Holt Cadets Complete Leadership Challenge

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Eight Holt High School Army JROTC cadets earned their JROTC Cadet Leadership Challenge (JCLC) tab by completing a physically and mentally challenging immersive leadership camp held at the Alabama 4-H Center in Columbiana, 5-8 May, 2026.

Angie Gomez, Marie Conner-Davis, Emily Maldonado, Lee Peacock, Yamilet Martinez, Eddy Lugo, Jayla McKinstry, and Tory Manning joined with 176 other cadets from 20 different Army, Marine, and Space Force JROTC programs.
JCLC activities include: military drill and ceremony, color guard, and fitness competitions; giant swing, climbing wall, survival, aquatic, and team-building events; as well as drone, herpetology, and water ecology STEM-focused events.

Maldonado was recognized as the fastest women’s one-mile runner, and McKinstry was recognized as part of a winning drill and ceremony competition team.

This JCLC camp was the second of three Alabama camps hosted by the U.S. Army Cadet Command’s 6th Brigade, which manages Army ROTC (college and university) and JROTC (high school) programs in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Alabama hosts 78 Army JROTC programs, with more than 8 thousand participants.

Holt High School’s JROTC program began Jan. 7, 1972, and focuses on developing leadership, citizenship, and employment readiness while supporting the school community through volunteer service opportunities.