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    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                                   JULY 03, 2026    |  The Indian Eye 17

            can have on both individuals and or-
            ganizations.
                Those experiences ultimately
            reinforced my ambition to pursue a
            career as a Naval Officer, driven by a
            desire to serve a mission larger than
            myself and make a meaningful con-
            tribution to society.
                How many individuals do you lead
            and  what  challenges  come  with  the
            role?
                As the Commanding Officer of
            a battalion comprising nearly 300 ca-
            dets, I am responsible for overseeing
            a large and diverse group of future
            leaders. One of the key challenges
            of the position is ensuring that every
            cadet feels valued, included and sup-
            ported while upholding high stan-
            dards of discipline, accountability
            and performance.
                Leading an organization of this
            scale  demands  strong  communica-
            tion, effective delegation and a col-
            laborative approach. It also requires   teams,  CyberPatriot,  SeaPerch, and   Brawl, and the National Academic   responsibilities in NJROTC has pro-
            maintaining clear and professional   other specialized initiatives. Regular   Exam. My leadership helped the   vided me with valuable lessons that
            coordination with instructors so that   communication with instructors and   Leadership Academy Bowl team ad-  have shaped both my character and
            cadet leaders understand  expecta-  cadet leaders helps ensure that goals,   vance to Round 2 for two consecu-  leadership philosophy.
            tions, receive proper guidance and   schedules and expectations are effec-  tive years, while my academic team   My first and most important les-
            execute the  unit’s mission  success-  tively carried out across the chain of   secured  a  first-place  finish.  I  over-  son is that leadership is fundamen-
            fully.                            command.                          saw  study sessions,  team selection,   tally  about  people.  Through  men-
                Another  significant  challenge   While many students head home   training schedules, progress moni-  toring cadets and leading teams, I
            lies in managing cadets with varying   after  the  final  bell,  I  often  remain   toring, and competition preparation,   discovered that effective leadership
            levels of experience—from first-year   on campus, meeting with instruc-  demonstrating strong organizational   is measured not by rank or authority,
            members developing foundation-    tors and mentoring fellow cadets. By   and leadership abilities.    but by the positive impact made on
            al skills to senior cadets preparing   identifying areas for improvement                              others. I learned that  a single con-
            for graduation and leadership re-  and helping students build on their   In my role as STEM Command-  versation, encouraging word or op-
            sponsibilities. With compassionate   strengths, I play a key role in devel-                           portunity can significantly influence
            leadership, I strive to foster an envi-  oping the next generation of leaders.  er, I guided cadets through the  a  person’s  confidence,  growth  and
            ronment where all cadets can build   These after-school sessions involve   design, construction and pro-  future success.
            confidence, achieve personal growth   supervising training, evaluating per-                               My second lesson is that leader-
            and make meaningful contributions   formance, preparing cadets for com-  gramming of SeaPerch under-  ship requires consistency, resilience
            to the battalion’s mission, regardless   petitions  and inspections, and  pro-  water robots. Notably, leading   and  discipline.  Managing  academic
            of their experience level.        viding guidance to younger leaders.                                 demands  alongside  NJROTC  lead-
                What does a typical week look   I also lead weekly staff meetings and  the development of the unit’s  ership positions, competitions, and
            like in this role, both on weekdays and   briefings to assess battalion progress,   first robot built entirely from   service commitments taught me how
            weekends?                         address challenges, and coordinate                                  to remain focused and dependable
                For the battalion’s Commanding   upcoming activities.           scratch, coordinating teamwork  under pressure. I learned that true
            Officer,  leadership  responsibilities   How have NJROTC leadership   and problem-solving throughout   leadership  is  not  simply  about  am-
            extend far beyond the classroom and   roles contributed to your personal and                          bition but about maintaining com-
            often begin before the school day   professional development?       the project.                      posure, accountability, and commit-
            starts. My weekdays frequently start   Through a series of leadership                                 ment  when  faced  with  competing
            with morning drill practices from   positions in the Naval Junior Reserve   These leadership experiences   responsibilities.
            7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., where I help   Officers Training Corps (NJROTC),   have strengthened my communica-  My third lesson is that mean-
            prepare cadets for competitions, in-  I  have  developed  into  a  confident,   tion,  decision-making,  time-man-  ingful growth comes from embrac-
            spections, ceremonies and other bat-  disciplined  and  mission-focused  agement, and problem-solving skills   ing challenges. Experiences such
            talion events.                    leader.  Serving  as Academic  Com-  while teaching me to lead effectively   as attending Leadership Academy,
                Throughout the school day, I   mander, STEM Commander, Pla-     under pressure. Most importantly,   participating in Sail Training, lead-
            oversee battalion operations, co-  toon Leader, Training Leading Petty   they have reinforced my commit-  ing nearly 300 cadets and navigat-
            ordinates with  instructors  and staff   Officer  and  Inspection  Command-  ment to service, accountability, and   ing complex leadership situations
            officers,  mentor  cadets,  conducts   er, I gained extensive experience in   my long-term goal of becoming a   pushed me beyond my comfort zone.
            leadership meetings and ensures   team leadership, mentorship, train-  Naval Officer.                 These opportunities strengthened
            that training and administrative ob-  ing, and operational planning.    What are the three most important   my  resilience,  built  my  confidence
            jectives are met. My role touches     As   Academic   Commander,    lessons you have learned while balanc-  and enhanced my ability to make
            nearly every aspect of the program,   I successfully organized and led   ing demanding leadership responsibili-  decisions and lead effectively in de-
            including preparation for the ASV-  NJROTC academic teams in compe-  ties with academic excellence?   manding environments.
            AB, academic competitions, lead-  titions including the JROTC Lead-     Balancing a rigorous academic   (Read the full interview on our website
            ership development activities, drill   ership and Academic Bowl, Brain   schedule  with  significant  leadership   www.theindianeye.com)

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