HORN LAKE, Miss. — Senior Nyjah Turner is the commanding officer of her JROTC program at Horn Lake High School.
At just five feet tall, she doesn’t let her size or anything else get in the way of her success.
It’s one of the things her fellow cadets appreciate in their leader.
“When she takes charge, she doesn’t let anybody run over her. She can stand her own ground and be ok with it.”
Nyjah is taking the leadership skills she’s developed to the United States Coast Guard Academy this fall.
She’s the first female from Horn Lake High selected to receive the appointment, which is worth about $400,000.
The senior said college was always her plan, but she had no idea how her family would afford it, “We’ve been talking about how I’m gonna pay for college, and basically this opportunity is like all of the worries are gone.”
Nyjah is an excellent student.
There are less than 100 appointments a year to the United States Coast Guard Academy.
She plans to major in marine and environmental science.
Nyjah credits her training in JROTC for making her a better student and developing her leadership skills.
“At first I wasn’t as structural the way I am now. And I wasn’t as disciplined as I am now.”
Master Sergeant Kenneth Hicks said JROTC isn’t about getting young people to join the military, it’s about making them better in life, “We teach leadership skills and we teach those skills and principles that are going to help them be successful with whatever it is they decide they want to do.”
Nyjah is physically and mentally strong which is why she’s the commanding officer.
Nyjah is the third student from Horn Lake High selected for the academy in four years, proving the JROTC program is providing great opportunities for students in North Mississippi.
