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 just get to sharing.
This month’s author is 18-year-old Marc Singer,
of Marlboro, a senior in the Colts Neck High School
NJROTC Program. Marc started out an average
student and has become a standout cadet. He was
awarded scholarships by the Army and the Navy
and will be attending the US Military Academy
at West Point. This Memorial Day, we celebrate
of our great military. New generations of brave
men and women continue in the honorable
traditions each year, living by the high
standards embraced by the military. They
protect our rights and freedoms. Marc made
those choices, and he inspires us all to work
hard and push ourselves. Here is Marc’s story.
A couple weeks ago, I was on line in a store when I ran into a middle
school friend I had not seen in four years. I am a member of the
Colts Neck High School NJROTC. I attend Colts Neck High School, a
separation from my previous education, which had all taken place in my
hometown schools. As I talked with this old friend, I began to realize that
he did not recognize me whatsoever. Being the little bit of the jokester
that I am, I played along and purposely kept my name from the conversation.
We talked about our college aspirations, high school success, small
talk, etc. Finally, my friend took a double take, and said “Are you Marc
Singer?” I smiled and shook my head. My friend was starstruck. “You are
so different,” he said. “What have you been doing?”
The truth was I was turning my life around without myself even realizing
it. When I entered high school, I was what you would consider a typical
middle school boy – a little chubby, squeaky voice, socially awkward
– we all know what I’m talking about. But I had an end goal. Despite the
bulging stomach and shy demeanor, I knew deep down that I was going
to join the military when I grew up. I just had a long, long way to go.
Obviously, the Colts Neck High School NJROTC was the logical next
step. It’s a paramilitary program that is known for greatness. Carried by
I was hit by a bus. I could not handle the physical training, and the drill
team seemed very intense. I worried that this program was not for me,
and my desired career was not meant to be. But there is one thing I have
not told you up until this point. From the day I was born, my parents have
given me a no-quit attitude. Life may be hard, but that is not an excuse.
16 MAY 2021 | TheJournalNJ.com
BY LORI DRAZ AND MARC SINGER
You either live life as it takes you,
or you do everything in your power
to take control of your life and
achieve your desired outcomes. I
chose the second option.
Despite being out of shape, I
came to every physical training practice
I could. I pushed through the
heavy breathing and aching to improve.
Drill required me to be outspo-
far from that, but I strove to improve.
I pushed myself past new boundaries
every day. Slowly but surely, I worked
on expanding my comfort zone and
Eventually, that passion culminated
when Major Greg Penczak approached
me about the national competition.
The chubby eighth grade kid
I once knew had transformed into a
lean ninth grader, whose dedication to
the physical training team had enabled
him to advance not only faster than he
thought he could, but faster than his peers. After performing considerably
well, I was asked to travel with Colts Neck’s national competing
team. It’s an honor few freshmen achieve. In only a few months, dedication,
coupled with an incredible group of instructors and mentors,
transformed my life and led to me adopting a brand new lifestyle, and it
was only the beginning.
My dedication never quit, and I continued to grow as an individual,
earning major achievements frequently. Eventually it led to one of the
greatest honors of my life: becoming the Battalion Command Master
Chief of the Colts Neck High School NJROTC. It’s hard to believe anyone
could have has so much development in four short years.
So what does my story teach? I was a boy when I entered the
NJROTC, far from reaching any of my future aspirations. I could have sat
back and watched time fade along with my dreams, but with my no-quit
attitude, I took the reins of my life and led myself on the path I desired,
never looking back.
NJROTC has certainly changed my life, and it has gotten me closer
to my desired career path. My efforts, in my opinion, were stellar, and
the United States Military Academy at West Point agreed. The average
boy of four short years ago now had the privilege of attending the most
prestigious academy in the world. You can all do the same.
We all have the opportunity to achieve success, but much of it is due
-
their lives in pursuit of granting us all a nation in which we are free. While
we enjoy our long weekend, it is only right that we also remember the
many who gave everything for us to live another day.
/TheJournalNJ.com