A 24-year legacy at English: JROTC program again earns Naval Honor School Distinction

LYNN — English High School’s Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) received the distinction of being a Naval Honor School for the 24th consecutive year.

English is one of two high schools in Massachusetts to earn the distinction, and one of 49 high schools in the country to receive the honor. There are 260 high schools in the nation with MCJROTC programs.

“The success of the Lynn English MCJROTC is the result of the long history of senior cadets instilling a strong motivation in their younger counterparts to consistently strive for higher performance levels,” Sergeant Jose Beato said.

The criterion for this award include cadets’ academic performance and awards, total amount in scholarship earned by cadets, number of active cadets in school sports and clubs, total hours of community service completed by the cadets, number and results of MCJROTC competitions, and the school meeting all Marine Corps timelines and administrative requirements.

Beato, who graduated from English High School as a cadet himself in 2001, called the program a legacy program that has a “long standing tradition” in the community and noted how throughout the years, students became more and more motivated.

He added that the cadets collectively completed between 400 to 500 hours of community service throughout the summer and more than 4,000 hours during the school year. Approximately 110 students in all grades participate in the program every year.

Cadets had also collectively earned more than $2 million in scholarship during last school year, which Beato accredited to the cadet’s hard work in extracurriculars.

“Every year cadets and leaders in the program find new ways to do more, right? Whether it’s winning more competitions, whether it’s doing more community service. So it’s basically building a resume with the program,” Beato said. “So anytime people in the community want volunteers, they know they know they can count on this program.”

Some examples of community service include running a blood drive or volunteering at a food pantry.

Beato said the service builds incredible bonds between cadets because sometimes they can be together at school as early as 5:30 a.m.

“They feel like family. And you see them throughout the school, they’re just hanging out with one another, and — surrounded with good influence,” Beato said.

He added that last spring, five students were accepted into Ivy League schools from English High School, four of which were cadets in the JROTC program.

Beato said it truly is a legacy program, noting how parents who were once cadets will often share with them how proud they are to see their children grow up in MCJROTC.

Sgt Maj Oswald, the former Senior Marine Instructor, went to work at Beverly High School after retiring from English High School in 2021.

“(Oswald) took the same principles to Beverly High MCJROTC, and as a result their program earned the distinction of Naval Honor School for school year 2021-2022,” Beato said.

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