Dallas ISD students are making history and headed to the nation’s capital.
This summer, Jordan P., Angel C., Leonardo H., and Kyan H., JRTOC students at Emmet J. Conrad High School, will be going on an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the 2023-2024 JROTC Leadership & Academic Bowl.
Emmet J. Conrad High School was one of 1,844 JRTOC programs that competed in two preliminary rounds to qualify for the bowl, also known as JLAB. It is the first time a Dallas ISD school will be competing in the final round and Conrad is the only school in the district to qualify.
“This is a huge milestone and has never been accomplished in the history of the JROTC program,” said Leon Johnson, JROTC instructor.
Representing Dallas ISD and Texas is an honor, Leonardo said.
“I have never been able to do something like this so it’s very important to me that I get to do it,” he said. “I feel very happy that I’m going to make history at Conrad and that I get to do such an amazing thing.”
The students say competing on the national stage showcases their hard work and dedication.
“It means a lot to me to represent in this way, to be able to represent the star state is something I thought I’d never do. It is quite frankly intimidating to think about,” Kyan said. “It’s an odd feeling and really makes me think about how far we’ve come.”
It’s also a reminder of their potential, Jordan said.
“It shows me that I can reach expectations further than my own and that I’m capable of being able to represent my school, and state,” he said. “The highest role I’ve been given in my entire life.”
For Angel – and many others – this will be the first time they are traveling outside of Texas.
“I‘m looking forward to everything because I have never been to another state, so I am excited to visit an entirely new place,” he said.
To qualify for JLAB, Jordan, Leonardo, Kyan and Angel, who are all rising juniors, advanced through two phases of online competition, where they were evaluated on their knowledge of JROTC core curriculum and academic subjects. They were also tested on state and world current events, citizenship, leadership skills, and financial literacy.
“Each question had a 15 to 60 second timer,” Jordan said. “If we aren’t able to answer in time, it counted as wrong, and we are moved on to the next question.”
Leonardo credits passing the qualifiers with high marks to his teammates.
“The preliminary rounds were very nerve-wracking. We just studied as a group and had good teamwork,” he said.
With the preliminary rounds behind them, the group is now focused on getting ready for the final round.
“Our team is preparing for the competition in Washington, D.C by studying and quizzing ourselves on whatever materials given to us,” Kyan said.
Knowing they will be competing among the best JROTC programs in the country is fuel to give it their all at JLAB, Angel added.
“It will push me forward and motivate me in doing my absolute best because our group has the honor to represent all our district, which for me is important,” he said.
“We are ready for whatever they will throw at us,” Leonardo added.
The team is more than capable of succeeding in D.C., Johnson said.
“I am truly blessed and honored to take this journey with my cadets, and I believed in them from day one. They are a special group and I know that they can achieve whatever they believe. The sky is the limit for this group,” he said.
The JLAB competition will be from June 16 to 20 at The Catholic University of America.
