The Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) at San Ysidro High School offers students the opportunity to adopt life-long skills and engage in a rigorous learning environment.
The JROTC program is the Department of Defense’s largest youth development program, with approximately 314,000 students enrolled in JROTC in over 1,700 high schools around the country.
The program serves to help students achieve five main outcomes: learn to act with integrity and personal accountability in a diverse and global workforce; make decisions that promote positive social, emotional, and physical health; value the role of the military and other service organizations; graduate prepared to excel in post-secondary options and career pathways; and engage in civic and social concerns in the community, government and society.
Student who participate in the JROTC program show a high rate of academic success and self-discipline. The program uses a world-class, technology driven curriculum to teach students leadership, wellness, citizenship, physical fitness, social and communication skills, diversity, geography, and civics. These lessons motivate students to reach academic excellence and model good citizenship. Across the nation, JROTC program participants have less than a 1% dropout rate, have better attendance and a 93% graduation rate.
The JROTC program is taught by qualified retired military personnel. Each instructor is selected based on military experience, stability, maturity and leadership acquired over their 20 years of service in the military.
At San Ysidro High School, the JROTC program is facilitated by Chief Raul Campos, who is a retired member from the U. S. Navy. Campos served for 27 years, is qualified with Special Forces and served as an instructor in Central and South America. He has been the Naval Science Instructor for San Ysidro High School since 2005. The program’s Senior Naval Science Instructor is Lieutenant Commander Terrie Lohmeyer, who retired from the U.S. Navy after serving 21 years as a Fleet Support Officer, Human Resource Officer and Naval Officer Recruiter. She has worked at San Ysidro High School since 2012.
About the Sweetwater Union High School District
The Sweetwater Union High School District (SUHSD) is the largest secondary school district in California, with more than 42,000 enrolled students and 32,000 adult learners. The district is headquartered in Chula Vista and operates a total of 29 schools: 14 high schools, 11 middle schools, and 4 adult schools. Located in southern San Diego County, near the Mexican border, the district serves the diverse communities of Imperial Beach, National City, Chula Vista, and San Ysidro. Since 1920, the district has won numerous awards for its innovative programs and commitment to student success.