Building the foundations of my leadership journey, the local Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) program pushed the edges of my comfort zone and demanded personal growth throughout my years in high school.

From facilitating team-building for platoons of my peers to overseeing the execution of community projects, the program constantly placed me in situations that would require traits such as decisiveness, initiative, effective communication, and integrity. During those four years, both my character and skills were refined through training, failure, and discipline.

In my last year of high school, I would go on to become the Commanding Officer of the MCJROTC program, to be in charge of one-hundred and twenty cadets, and to oversee the execution of over one thousand hours of community service.