After advancing through two phases of online competition, the Tafuna Warrior JROTC Academic Team composed of Cadet Major Neon Osa, Team Captain; Cadet Second Lieutenant Farrah Young, Cadet Second Lieutenant Emla Solaita, Cadet First Lieutenant Vai Tokomaata, and Cadet Sergeant Vini Sipili won first place in the 8th ROTC Brigade will compete in person at the Championship event in Washington, DC. The 2016 Army JROTC Academic Bowl Championship will be held on the campus of the Catholic University of America, June 24- 28, 2016.
Tafuna Warrior JROTC team earned top scores out of the 1, 498 Army JROTC teams that competed from around the world. The team is one of only twenty-four Army JROTC Academic Bowl teams in the nation to advance to the National Academic Bowl competition, which includes an all-expense paid trip to the Championship event in DC.
During the two fast-paced preliminary rounds, students were tested on their knowledge of JROTC curriculum, English, Math and Science. One of the main goals of the JROTC Academic Bowl is to prepare students for state exit/graduation exams as well as college entrance exams, such as the SAT and ACT.
“I am ecstatic and extremely proud of our cadets,” said Sergeant Major (retired) Samana Semo Ve’ave’a, Senior Army Instructor and JLAB Coach. “They have earned top scores in this yearlong academic competition and outperformed 1,498 Academic Teams that competed from around the world. The opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. will be an inflection point in our cadets’ lives.”
The winner of the Army JROTC Academic Championship will compete against the winners of the Air force, Marine Corps, and Navy JROTC Academic Bowls in the JROTC Joint Service Academic Bowl Championship.
The JROTC Leadership & Academic Bowl (JLAB) is a nationally recognized academic competition created exclusively for JROTC students. By participating, cadets learn the values of citizenship, academic competition, and college opportunity. The competition creates tremendous opportunities for JROTC cadets by allowing them to demonstrate leadership and academic abilities.
College Options Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the academic development of high school students and assisting them with their preparation for higher education. Using academic competitions, college exam study guides, college admissions tutorials and personalized counseling. College Options Foundation has assisted the nation’s JROTC cadets worldwide for over a decade.