Nate Blakely named ‘Cadet of the Year’ at James Clemens
MADISON – Nathaniel Blakely learned the necessary behavior and responses to excel among fellow classmates in Army Junior ROTC or AJROTC at James Clemens High School. Blakely has earned the honor of “Cadet of the Year.”
“I became interested in JROTC before freshman year. My oldest brother, Brennan, took JROTC all four years of high school and told me how much fun he had,” Nate said. “I wanted to join because many of my friends decided to join, and I knew how much my brother enjoyed it.”
Nate is 16 years old and a junior at James Clemens.
In JROTC, Nate has learned “a lot about respect, how to do simple repairs and definitely being on time. I am a member of the Marksmanship team, Raider team, PT team, Drone team and Orienteering team.” In addition to Cadet of the Year, honors that Nate has won include the “Marine Corps League Award,” “Physical Fitness Award” and “Top 5 Cadets in Physical Fitness.” He was selected to serve as Command Sergeant Major, which is one of the top three positions in JROTC. He also reached the status of “Perfect Attendance.”
Nate and his fellow cadets, including close friends Clayton Bogan and Tyler Buchanan, participated in JROTC National Raider Competition at Fort Knox, Ky. James Clemens placed 23rd in the nation. During free time, these Madison cadets inspected exhibits of helicopters and military vehicles.
JROTC instructors at James Clemens are Major Rezell Linen and Sergeant Major Samuel D. McCray. Linen and McCray “treat everyone with kindness and respect. They always come into class with a working attitude and a smile,” Nate said.
Nate’s parents are Scott and Amy Blakely. “My dad is a Project Manager at Baron Weather Inc., and my mom is a Proposal Analyst for COLSA,” Nate said.
“After high school, I plan on enlisting in the Marine Corps to try out at Force Reconnaissance selection. I am interested in this job because of its focus on swimming. I enjoy swimming and have even become a lifeguard and a swim instructor,” Nate said.
