Former Stallion Battalion Commander Edward Tirona with his parents.
TINIAN — This summer, former Stallion Battalion commander Edward Tirona was recently admitted to Texas A&M and offered the Maj. Gen. Raymon L. Murray ‘35 Scholarship. From there he will participate in the university’s program called the Corps of Cadets. Throughout his journey he has worked hard and has been dedicated to the JROTC program, fulfilling his leadership roles and leading the battalion to success. While doing so he continues to maintain his grades, active involvement within the National Honor Society, and much more.
We asked Tirona a few questions about his journey and how JROTC has influenced him into who he is today.
“It was a rough journey getting to where I am today,” he said. “I applied to the school through an invite-only application and the application process had a short window to complete and I was in a major time crunch. It was also hard to contact the school when needed because of the time difference, making it harder to complete the application process. In the end, I was able to get everything completed and within a week of submitting my application, I was offered admission.”
“JROTC has played a major role in my journey,” he added. “Being in the program gave me the experience of being in a military-like program. JROTC has made me a better leader and a better person overall, from being disciplined to leading a battalion, the program has taught me a lot. After learning about different careers in the military from the program, it inspired me to take SROTC to earn a commission into the military as an officer.”
Lastly, we asked what advice he’d like to give to upcoming/current cadets.
“I would like to give two pieces of advice,” he said. “First is to never procrastinate. I have procrastinated at times and procrastinating will cause you to struggle even more as you continue to do it. Second is to never doubt yourself, people miss out on opportunities they don’t take because they feel that they aren’t good enough or think they can’t do it. Always strive for the best version of yourself and it never hurts to try.”
The Stallion Battalion would like to congratulate Edward Tirona for his accomplishment along with thanking him for his contributions to the battalion and the community. We wish you the best on your journey with Texas A&M!
