Joliet Central High School Army JROTC Team to Compete in National Leadership Bowl Championship in Washington, D.C.

After advancing through two rounds of online competition, the Joliet Central High School Army JROTC Leadership Team composed of Theresa Alvarado, Maria Luna, Mercedes Solorzano, and Ashley York will compete in person at the final Championship event of The 2015 Army JROTC Leadership Bowl Championship in Washington D.C., on the campus of The Catholic University of America, June 26-30, 2015. This event is sponsored by U.S. Army JROTC and is conducted by College Options Foundation.

During the initial two rounds of competitive online play, Joliet Central High School JROTC team earned top scores out of the 1,320 teams that competed from around the world to win a place in the National Leadership Bowl competition and the all-expense paid trip to DC. The team is one of only forty Army JROTC teams in the nation to advance to the finals. In the fast-paced preliminary rounds, cadets were tested on their knowledge of leadership values and skills including leadership tenets from General George C. Marshall.

The JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl is a nationally recognized 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 cadets by allowing them to demonstrate leadership and academic abilities.

“I am always happy to see students do well, achieve academically, and compete with other high school JROTC programs,” said Major Phil Jayko. “We have done well over the years and have sent either leadership or academic teams to the Nationals several times in the past; 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014. We have established a reputation of excellence, and the students feed off of that, and push themselves to sustain a high level of performance each year.”

College Options Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the academic development of high school students and assisting them in their preparation for higher education. Using academic competitions, college exam study guides, college admissions tutorials and personalized counseling, College Options Foundation has assisted the nation’s JROTC cadets worldwide for over a decade.

These students will also be visiting Civil War battlefields First Bull Run and Gettysburg, the Flight 93 Memorial, and sightseeing in Washington D.C.