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After advancing through two rounds of online competition, the New Bedford High School JROTC Leadership Team – Derek Marques, Wayne Szela, Isaiah Crespo, and Donovan Martinez – were selected to compete in the 2016 Army JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl (JLAB) Championships in Washington, D.C. The competition will be held on the campus of The Catholic University of America, June 24-28, 2016. This event is sponsored by the Army JROTC and is conducted by College Options Foundation. New Bedford High School also attended the event in 2015, finishing fourth in the nation last year.
New Bedford’s JROTC team won their regional competition against all programs from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island.
A total of 1,378 Army JROTC teams competed from around the world. New Bedford is one of only 40 Army JROTC Leadership teams in the nation to advance to the national finals, which includes an all-expense paid trip to the Championship event in D.C.
During the two fast-paced preliminary rounds, cadets were tested on their knowledge of curriculum, current events, leadership skills, problem solving and critical thinking. New Bedford’s program has now sent a qualifying team to the national finals in 6 of the previous 8 years.
The JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl is a nationally recognized competition created exclusively for JROTC students. By participating, cadets learn the values of citizenship, academic competition, and are exposed to tremendous collegiate opportunities. The New Bedford High School Academic team also performed exceptionally well finishing third among all Army JROTC programs in those same states. The entire 2016 team is comprised of captains, Kyien Pina, and Ryan Costa along with team members Brittany Cutler, Logan Avelar, Seti Pereira and Isidra Roman.
College Options Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the academic development of high school students and assisting them in their preparation for higher education. Using academic competitions, college exam study guides, college admissions tutorials and personalized counseling, College Options Foundation has assisted the nation’s JROTC cadets worldwide for over a decade.
“Our students at New Bedford High School continue to shine,” said Superintendent Pia Durkin. “Derek, Wayne, Isaiah and Donovan have proven themselves against their peers from across nine states, and to those of us in New Bedford, it’s no surprise that it’s our students who will be going on to the national JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl in Washington this summer. As always, our students continue to impress us and make us proud.”
