The Golden Bugle● Issue 1 ● September 2020

In This Issue

Welcome

City Corps StaffLeadership

InterviewCadet Brig.Gen. Kate Heneghan

Success StoriesCadets of the Year

Cadet Command & Staff Leadership

SchoolService Learning

Back to School Video

College & CareersScholarship Tips

IL ROTC Tuition Waiver

Welcome to the first edition of the Golden Bugle!

The Golden Bugle Newsletter first began in 2014, and highlighted news, updates and events from JROTC programs across the district. The Golden Bugle team is very excited to begin the SY21 journey with its Editor, City Corps Staff Cadet Brigadier General Zivinka Neri; the J5 team lead by Cadet Colonel Laila Martinez and Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Nina Ahlheim, and Advising Editor Marcia Boyd.

The Golden Bugle will be the spot to read about all of the amazing accomplishments of cadets in JROTC programs in Chicago Public Schools.

Highlights will include:● Co-curricular JROTC events ● Highlights from citywide JROTC programs● Student success stories and spotlights● Opportunities for cadets including internships & summer

programs ● Scholarship information● College and Career planning

We’d love to hear from you! Please share your favorite photos or stories about a cadet or your battalion with us here.

City Corps Staff - Leadership

This year’s City Corps Staff consists of 25 cadets, our biggest staff yet!

Please welcome our leadership team!

C/Brig. Gen. Kate Heneghan CommanderLane Tech College Prep High School

C/Brig. Gen. Zvinka Neri Deputy Commander Nicholas Senn High School

C/Col. Antwuan Herman Executive Officer Chicago Military Academy at Bronzeville

Interview

We had the great opportunity to interview the 2020-21 City Corps Staff Cadet Brigadier General Kate Heneghan, Commander. Kate attends Lane Tech High School, and during this year’s City Corps Staff and Battalion Commander Commissioning Ceremony, she will be commissioned to the rank of Brigadier General for the City Corps Staff and Battalion Commander for the Warrior Battalion at Lane Tech. Today she will be telling us about her vision for the City Corps Staff and share some advice to our cadets.

C/Brig. Gen. Heneghan: My main goal for the City Corps Staff (CCS) is to adapt to each new challenge that we face throughout the school year. This school year is going to be unique, to say the least, but I know as a joint staff we will adapt and overcome, and make this year the best that we can. I have no doubt in my mind that the City Corps Staff will be able to tackle each challenge that we face, and I am so excited to begin leading this year’s City Corps Staff as we navigate the 2020-2021 school year.

C/Brig. Gen. Heneghan: My main piece of advice is to believe in yourself, and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone when applying for a position or trying something new. I had to go out of my comfort zone and step up as a leader, and from then on I have never looked back. I encourage every cadet to strive for that top position in your school, or apply for CCS, or set a new goal. The only thing stopping you is yourself, and if you just step out of your comfort zone and believe in yourself, you may be surprised with the results! Current cadets, you are the future of JROTC, and you can do anything if you put your mind to it.

The Golden Bugle● Issue 1 ● August 2020

“I had to go out of my comfort zone and step up as a leader, and from then on I have never

looked back.”

The Golden Bugle● Issue 1 ● September 2020

“The only thing stopping you is

yourself”

The Golden Bugle● Issue 1 ● August 2020

Success Stories

This past Memorial Day, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, First Lady Eshleman, and Brigadier General Mark C. Jackson alongside Cadets Michael Collazo and Sophie Cohen, laid a wreath at Daley Plaza’s eternal flame in honor of our fallen servicemen and women. During this ceremony, Mayor Lightfoot and Brig.Gen. Jackson recognized Cadet Collazo and Cadet Cohen for being the Cadets of the Year.

Michael and Sophie are both 2020 graduates from Lane Tech High School, located in Roscoe Village on the Northside of Chicago.

For Michael, JROTC provided the opportunity for him to develop his self-confidence, teamwork, leadership and communication skills. For Sophie, JROTC provided an opportunity for her to execute her leadership skills by planning citywide events and most importantly to reach her goals. JROTC helped Sophie get a head start on her goal of attending the prestigious U.S. Military Academy at West Point -- which she dreamed of attending since the 5th grade. Both cadets were also part of the Chicago JROTC City Corps Staff, Sophie as the Sergeant Major and Michael as the Deputy Commander.

Congratulations to both of them once again, we are very proud of Michael and Sophie for the work they have done for the JROTC program and the City of Chicago. We wish them the best in their future endeavors!

“Not only did JROTC help me grow as a leader and as a person, it also gave me a family.” - Sophie Cohen

The Golden Bugle● Issue 1 ● September 2020

Sophie now attends the U.S. Military Academy

at West Point where she will graduate as a

Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Army.

Michael will attend Northeastern University in Boston, where he will major in Data Science

and Business Administration.

“Having a certain rank or position only means so much, but what really matters is the skills you learn and the bonds you make.” - Michael Collazo

The Golden Bugle● Issue 1 ● August 2020

The Golden Bugle● Issue 1 ● September 2020

JROTC Cadet Command and Staff Leadership School (JCCSLS)

On August 28, the City Corps Staff and Cadet Chain of Commands from all 44 JROTC programs here in Chicago came together for JROTC Cadet Command and Staff Leadership School.

Although this year’s JCCSLS wasn’t hosted at Phoenix Military Academy, the City Corps Staff was prepared to take it virtually!

During an early morning briefing, the City Corps Staff introduced themselves and presented their goals and visions for the school year. Then each program was tasked in doing the same, at the end of the day, each program presented their goals, vision, and potential service learning projects for the school year.

Check out this video made by our J5 Primary Officer C/COL Martinez

welcoming back our cadets and instructors to the new school year!

Service Learning Projects

Having trouble thinking of a Service Learning Project (SLP) for your battalion? Here are some ideas that were presented during JCCSLS:

- Hosting a blood drive or donating blood as a group- Collecting & donating canned goods or masks- Making videos about safety during COVID-19- Virtual walkathons or marathons

Make sure your SLPs are flexible to our current environment and that they are engaging, innovative, and relevant!

The Golden Bugle● Issue 1 ● August 2020

The Golden Bugle● Issue 1 ● September 2020

Have a story or photo to share with the Golden Bugle? Submit them here!

College & Career PreparationTips from the Top: Michele Howard, Senior Scholarship Manager, Chicago Public SchoolsWe had the great opportunity to interview Michele Howard, she is the Senior Scholarship Manager who negotiates scholarship opportunities and advocates for greater access to those scholarships for CPS students along with providing the tools for students and parents to have success towards college. Ms. Howard is a product of CPS, graduating from Whitney Young High School. She also earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Marketing from Howard University and a Master’s in Educational Administration from Concordia University. Ms. Howard was able to give us the best tips for our students preparing for their upcoming journey into college!

When should students have a conversation with their parents or guardians about how much are they willing/able to pay for college?

Families must have a plan in place to pay for college because college costs! Students should begin to have realistic conversations about college and expenses freshman year. Students can begin to enroll in programs that will help direct them toward scholarships and prepare them to be better scholarship candidates.

When should students prepare scholarship personal statements and college application Essays?

Sophomore year is the golden year to start writing! By junior year there should be at least 2 to 3 drafts and by senior year the focus should be to edit, customize and refine. It’s helpful to start an activities resume to assist with keeping up with experiences and involvement over time. It doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to be a running list! This will help with the content of college and scholarship essays.

What are a few “Do’s” and “Don’ts” when applying for scholarships?

Do…● Establish a brag sheet/activities resume to share with people who can write your letters of recommendation.● Review and KNOW YOUR transcript (GPA, test scores, courses) to assist with identifying scholarships you’re eligible to apply for.● Understand what you NEED BEFORE starting the application. ● Know WHO the CONTACTS are that can assist you (for the scholarship, at your school, etc.)● Know HOW MUCH you need to bridge your financial gap (apply for the dollar amount you need in scholarships, not a “number” of

scholarships. i.e. $30k vs 3)● Have a FEW college OPTIONS, this means MORE THAN 3 and for every “OPTION” check the school website for freshman and/or major

specific scholarship opportunities● Check your email frequently!● Create a schedule to apply for scholarships each week!

Don’t …● Ask for a recommendation from someone who is not familiar with who you are and your growth.● Try not to ask for information last minute, plan ahead!● Paraphrase unless those are the instructions.● Apply for scholarships you’re not eligible for, time is valuable.● Don’t attempt to apply for scholarships every day. It’s a cumbersome process, establish a schedule and stick to it!● Forget to adjust your essays for each scholarship/college application! You do not want to submit the wrong school name or scholarship in

your essays● Submit anything without proofreading first!● Get discouraged if you don’t receive every scholarship you apply for. Scholarships are not guaranteed, but you won’t win one if you don’t

apply!

Are there any upcoming events or major scholarships that juniors or seniors should have on their radar?Yes! The Annual CPS Senior & Parent Scholarship Information Session will be November 29, 2020 virtually. Sign up for alerts and more information at the CollegeScholarships@cps.edu account. Also be sure to review and add CPS Scholarships to your Google Calendar or Bookmarks! Keep up with application open & close dates, CPS Scholarship events, and more updated weekly.

What are the best resources for students seeking scholarships?First, the CPS Academic Works site is our legitimate site for scholarships for CPS students. It has national, local and specific scholarships that are strategically aligned to award CPS students.There are a few other good websites including:

● Naviance (CPS Postsecondary Site)● UNCF.org/scholarhips● College Greenlight● BigFuture.CollegeBoard.org● EducationPlanner.org

IL ROTC Tuition WaiverThe Illinois ROTC Tuition Waiver is a program that provides full-tuition scholarships to Chicago Public Schools class of 2021 seniors who are interested in pursuing a future as a Commissioned Officer through ROTC. This scholarship covers the tuition costs at these 8 participating universities: CSU, EIU, UIC, UIUC, NEIU, NIU, SIU and WIU. Applications are due September 23, 2020.

This year’s Illinois Tuition Waiver PT Test and Interview will take place on September 30th at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Make sure to mark your calendars and start training!