Michigan City High School MCJROTC Conducts 2019 Awards Ceremony
The Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) honored its cadets with an awards ceremony at MCHS on May 16th. Representatives from numerous organizations presented awards to cadets for accomplishments on their Military Drill, Shooting and Cyber Patriot teams. Additionally, cadets who had excelled scholastically, athletically, in other MCHS extracurricular activities, and in participating in community service and parades and ceremonies were recognized.
Major Tom McGrath, the Senior Marine Instructor, praised the cadets for dedication to excellence. “Our cadets know that regardless of the activity-from the drill team to community service- we represent Michigan City to other schools and the community. They have performed admirably in striving to make our program that kind that other schools want to imitate.”
“MCHS cadets are very versatile,” said Marine Instructor Master Sergeant Jeff Benak. “Many of our cadets earned awards for multiple activities in which they excelled.”
Individual award recipients were:
- Cadet Corporal Josh Wilhelm, Marine Corps League Award, as the Most Improved Drill Team Cadet;
- Cadet Staff Sergeant Julia Ringstad, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Award, for Superior Dedication;
- Cadet Sergeant Bohdan Walker, Military Officers Association of America Award, as the best junior on the Armed Exhibition Platoon;
- Cadet 1st Sergeant Thomas Mizer, the Sons of the American Revolution Award, as the best male junior on the Drill Team;
- Cadet Lance Corporal Hanna Lucas, Daughters of the American Revolution Award, as the best 1st year cadet on the drill team;
- Cadet Lance Corporal Breanna Johnson, the Women Marines Association Award, as the best first year on the Unarmed Exhibition Platoon;
- Cadet Staff Sergeant Jessica Wilhelm, the American Legion Military Excellence Award, for superior leadership by example;
- Cadet Lance Corporal Declan Rice, the American Legion Scholastic Excellence Award, for earning the highest grade point average;
- Cadet Sergeant Destiny Gonzalez, as the best junior on the Unarmed Exhibition Platoon.
May is a very busy month for the cadets. They have already worked the Barker Craft Show, the Barker Dance, the Pine Elementary Carnival, the Unified Track meet, and the MCHS Senior Award Night. They will be placing flags on veterans’ graves, doing the opening ceremony at the Richardson Preserve in LaPorte, supporting the veterans’ motorcycle groups’ memorial ceremony at Washington Park, supporting the Lake Hills Elementary School anniversary celebration, the VFW Poppy Sale, and the Michigan City Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony at Greenwood Cemetery for the remainder of the month.