever wonder what happened to those cadets? Here are some profiles of extremely dedicated former cadets making their way towards success after graduation from high school and JROTC. Mikayla Korpinen currently attends the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York as a third-year cadet. A graduate of San Diego High School, Korpinen was her unit’s Continuous Improvement Project Officer, as well as served on Brigade Staff as the Public Affairs Officer (J-5). She graduated in 2015, receiving the title of Valedictorian of her high school class,. She also received several prestigious JROTC awards for her time and dedication to the success of all cadets in the program. Korpinen embodies the values of selfless service and integrity, and continues to apply leadership principles she learned as a cadet in JROTC in her everyday life as a student and burgeoning leader.

Sarah Palmeter is a recent graduate of Madison High School, who served as her AJROTC unit’s Battalion Commander. In addition, Sarah also fulfilled the role of Brigade Executive Officer during the 20162017 school year. Sarah now embarks on a new chapter in her life, pursuing an education at Penn State University, where she hopes to expand upon the leadership skills she has gained during her four years in JROTC and learn how to practically apply these skills in her quotidian life. We are extremely grateful for her service to the brigade and hope that she will always remember her time in the program. Congratulations and best of luck to this star cadet!

Todd Gloria not only played the role of a responsible cadet during his high school years, but also served as the Brigade Commander during his senior year! Gloria graduated from Madison High School in 1996 and attended the University of San Diego, where he studied Political Science and History.

He has since held the offices of Interim Mayor of San Diego, San Diego City Councilmember, and now currently serves as the State Assemblyman for the 78th District of California.

Gloria’s dedication to public service has played a significant role in local politics, and has inspired many others to incite positive, impactful change in their community’s affairs.

Gloria’s journey as an influential politician is proof that those who follow the moral code established by the JROTC program can accomplish great things in life, and can distinguish themselves through fulfilling their civic responsibilities as productive members of society.

Marné Amoguis, a recent graduate of University City High School, honorably served as the San Diego Unified School District Brigade Commander during the 2016-2017 school year. An aspiring politician, Amoguis will be attending UC San Diego in the fall to study international business and law. She hopes to become a U.S. Senator or a Congresswoman for California.

Barely of age, Marné has already dedicated herself to public service and serves as a role model for many cadets in the brigade who have had the privilege of knowing her. Her passionate leadership of the program has touched the lives of many more individuals than she realizes, and her determination to succeed in life will allow her to achieve greatness as she transitions to her post-secondary education. Thanks for your service and, from all the cadets whose lives you’ve changed, we can’t wait to see you change the world!

FUN FACTS ABOUT JROTC: •

The first JROTC unit in the U.S. was established at Leavenworth High School in Leavenworth, Kansas in 1916.

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The first JROTC unit in San Diego Unified School District was established in 1919 at San Diego High School.

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The average GPA of cadets nationwide is a 3.0, and the dropout rate for cadets is less than 1%.

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All JROTC instructors have honorably served a minimum of 20 years in the Armed Forces.

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Some notable individuals who participated in JROTC in high school include: •

Darrell Issa (CA Congressman)

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James Earl Jones (Actor, Voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars Saga)

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Mike Krzyzewski (U.S. Olympic Basketball Coach)

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CADET INTERVIEWS As a way of kicking off the new school year, public affairs staff from units around the brigade have provided brief interviews of some of their brightest cadets. Here are some cadets who exemplify JROTC standards explaining why they joined the program and why it means so much to them.

"What inspires me most are the program’s academic opportunities and Cyber-Patriot team. I am aiming to improve my leadership through these experiences."

-c/Andrew Gordon, 1st-year at Patrick Henry HS

-c/Eryn Little 4th-year at Kearny HS

“I’m passionate about the program because it has given me the social skills, relationships, and leadership skills I need to become a CHP Officer.”

"I want to be a computer science major, and I learned how to follow directions well, which is an important skill to have in careers dealing with coding."

-c/Kyle Baustian 3rd-year cadet at UCHS

-c/Alex Hardy 3rd-year at San Diego HS

"JROTC has taught me selfdiscipline, leadership, time management, and teamwork.

I’ve learned how to carry myself with confidence, adapt to all sorts of situations, successfully work with others, and guide others toward success.

-c/Gabrielle Hermogino 3rd-year at Mira Mesa HS

"Because of the leadership positions I’ve held, I’ve had to challenge myself, and I now have intrinsic motivation, which will be incredibly beneficial in college, and later on in a career."

"JROTC gives you a great reputation that makes you stand out in your college applications or when you’re entering the military. Overall, I’m excited to try new things such as archery."

"What excites me most about participating in JROTC is getting to know and work with upperclassmen. I’m also excited about special teams like the academic team and drill teams, and getting involved in the program.”

-c/Katie Nguyen 1st-year at Scripps HS

-c/Erick Cifuentes 1st-year at Hoover HS

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"My leadership positions have all taught me the importance of taking other people’s ideas into consideration, which is important in any career you’re going into."

-c/Samantha Smith 4th-year at Point Loma HS