The Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) recently supported the Michigan City Area Schools (MCAS) “Inspiring Young Minds” College and Career Expo, held at Barker Middle School on Thursday, March 26. Students from the district’s two middle schools and six elementary schools attended the fair.
“The students were very enthusiastic and curious to learn about JROTC,” said Cadet 1st Lieutenant Payton Downs, the program’s Administrative Officer. “Many were surprised to hear that there is no military commitment associated with the program. They liked the purpose of the course: to provide leadership skills to enable a student to lead in any field, not just the military.”
Cadet Gunnery Sergeant Mercedes White, the program’s logistics chief, observed the enjoyment the students showed when handling the drill rifle, the shooting rifle, and the drill sword. “The kids really get a charge when putting their hands on the stuff we brought over. They also seemed very interested in our photos of our Raider Team competing.”
Cadets are currently obtaining their physical exams, mostly from MCHS’s Open Door Adolescent Health Center, so that they are ready to start Raider conditioning over the summer. Raiders is a very physically demanding competition, requiring teamwork on skills that are similar to those of Army Special Forces Raiders or Marine Force Reconnaissance.
The cadets continue to support the Michigan City community. They have worked at the Sacred Heart Food Pantry in Michigan City every Friday since January. They will participate in the opening ceremony for the Indiana Garden Club Convention being held at the Blue Chip Casino on April 14. They will also be assisting in the clean-up of Friendship Botanic Gardens on April 18.
The JROTC will continue to support MCHS through the school year, including the parking duty for the school’s graduation ceremony on June 7.
To learn more about the MCHS MCJROTC program, please visit mchs.educatemc.net/mcjrotc.