The humiliating path of failure ultimately led me to the road of success. Admitting to friends and family that I failed was dreadful, if only for the fact that I couldn’t avoid the same question: “Why do the members of your staff have silver cords, but you don’t?” In NJROTC, junior year was the year to prove oneself amidst four hundred other cadets fighting for the same goal- the honor and privilege to become the Commanding Officer for the 2015-2016 school year. This is the highest achievement and rank that a cadet in the program can earn, and I ached for that position.
The main requirement for achieving this rank is participation in the Leadership Academy and in the Sail Training course, which lasted two weeks in Newport, Rhode Island. Upon …show more content…
For a short period, I put the burden of blame upon myself, which hung over my head like a dark, stormy cloud. However, even though I had let myself down, I realized that many underclassmen idolized me as a positive mentor, and I refused to let them see me any differently. My subordinates motivated me every step of the way, and without them, I would not be a leader. Over those next two months, I began a diet plan and exercised four days of the week, not only to prove myself to my instructors, but to achieve a healthier lifestyle. My passion and drive for the program were now higher than ever. There is a difference between being interested and being committed. My gym trainer told me, “When you’re committed to something you love, you can’t accept excuses, you work for results.”
The end of the year rolled around, and it was time to choose next year’s leadership on Awards Night. It was finally time for my instructor to name the new Commanding Officer. To my complete surprise, Commander Miller announced, “AMY CASTILLO!” It took a moment to sink in, but I realized my three years of arduous work had paid off. I had earned the title of Commanding Officer for the PCTI NJROTC 2015-2016 school
The main requirement for achieving this rank is participation in the Leadership Academy and in the Sail Training course, which lasted two weeks in Newport, Rhode Island. Upon …show more content…
For a short period, I put the burden of blame upon myself, which hung over my head like a dark, stormy cloud. However, even though I had let myself down, I realized that many underclassmen idolized me as a positive mentor, and I refused to let them see me any differently. My subordinates motivated me every step of the way, and without them, I would not be a leader. Over those next two months, I began a diet plan and exercised four days of the week, not only to prove myself to my instructors, but to achieve a healthier lifestyle. My passion and drive for the program were now higher than ever. There is a difference between being interested and being committed. My gym trainer told me, “When you’re committed to something you love, you can’t accept excuses, you work for results.”
The end of the year rolled around, and it was time to choose next year’s leadership on Awards Night. It was finally time for my instructor to name the new Commanding Officer. To my complete surprise, Commander Miller announced, “AMY CASTILLO!” It took a moment to sink in, but I realized my three years of arduous work had paid off. I had earned the title of Commanding Officer for the PCTI NJROTC 2015-2016 school