By Marin Murray
Three JROTC cadets have earned the inaugural Staff Sergeant Jeremy D. Smith Exemplary Service Award for their commitment to community service and will travel to Washington D.C. on an all-expenses paid trip to accept their awards on April 11-14.
“For the three cadets from Abilene High that get to go, it’s going to be a chance of a lifetime for them,” JROTC, Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, instructor Lt. Col. Davidson said. “It’s going to be exciting for them to go to D.C., accept the award and see the different things out there.”
Juniors Trevor Martin and Joshua Barajas-Rios and sophomore Arianna Najera, who is also a student at ATEMS are the three of the five recipients of this inaugural award.
“The Staff Sergeant Smith Award is pretty cool, because it’s the inaugural event,” Davidson said. “It’s the first year that they’ve done it, and it’s helping to promote his legacy of service and to keep his name out there.”
This award was created by the Concerned Veterans for America Foundation to honor the life and sacrifice of U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Jeremy D. Smith, who was killed in the line of duty on April 6, 2011, in Afghanistan.
“It was really exciting to find out that I won,” Martin said. “I didn’t think I was going to win.”
To be eligible for the award, cadets had to be in good standing in their JROTC program, maintain passing grades, complete a minimum of 30 community service hours, demonstrate a love for their country and display leadership qualities. They also had to submit an essay and have a letter of recommendation be turned in on their behalf.
“I hope they take away the fact that service is a good thing,” Davidson said. “While you don’t always get accolades for service, sometimes you do. It’s not something that you may expect, but it’s a good thing.”
The JROTC program offers students many opportunities to get-hands on experience to learn skills that will help them in future military careers, however, it does more than just that; it instills in them several leadership qualities.
“I decided to join JROTC just to become a better person,” Martin said. “My favorite part is probably the family aspect of it and getting along with everyone.”
According to Davidson, as the cadets have been in the program, they have grown tremendously as people, which he accredits to the structure of the class.
“As far as leadership in the class, it’s a cadet-led, cadet-run program,” Davidson said. “So, if they want to do something, they’re the ones that have to get it organized and make it happen.”
The award currently only recognizes students from Texas, which is Smith’s home state, but will expand to other states in the future. “I’m most excited for them to get to see what’s in D.C.,” Davidson said. “I don’t know if any of them have been outside of Abilene or Texas, so this is a big deal for them. I’m excited.”
