Coconut Creek JROTC Student Named Runner-Up for Cadet of the Year

by David Volz June 21, 2024

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Coconut Creek JROTC Student Named Runner-Up for Cadet of the Year

Rashad Coleman with Broward County School Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn to his left, Coconut Creek High Principal Dr. Nicole Nearor, and School Board Member Debbi Hixon on the right. {courtesy}

Rashad Coleman has excelled as an Army JROTC cadet at Coconut Creek High School and is expected to achieve even more next school year.

Coleman, 17, a resident of Coconut Creek, earned second place as Broward County JROTC Cadet of the Year as a Sergeant Major. He received a college scholarship for $1,500.

A rising senior Coleman will be the Battalion Commander for the Coconut Creek JROTC unit. This means he will be the student leader of the Cougar Battalion.

Coleman has held other leadership positions. He has been president of the class of 2025 for the past three years, a member of the National Honor Society, and a member of Mentoring Tomorrow’s Leaders.

“I have been successful because of my perseverance and dedication to the Cougar Battalion. Working hard after school in JROTC activities has helped me learn the ins and outs of the battalion,” said Coleman.

According to Coleman, when he joined the JROTC program morale was low, and the program was not earning honors. Over time, he developed leadership skills, became commander of the drill team, and was of the resurgence of the battalion. “I was able to motivate students and we became successful,” he said.

Last year, the Coconut Creek JROTC program earned third place at the district drill meet at Monarch High School on February 17 in a male unarmed squad. They won fourth place in the male-armed exhibition.

The Cougar Battalion competed in the Florida State Drill on April 6 at George Jenkins High School in Lakeland. They earned 16th out of 43 teams in male unarmed squad and male armed exhibition. This was the first time in 15 years that the Cougar Battalion qualified for the state meet.

“We put in a lot of effort after school to achieve this success. We practiced a lot of marching back and forth and a lot of repetition and reading field manuals to learn the mechanics of what we were doing. We watched YouTube videos to analyze other teams,” said Coleman.

Coleman aims to expand on this accomplishment this coming year. He will supervise approximately 140 cadets and be fully responsible for all of the battalion’s achievements.

“My goal is to motivate and inspire the Cougar Battalion cadets to new heights. I want us to prove to ourselves that we have what it takes to be the best. I want to be a hands-on leader,” said Coleman.

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Author Profile

David Volz

David Volz has worked as a writer in South Florida for 35 years. He has written for the Sun-Sentinel, Hollywood Gazette, School Transportation News, South Dade News Leaders, Observer among others. He has an MA in Communications from Florida Atlantic University and a BA in Communications from Valparaiso University. Volz teaches Communications at Miami Dade College and Palm Beach State College. He lives in Coral Springs and enjoys running and participating in 5Ks and half-marathons.