“One Class at a Time” Honors Central Oregon JROTC cadets preparing for national Memorial Day Parade
In this month’s One Class at a Time feature, KTVZ and Mid Oregon Credit Union recognized a unique group of Central Oregon students who are representing the state on a national stage. Each month, the program donates $1,000 to support outstanding classrooms or school programs in the region. But this month, the award took on special meaning.
Next Memorial Day, Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) units from across the United States will take part in military honors in Washington, D.C. Among those invited are three Central Oregon programs from Crook County, La Pine, and Mountain View high schools. The cadets and their instructors say it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but one that requires significant fundraising to make the trip possible.
“We’re a really small program, so this is a huge opportunity for us,” said Willard Landis, a cadet lieutenant commander from Crook County High School. “To have all three of our schools representing Oregon at a national level parade means a lot.”
For Memphis Netto, cadet lieutenant commander at La Pine High School, the honor is both humbling and exciting. “It’s not every day, as a high school student, that you get to lead a group of individuals to such a prestigious event,” she said.
Ayden Koehler, the cadet lieutenant commander from Mountain View High School, emphasized the importance of teamwork and morale. “I’m looking forward to connecting with the cadets—to build teamwork, build communication, and make sure they know what we’re doing is meaningful, but that we can still have fun doing it,” he said.
Recognizing the magnitude of this moment, One Class at a Time decided to go beyond its usual gift. Instead of awarding a single $1,000 donation, KTVZ and Mid Oregon Credit Union gave each of the three JROTC programs $1,000 to help them begin raising funds for their journey to Washington, D.C.
The students say every donation, no matter the size, helps them move closer to representing Oregon at the Memorial Day event in the nation’s capital.
