Students Take on JROTC Challenge – Farmville

While many high school students are still enjoying their summer vacation, Buckingham County High’s Raider program participated in one of the nation’s top leadership training camps. The Eagle JROTC Cadet Leadership Challenge (JCLC) is located at Fort Barfoot, near Blackstone. The camp’s mission is to “Empower Young People to Be Better Citizens,” and the camp staff does everything they can to challenge these future leaders. Buckingham students who graduated this year include Rylynn Morris (the third JCLC graduate), Chastity Hernandez, Cole Wells, Christian Mendez, Adele Sayer, Maira Portllio, all second-time JCLC graduates, John Leonard, Elizabeth Stevens, Paulette Battle, Jackson Clough, Eli Smith, Tristan Miller, Aden Arias, and Jarmain Kasarai, who were named Commandants for finishing in the top 10 percent of their graduating class.

The five-day camp combines hands-on leadership training as students participate in a series of activities: STEM; orientation; abseiling; obstacle course; drowning prevention; first aid; and CPR, where students are exposed to new and different experiences outside of the classroom. Each day challenges students as they rotate through leadership roles, planning and organizing daily activities.

The week of classes ends with a field day, during which each group of students competes for camp honors in sports and organizational competitions that test physical, mental and teamwork skills.

The camp is sponsored by the U.S. Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) and conducted by personnel from 22 high schools in the South and Central Virginia Areas and North Carolina. This year, Buckingham County High School sent Sergeant First Class (Ret) Bruce Grazier, a senior Army instructor. Buckingham County High School, Chaperone Angela Swecker, one school nurse, Barbara Jamerson, and one bus driver, DJ Anderson.