Senior Jacob Waters has been a part of Rider JROTC for four years and he was chosen to be this year’s battalion commander, ready to help people grow.
The Rider Chronicle sat down with Waters to talk about his time in the program and being the final Rider battalion commander.
Q: Why have you been in JROTC for so long?
A: It is because I enjoy the environment and know many people there. I would like to grow to know the people who ended up joining. Also, of course, the leadership growth in that.
Q: What is the best thing from JROTC so far this year?
A: The people, going from sophomore year and then to my senior year and seeing people from that point grow in the leadership program. Just in ROTC become more willing to speak publicly and put themselves out there instead of just staying completely silent the whole time. That is a nice thing to see, probably my favorite thing in it. There is no problem with being silent. It is nice just seeing that growth over time.
Q: Knowing this is Rider’s final year, how do you take in being the last JROTC battalion commander?
A: Honestly, I do not like to think about it because I do not make decisions based on being the last person doing this. I just make the best decisions for the group, team, etc., but go in helping people with what they need help with and do what I think is right for the program. I do not think, “Oh, this is the last time this is going to happen,” because it puts unnecessary pressure on me. Last time or not, I’m going to try to help where I can and help improve everything.
Q: What is it like being the battalion commander for JROTC?
A: Honestly, it is the same thing as being staff last year, but being in ROTC in general is not much different. That is just how it is in ROTC. It is just over time to get a lot better and you get a little bit more out there and there is not much of a change.
Q: How has being the battalion commander been for you so far? And how do you think it will go as the school year continues?
A: So far, I think it is been pretty OK. I would not say mediocre. Nothing new has happened. It has kind of been the same. I would say there has been a lot more on my mind about I need to help other people who are in staff positions or other leadership positions try to get better at what they are doing. There is more of a focus on helping them improve and reach the point a lot of us seniors have hit for ROTC. That is what I would like to focus on later this year or next semester.
So, helping other people grow in the positions that they are in?
Well, not just that, but also helping people reach positions further from where they are now.
Q: Do you feel there is pressure on you as the last battalion commander for Rider JROTC?
A: I guess, but the thing with that is it’s pressure from other people because of the battalion commander name. I do not let that bother me too much. Being a battalion commander in a high school ROTC does not mean much. Either way, I do not try to think about it. The whole title is supposed to come with a whole lot of responsibility, not that you have more work than you did when you were a junior and a staff member, but people expect you to be the leading example and, because of that, I do not make that dictate me being the leading example. I just try to be that either way. It does not affect me because either way, I am just trying to be a good example for the people in the program.
Q: Is it more “I just have to be a good example” than not much about the battalion commander?
A: I can see how, if you weren’t already focused on it, that would put pressure on you to be a good example.
Q: What is something you will miss from school after you graduate?
A: I do not know. I know many people will probably say the people, but honestly, if I am good enough friends with them, I will probably still talk to them outside of school as much as I can. After high school and outside of high school, just this point in my life.
Q: If you could tell the battalion one last thing before graduation, what would it be?
A: I hope the program is giving you enough confidence to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and do what you want to. That is the one thing I cannot stress enough. Especially with the whole college thing and figuring all that out and deciding, “This is where I would like to go with my life.” It does not necessarily mean that is what you are going to do. It is many of the things you need to think about and one of the biggest parts of that is just what you want to do over what is expected of you. Like even if your parents want you to be a doctor or something and you want to be an artist. Try to figure things out and figure out where you want to take things.
