JROTC Cadet of the Year Recipients 2023

MOAA Central Florida Chapter
JROTC Cadet of the Year Recipients 2023

Our JROTC Award Recipients 2023

Our JROTC Award Recipients (L-R):
Melanie Marte, Antonio McVay, Jr., Orianna Castro, Algirdas “Sandy” Alksninis, Trinity Korn, Juandiego Rojas, Erika Nunez

Check more information, and single image on each Cadet below.

Cadet Trinity Korn
Cadet Trinity Korn

Cadet Trinity Korn is the Battalion Commanding Officer of the Oviedo Lion Battalion and Unarmed Drill Team Commander. Last year she commanded our award-winning unarmed drill team, placing 7th in Area 7. This year she also led her team to qualify for the Area 7 state championship. She also participates in a myriad of extra-curricular and community service events, all while maintaining an impressive 4.181 GPA. She plays on the women’s varsity basketball team and is a member of the National Honor Society.  She fully understands the concept of sacrifice and teamwork, and in addition, she is a self-starter that requires little to no supervision to accomplish a task. 

Cadet Juandiego Rojas is from Timber Creek High School’s AFJROTC program. His current rank and position in the program is Cadet Captain and Operation‘s Squadron Commander. Operations Squadron is in charge of community service and field days. The first school semester it worked 876 community service hours. It participated in two drives: a Thanksgiving Food drive which collected enough food to make 72 thanksgiving food baskets and a donation of $2,300 worth of food to a local food bank; and Operation Santa Surprise drive which sponsored five children by providing them with a shirt, pants, shoes, socks, a book and a toy as Christmas gifts. Earlier this year Cadet Rojas earned his Eagle Scout rank in Scouts BSA after being in the organization for ten years. In the future, he plans on attending Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and pursuing an Aeronautical Science degree while participating in the school’s AFROTC program. His goal is to be a pilot in the Air Force and ultimately becoming an airline pilot.

Cadet Juandiego Rojas
Cadet Juandiego Rojas
Cadet Orianna Castro
Cadet Orianna Castro

Cadet Orianna Castro is from Timber Creek High School’s AFJROTC program.  Her current rank and position in the program is Senior NCO (SNCO) where she works with the SQ/CC to ensure the completion of tasks assigned to each part of the squadron.  Prior JROTC assignments included Bravo Flight Commander.  She was selected for and attended the General Tommy Franks Four Star Leadership Program in 2022. In addition to attaining a 4.708 weighted GPA and a 3.813 unweighted GPA she attained a Veterinary Assistant Certification, and a National Sojourner’s award. She has been an active member of the community through BETA club and Future Farmers of America.  She has facilitated the translation of documents from Spanish to English for the KS Immigration Service.

Cadet Erika Nunez has accomplished a great deal during her high school career. Not only was she a shooting star in JROTC, but her impact as an Apopka high school student was felt throughout the school campus. She was involved in almost everything, from Class Council to National Honor Society. From a student spokesmen to first place at a Speech and Debate competition. Her accomplishments go on and on. What is really incredible is for a student this active in her school activities, and even more active in JROTC, to finish her high school career as the Valedictorian (number 1 out of 781 students) with a 5.60 GPA and a full scholarship to Yale University. I have been training cadets in JROTC for 23 years, and have never met a cadet like Erika Nunez. She is a one of a kind person that has yet to tap into her full potential. Her greatest accomplishments are yet to come. (This was written by her senior instructor, 1stSgt Saleem Druher).

Cadet Erika Nunez
Cadet Erika Nunez
Cadet Colonel Sandy Alksninis
Cadet Colonel Sandy Alksninis

Cadet Colonel “Sandy” Alksninis is the #1 of 197 cadets and leads the Celebration AFJROTC program as our Group Commander. Sandy tirelessly plans and executes activities in and out of school with his leadership team, trains subordinate cadets in leadership and organization, and orchestrates drill, inspections, and so many other things in the Cadet Corps. Sandy has an impressive 4.3 GPA with a heavy AP and Honors course load. He is also in the Celebration Band, a member of the National Honor Society, and has achieved the rank of Eagle Scout through Boy Scouts of America. This past summer, he was awarded the Chief of Staff of the Air Force Flight Academy Scholarship, valued at $25,000. He attained his full Private Pilot’s License and was named the top graduate of his Flight Academy class, earning the “Ace Award”. Sandy was recently awarded a full Navy ROTC Scholarship and he will be attending George Washington University this Fall. Sandy will be following his father, a retired Navy officer, and his sister who is an Ensign awaiting pilot training at NAS Pensacola, into the Navy officer ranks. 

Cadet Colonel Antonio McVay, Jr. is the Cadet Corps Commander and Wing Commander at Seminole High School, AFJROTC.  Two summers ago, he was selected to attend the AFJROTC Cyber Academy with Cal Poly in Pomona, California. Last summer he was selected to attend the AFJROTC Flight Academy where he earned his Private Pilot License.  Cadet McVay was a member of the CyberPatriot Team (Team Captain for 3 years), StellarXplorers Team (3 Years), Joint Leadership Academic Bowl (JLAB).  He is also a Drum Major for the Seminole High School Marching Band. He is an International Baccalaureate student who has a 4.45 Weighted GPA.  Cadet McVay was awarded a 4-Year AFROTC scholarship and plans to attend school at the University of Southern California.

Cadet Colonel Antonio McVay Jr
Cadet Colonel Antonio McVay Jr
Cadet Melanie Marte
Cadet Melanie Marte

Cadet Melanie Marte is a Cadet Group Commander and an active member in the organization.  She was selected last summer to attend AFJROTC Flight Academy where she earned her Private Pilot License.  Cadet Marte was a member of the Color Guard, Drill Team, Raiders, Marksmanship Team, and Saber Team.  Despite a busy academic and AFJROTC schedule, she was able to amass over 140 community service hours.  Her goal is to become an officer and pilot in the U.S. Air Force.

Skip to content