The Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) program at Dekaney High School has a longstanding history of excellence, and that tradition continues as the results for this year’s National Academic Exam (NAE) were released, with all five teams from the school placing in the top 30% of participants, and one team taking the top spot.
In addition, the Dekaney NJROTC program also had teams finish 3rd, 17th, 27th, and 44th. A total of 1,578 teams participated from around the world.
“This year, I chose five seniors to serve as team captains, and told them we will hold a professional sports-style draft. They had a few days to interview potential teammates,” Chief Robert Dunn, Naval Science Instructor at Dekaney High School, said. “A few days later, each team captain was allowed to select any cadet in the program, including freshman (a first for our program). We filled five teams of five cadets.”
The NAE is held annually in March, and every Navy JROTC program in the country (as well as those at high schools on Naval Bases in Japan and Italy) participate, with up to five teams allowed from each program. The exam is 100 questions, covering math, science, history, military subjects and current events.
“This type of recognition for our students shows the community, the state, and even the nation that Spring ISD and Dekaney High School are indeed striving for excellence,” Dunn said. ”We are getting better every day and our staff and students are all in.”
The excellent showing at the NAE marks the end of an exciting year for the school’s NJROTC program. Earlier this year, they scored an “Outstanding” on the Navy’s Annual Military Inspection, finished in first place in the Nimitz High School NJROTC Drill Meet (a first for the program), allowing them to move on to Area NJROTC Drill Meet. At that meet, the Unarmed and Armed Drill Commanders both finished third overall in their categories (the highest finish in school history).
The following Dekaney NJROTC teams took part in this year’s NAE:
Team One (3rd Place)
- Enock Gota
- Avery Closner
- Alejandro Patino
- Thomas Porter
- Thi’ler Rosette-Simien
Team Two (17th Place)
- Emily Salinas
- Vivian Hernandez
- Alain Fleites
- Andrea Villareal
- Isis Perez
Team Three (44th Place)
- Candace Johnson
- Francisco Rodriguez
- Karianna Peavy
- Jeramiah Glenn
- Eaton Nguyen
Team Four (1st Place)
- Anthony Fleites
- Andrea Martinez
- Amaya Jones
- Cindy Rosales
- Camila Martinez
Team Five (27th Place)
- Maribel Aguilar
- Jordan Walker
- Linda Guadmuz
- Lysette Salinas
- Atlantis Green