JROTC (Junior Reserves Officers’ Training Corps) is a program geared towards high school students who want to have a military career. They compete in various competitions and prepare for leadership roles in the military. Here at Heritage, we do not have our own JROTC program; however, there are students who leave school everyday to go to either Ringgold High School or LFO to take part in JROTC. It is made up of seniors Mason Heinrich, Cole Householder, Evan Keim, and Jace Turner, juniors, Nick Cook and Jacob Grant, sophomores, Emalee Grant, August Henderson, Michael Hughs, Noah Terry, and Glenn Williamson, and freshman, Mason Grant. Members of JROTC take part in challenging activities that will help teach them valuable life lessons, such as climbing Stone Mountain in the rain or walking 15 miles—feeling hungry and sore. JROTC has different teams within the club, such as a color guard, a drill team, and others. Both Ringgold and LFO teams have done very well in their competitions this season, and they were both promoted from Division Two to Division One, which is the top division out of three. Bhodi Hendricks was second commander and came in second for regulation. JROTC came in first for Color Guard and mixed dual, fourth in inspection, and second overall. They also made it through Regionals and State, all the way to Nationals, with Turner placing second in the Army National’s Solo Exhibition. All in all, JROTC has had yet another successful year.
Heritage JROTC Members Win at National Competition
Heritage students involved in the JROTC program had a fantastic year of competitions and growth.
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About the Contributors
Caleb Peponis, Staff Writer
Caleb Peponis is a freshman at Heritage High School, and this is his first year in Journalism. When Caleb isn’t in school or doing homework, he enjoys listening to all types of music (mostly pop and country) and reading books. He mostly reads dystopian books and some mystery/thrillers. He also enjoys watching TV and spending time with his family and pets. Some of his favorite shows to watch are "Modern Family" and pretty much any competition-type show. He isn’t usually seen on his phone other than when he is texting his friends. Caleb and his family like to go roller skating on the weekends when there’s not a lot going on. He has a younger brother and sister, as well as two dogs and a cat. Along with being in Journalism, Caleb has also taken the intro classes for Graphic Design and Healthcare Services. He takes all Honors classes and is involved in HOSA because he plans on being a pediatric registered nurse. Two of his favorite subjects are math and language arts. Caleb is looking forward to this semester and taking the Journalism class.
Garrett Peace, Sponsor
Mr. Garrett Peace is in his fourth year as a teacher at Heritage High School, where he teaches 9th Grade English, Honors British Literature, and Journalism. A 2010 alum of Heritage High School, Mr. Peace went on to graduate summa cum laude from Berry College in 2014, receiving his B.A. in English and returning to Ringgold soon after. Mr. Peace greatly enjoys reading and writing but is widely known for his passion for music, traveling throughout the year to music festivals like Big Ears and Shaky Knees and attending live shows whenever possible. His favorite novel is Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, and his favorite musical artist is, at the moment, Pinegrove. He can be reached at [email protected].