North Plainfield Students Complete NJROTC Leadership Course

NORTH PLAINFIELD, NJ - Three North Plainfield High School Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) cadets graduated from the 2024 NJROTC Leadership Academy and Sail Training (LA/ST) on Friday, July 12, 2024, in Newport, RI.

Senior Yareliz Minaya-Fernandez and Juniors Dayana Castro and Zawadi Warachi, completed two weeks of intensive training in preparation for increased leadership responsibilities in the North Plainfield NJROTC program. Training included physical training at 5 am, leadership-related academics, swimming,  one hour each day on a sailboat learning to sail, flying drones, honing their close order drill and orienteering skills, and a tour of the Navy’s Damage Control trainer/simulator.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE FREE TAPINTO.NET NEWSLETTER

After completion of the training course, cadets earned the coveted Silver Cord, a symbol of having achieved the Academy's high standards of individual and team accomplishment. It is an aiguillette worn over the right shoulder only by those cadets who complete a Leadership Academy.

Cadet Minaya-Fernandez, this year’s Cadet Commander for the NPHS NJROTC program, remarked, “Being able to go to LA/ST is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The friends, time, and lessons are something that you can’t get anywhere else.  It’s truly something enjoyable that I got to do, and I wouldn’t exchange the opportunity to go for anything else.”

Cadet Zawadi Warachi reflected on her experience, “I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to meet such an amazing and diverse group of people. I have changed and learned so much each day that passed at the academy and I can’t wait to apply what I have learned to our school’s NJROTC unit.“

North Plainfield High School’s Senior Naval Science Instructor, Captain Dave Wright, US Navy (ret), served as a Sailing Instructor during the two-week Academy. He shared, “Every cadet who attends LA/ST overcomes some personal challenges during the two weeks in Newport. Yareliz, Dayana, and Zawadi demonstrated resilience and determination and persevered through the challenging course. I couldn’t be more proud of the three of them and look forward to having them bring their new leadership skills into our program.”

DOWNLOAD THE FREE TAPINTO APP FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS. AVAILABLE IN THE APPLE STORE AND THE GOOGLE PLAY STORE .

Michael Vira, North Plainfield High School Class of 1996, currently serves as the Command Master Chief for Newport Naval Station and played a role in the training the cadets received. He provided the group of 125 NJROTC cadets with valuable leadership lessons and experiences he gained through his two-and-a-half decades of military service.

The course concluded with a graduation ceremony, where parents could attend and see the cadets recognized for their accomplishments.

For more local news, visit TAPinto.net