Lee County JROTC team secures spot in national Academic Bowl
LEESBURG — Lee County Cadets who took part in the 2024 Navy JROTC Academic Bowl have qualified and advanced to the National Academic Bowl Championship at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., taking place June 21-25.
This prestigious event is sponsored by the U.S. Navy JROTC and organized by College Options Foundation.
Lee County High School’s JROTC team — Joseph Poehler, Kyndall Terry, Mariam Nicolas and Jayden Guevara — emerged with top honors among the 549 Navy JROTC academic teams worldwide. Their achievement places them among the elite eight Navy JROTC Academic Bowl teams in the nation, earning them an all-expenses-paid trip to the Championship event in D.C.
“This is fantastic news,” said First Sgt. Kevin Davis, Naval Science instructor at Lee County High School. “Our team has made it to the Navy JROTC Academic Bowl Championship. It’s a testament to everyone’s hard work, dedication and teamwork. I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve accomplished together.
“This opportunity is not just a chance to compete but also to showcase our skills on a national stage. I’m excited about the journey ahead and confident that we’ll make our mark in the championship.”
The preliminary rounds, marked by intensity and speed, assessed cadets on a range of subjects including core curriculum such as math, science and language arts, along with evaluations of their grasp on current events, citizenship, leadership skills and financial literacy. Notably, financial literacy videos sponsored by the USAA Educational Foundation were integral to the competition, with questions derived from these videos featured in Levels I and II of the online rounds.
The JROTC Leadership Academic Bowl stands as a nationally recognized competition tailored exclusively for JROTC students. Through participation, cadets embody the values of citizenship, engage in academic rivalry and explore avenues for college opportunities. This platform provides an avenue for JROTC cadets to demonstrate their leadership and academic prowess.
“We are extremely proud of the achievements of our Navy JROTC JLab team and all of our JROTC students,” said Jodie Knight, Career, Technical and Agricultural Education director. “This group, led by 1st Sgt. Davis, puts in long hours after school and on weekends working toward their goals. We would like to congratulate the JLab team for being named one of the top 16 teams in the country and qualifying for the national competition in Washington, D.C., this summer.”
The Lee County School System is a Georgia public pre-K-12 school district that fosters relationships through diverse, challenging and quality educational experiences that cultivate successful citizens. For more information about LCSS, go to lee.k12.ga.us or follow on Facebook at facebook.com/leecountyschoolsystem, on Twitter at twitter.com/leecountyschool or on Instagram at instagram.com/leecountyschools.
