TEEN SCENE
Welcome to Teen Scene. Each month our
young authors write, in their own voice, stories
that will educate and inform fellow students and
parents. If you are a teen who would like to write
your story, contact The Journal. We’ll help you
polish it up, so don’t worry, let’s get to sharing.
This month’s author is 18-year-old Ella
Bohen, a senior at Colts Neck High School and
month, we honor the brave men and women
of the armed forces for their dedication and
character, some lessons learned from military
training. Not everyone is attracted to a career
in the military, but practicing and respecting
the codes, ethics, disciplines and lessons is
invaluable. Here is Ella’s story.
“What are your plans after graduation?” As a
high school senior, I have been asked this question
too many times to count. However, I am also
a cadet in the Colts Neck High School Naval JROTC
Academy so I’m also usually asked, “Are you interested
in continuing with the military?”
decided on which university I will be attending in the fall (Northeastern University).
I was admitted for my major, but I’m still wondering if I really want to
pursue something else. The second question, though, I always had an answer
for: No, I am not interested in continuing with the military after graduation. I
have a deep respect for the military, but it was never the life I wanted to pursue.
I did, however, admire the lessons of discipline, teamwork and self-control
that the military teaches.
I applied to the NJROTC program as an eighth grader. Pursuing a military
career is not the only thing the JROTC teaches. Its mission is not to be a
method of recruitment, but rather an opportunity to shape young minds and
characters. I witnessed my brother go through the program. I saw him grow to
be more disciplined, mature and responsible. I wanted that same experience
for myself.
I remember my Basic Leadership Training (which we call BLT for short) in
August 2016. All incoming freshmen, referred to as plebes during this week,
learn the basic ins and outs of the program. I remember walking into the
school on Monday greeted by senior cadets in uniform. I remember being intimidated.
By the end of the week, I had made friends with not only my fellow
plebes, but also with the upperclassmen cadets. By Friday, we graduated from
plebes to cadets, and I made it my goal to help and succeed within our unit.
At the end of my sophomore year, I was chosen to attend the Naval JROTC
Area Four Leadership Academy and Sail Training. This is a two-week program
conducted at Newport Naval Base in Rhode Island, where cadets from Area
Four (the Northeast US) come to experience a glimpse of military life. We were
under the supervision of instructors from other units in our area, who also happen
to be retired military personnel. My platoon’s instructor was a Senior Chief
28 MAY 2020 | TheJournalNJ.com
By Lori Draz and Ella Bohen
enlisted rank. Toward the end of
our time in Newport, he met with
all the cadets he was responsible
for to get to know each of us better.
If you guessed, he did indeed ask
the second question I mentioned
before: “Are you interested in continuing
with the military?” When
I told him I wasn’t, he didn’t seem
particularly surprised, but I’m sure
he wondered why I would attend
such a program if it was not what I
saw for my future. I explained to him
that I did it for the experience.
If it were up to me, every cadet in
Naval JROTC should learn the lessons
that I did as a NJROTC cadet. Honestly,
I think every high school student deserves
to learn those lessons. I learned
to be both a respected and effective
leader as well as a disciplined and effec-
communicate with my superiors and
subordinates, in a way that would form
and build relationships. I learned the self-control
it takes to stand at attention for an unknown amount of time, as still as a
statue, ignoring every desire to move your body. I learned the commitment
it takes to be so dedicated to a program for four years.
I achieved the goals of success I set for myself my senior year. I was
2019-20 school year. I was directly responsible for the unit’s operations
and to ensure that all the departments within our unit ran smoothly and
and instructors. I used every lesson learned to shape myself into the kind
of leader that I wanted to be. I value discipline, integrity and relationships,
and I use these principles with my interactions with the people around me.
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men in the program. I wanted to be able to give guidance to those younger
than me, and I wanted my input to matter to those in positions higher than
me.
how you want to present yourself. Identify your values and let those shape
you into the person you want to be. Even though I knew the military was
not part of my post-graduation plans, I truly admired the qualities of the
individuals who do choose this path. These men and women are strong-
that is why I chose to follow the path of the Colts Neck High School Naval
JROTC. On Memorial Day this year, my thoughts go out to those men and
women who have given their lives to serve our country, as I hope yours do
as well.
/TheJournalNJ.com