The Marianas High School’s Dolphin Battalion cadets celebrated their awards night on Saturday, May 25, 2024 in the school cafeteria.
THE Marianas High School JROTC Dolphin Battalion celebrated their awards night on Saturday, May 25, 2024. As the school year came to an end, the Dolphin Battalion proudly recognized the outstanding achievements of their cadets and their appreciation for their graduating seniors. The ball highlighted the accomplishments of the program, the achievements that helped pave the way to success, and the heart-warming tributes to the outgoing seniors. The time-honored tradition of the change of command ceremony acknowledged the exchanges of trust from the outgoing battalion commander, C/LTC Quidato, Paulo Jerome, to the incoming battalion commander, C/LTC Jacolbe, Aurvy.
“I think it was great, and there was a little stress at first, but as the night continued, everything fell into place, and kids got their awards, seniors got recognized, and the chain of commands changed. The best part was the outgoing BC’s speech, guest speakers’ speeches, and overall getting to see the faces of cadets who earned the rewards. Events like this I never eat; the food looked great, and the cadets seemed happy with the choices of food,” said Retired SFC Albert Lujan, the cadets’ Army instructor.
“Overall, the event was stressful but entertaining and fun to attend. It’s my third military ball that I’ve attended, and this was one of the best I’ve been to. Entertainment, like the singing performances from cadets and the videos prepared and made by the S5’s. The food was good and was better than at the world resort,” said CSM Geremy Sandoval
“It was fun and…a delicious night. I ate two full plates of food, and I got an award. I was very excited about the thought that I could’ve won money from a raffle. The food was so yummy and good; the sponge cake was just “mmm,’ ” CPV Logan Reyes said.
The Cadet Award Night was a celebration of a year’s worth of hard work and dedication by the cadets. The night was a chance to celebrate both the graduating seniors and the accomplishments of the underclassmen. Half of the ceremony was dedicated to recognizing the outgoing seniors and their achievements.
The other half of the ceremony focused on awarding cadets who have excelled throughout the year. This recognition can come in a few forms. Cadets can be recognized for their performance on Leadership Evaluation Tests, which are also measured by the years they’ve stayed in the program, 1 through 4, and assess their knowledge and skills in various leadership areas. Additionally, battalion teams like Raiders, Archery, Robotics, Unarmed Drill, and Armed Drill are honored for their contributions to the team’s success.
The night is a way to acknowledge the dedication of these cadets and inspire others to strive for excellence.
