Dear Salem MCJROTC,
Thank you for providing me skills that I will use later on in my life! As a freshmen in college I can't believe it's almost going to be year since I graduated from Salem High! Time does fly by and there are many wonderful moments I cherished during the 3 years I spent in the program and there are couple of my personal favorite that I would like to share with you!
For those who are new to the program or may not know me personally, my name is Karen Cevallos and I participated in MCJROTC from my sophomore till senior year of high school (2013-2016). I got promoted up to Staff Sergeant during my time in the program when I graduated from Salem High in the class of 2016. After graduation, I am currently finishing up my first year of college at Umass Amherst where I am a Psych major in the Pre-med track.
One of the best memories I could remember being in the program, was the first drill competition we had at Beverly High School. The first thing I remember was, waking up early to go to the high school to load up the bus with our gear. I saw many other cadets as well were ironing their uniforms or practicing one last time.
It was the first time in years, since Salem High had a drill competition, so for the most part everyone did not know what to expect and wanted to win! Although every one may have seemed tired and nervous for the competition, we still had a great time. At the end of the competition, we won our first trophy and that is where the trophy shelf began. I was not involved on the drill team, however I did come to video tape the competition and take pictures. If any cadet ever finds the CD with the footage and pictures, sorry for the poor quality and unsteadiness of the camera lol.
Another part of MCJROTC that I enjoyed was when we had potluck for the holidays. The food was always amazing and there was interesting gifts or prizes where people could have won from knock out. This picture specifically was the first ever potluck we had with 1st Sergeant and Lieutenant Colonel when they first arrived to Salem High during my junior year in high school (2014-2015). Most of the cadets you see in the picture you may recognize or they may have graduated from the previous years as well.
My other memory would be our first out of state trip to Washington D.C! We visited many historical sites such as the National Museum of the Marine Corps, White House, and Abraham Lincoln Statue etc. We also got to see the mascot of the Marine Corps Chesty!
Lastly, I want to conclude that as you see Salem High MCJROTC began as a small group of cadets participating in events. By the end of my senior year (2016) this was the trophy rack with 20+ from all types of events. One year later, I imagine that there was twice or triple the amount of trophies won and it goes to show that with hard work and team building it can go a long way!
As years have passed by, I hope people can notice the difference that MCJROTC has expanded with more cadets involved in everything whether it's the potlucks, field trips, or camps etc. It all started with that one trophy at Beverly High that ignited the fire! Good luck on future events and keep recruiting more cadets into the program, because it is something you will miss once you graduate. Best wishes!
Sincerely
Karen Cevallos
