The Stephen F. Austin High School Navy Junior ROTC participated in the College Options Foundation 2011 JROTC Academic Championship, June 24-28, at George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia. 330 plus Navy JROTC teams competed nationwide online and only four teams advanced to the championship round with SFA NJROTC winning the 2011 Navy JROTC College Options Foundation Academic Bowl Championship. The SFA team members were Shawn Cleary – Team Captain, Michael Brand, Robert Nguyen, and Aaron Callegari. The SFA Team competed against the top teams from all over the United States as well as Department of Defense school teams located world-wide.
The JROTC Academic Challenge is a nationally recognized academic competition created exclusively for JROTC students. By participating, cadets learn the values of citizenship, academic competition, and college opportunity. The competition creates tremendous opportunities for JROTC and its cadets by demonstrating the academic abilities of JROTC students.
Edwin R. Sellards, Senior Naval Science Instructor, had this to say about the competition, “Many thanks to the NJROTC Program and College Options Foundation for sponsoring this forum in which the academic excellence of my cadets could be showcased. I could not be more proud of the dedication demonstrated by the entire team. They never gave up and never caved in. All of the schools present exhibited outstanding esprit-de-corps and displayed matchless sportsmanship. My goal-oriented young men rose to the occasion and persevered to the end. Understanding that their future is founded upon an outstanding education, each of them stood up and accepted the mental challenge that will make them more successful as citizens of our great nation. They all bring great credit upon themselves and families, their school, and their Unit.”