Hollywood Hills High School senior Holly Poythress is a strong believer in the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program, or the JROTC, but she wants people to understand that it’s not a “gateway to the military.”
For the past two years, Hollywood Hills High School has offered its students the opportunity to take the JROTC class, as well as participate in JROTC after-school programs. The class varies by grade level but focuses on teaching things like study skills, community skills, conflict resolution and drug and alcohol prevention, and after-school programs include drill team, color guard and physical endurance tests.
“This program helps students do better in classes and school,” Poythress said. “I like it a lot because I’ve learned a lot from it and have been very successful. A lot of other kids have been, too. We’re motivated. It’s important to do things to the best of our abilities.”
The program has more than 200 participants, said moderator Lt. Col. Robert Schmidt. He said it’s a student-led program in which older cadets teach younger cadets, and it follows the same rankings as in the military, with students progressing through the ranks as they move up grade levels.
“Our purpose is to make young people better citizens,” Schmidt said. “We teach them how to become successful, how to be better students and how to succeed in high school.”
While the JROTC Spartan Battalion at Hollywood Hills is still new, Poythress said they only plan to keep getting better and more competitive. There are district and state competition for the after-school programs, and Hollywood Hills would love to compete in each event.
“We plan to get better every year and grow into a full program,” she said.
In addition to the leadership skills they learn through the program, students also explore career options in their classes - and not necessarily military careers - and they also participate in community service projects. The Hollywood Hills JROTC program, for example, just performed a beach cleanup on Hollywood Beach last month to learn about the importance of community involvement and giving back.
“The JROTC program teaches students about things like citizenship, leadership, integrity, courage, etc.,” Poythress said. “It’s not just about a career in the military.”
For more information about Hollywood Hills High School, visit www.broward.k12.fl.us/hollywoodhillshigh/index.html.
