Broward County cadet of the year nomination for Coral Glades JROTC Captain

Coral Springs, Florida – One of the seven contenders for Broward County Army JROTC cadet of the year is Ashley Melo, a leader at Coral Glades High School and a captain in the program.

Senior Melo is a huge fan of JROTC and thinks it provides a lot of educational opportunities. On April 6, in Lakeland, Florida, she served as captain of the color guard team that placed third both in the county competition and the state tournament.

Melo leads the woodwind section in the Coral Glades Band, where he also plays. She can play the French horn, piccolo, and oboe with ease. She also keeps up a stellar 4.8 GPA in her coursework and is enrolled in a JROTC robotics course at the moment.

Melo claims that the JROTC program is a good organization that provides numerous chances for accomplishment inside a single program.

“It is not just a military environment. I have learned many life skills, such as critical thinking. I improved my social skills, and I enjoyed leading the color guard. I recommend this program because it helps young people and teaches practical life skills,” she said.

Melo will be recognized on May 24 at a Pompano Beach High School ceremony. At the ceremony, her ranking among the seven contenders will be disclosed. She is the first Coral Glades cadet to be recognized for this historic occasion.

As far as the future goes, she plans to pursue her environmental engineering degree at the University of Central Florida. She is thinking of enrolling in the ROTC program there, which is evidence of her ongoing dedication to helping others.

Diedre Nevels, a senior Army instructor, has watched Melo develop into an effective leader.

“She led the color guard drills and has done well in JROTC,” said Nevels. “Melo has been very dedicated to the JROTC and is a good student. I am proud of her.”