Cadet Staff Biographies
Cadet Commanding Officer
Cadet Ortiz has been in NJROTC for three years and this will be her fourth. During her sophomore year, she was promoted to Mustering Petty Officer, then that same year she was Platoon Commander. Her junior year she began to take more responsibility and was promoted to Administrative Officer, one of the top five staff positions in the unit. Now, her senior year she was given the amazing opportunity to lead Shark Company by being promoted to Commanding Officer, ranking first in command of the NJROTC unit. She successfully completed the Leadership Academy course of study and rigorous training conducted at Area 11/12. She was also selected to attend the American Legion Girls State program. What she likes best about NJROTC is all the leadership opportunities it offers her. After high school, she plans on going to college and being part of an ROTC program. In her free time she enjoys karate, dancing, and volunteering at church.
Cadet Executive Officer
Cadet Lieutenant Bella Bowen is the Executive Officer of shark company. As Executive officer she works internally, in charge of the staff and making sure the Co is well aquipt. She has been in the SRHS NJROTC for consecutive 4 years. Starting out like every other cadet freshman year as a seaman recruit she worked her way up to Petty officer 3rd class by the first year. For 2 consecutive years she was a platoon commander with the cadets. As well as being executive officer she is the Commanding officer of the Color-Guard team and the Commanding Officer of the Drill team.As well as NJROTC qualifications, she was chosen as a Delegate for the 2024 Florida Girls State at FSU and was selected as an alternate for Girls Nation in Washington D.C. She is also a 4 year member of the Girls Varsity Basketball team, 3 year member of the Varsity Girls Flagfootball team, and 1 Year of the Varsity Girls Lacrosse team. She aspires to commission into the United States Marine Corps as an officer to ultimately work in anti-terrisom and counterintelligence. She Is very passionate about the military, family, and instilling the virtues for each cadet to better themselves in the best way they can.
Cadet Senior Chief Petty Officer
Bufkin is a dedicated Senior Chief in the NJROTC program, holding the position of third in command. With four years of commitment to NJROTC, Bufkin has developed a profound understanding of leadership, discipline, and teamwork. This experience has not only shaped his personal growth but also equipped him with invaluable life skills that will serve him well in his future endeavors.
As he approaches the next chapter of his life, Bufkin is set on pursuing a bachelor's degree with the goal of becoming a pilot in the Air Force. This ambition reflects his desire to combine his passion for aviation with a career in service. After gaining crucial flight experience in the Air Force, Bufkin aims to transition into a career as a commercial pilot, ultimately realizing his dream of flying professionally.
Bufkin’s journey through NJROTC has prepared him for the challenges ahead, and his dedication to his goals demonstrates a strong commitment to both personal and professional excellence.
Cadet Operations Officer
C/LT Jacob Denning is a senior and the Operations Officer for Shark Company. He collaborates with staff to plan unit events and manage day-to-day operations around the company as well as distributing information weekly to the Cadets and running weekly staff meetings. Over the past two years, he has participated in the Embry-Riddle Dual-Enrollment courses offered by his NJROTC unit and attended the 2024 NJROTC Leadership Academy in St. Petersburg, FL. In addition to being a Dual Enrollment College student at IRSC, he is also a Varsity Golf Player. Jacob enjoys aviation, boating, hiking, and weightlifting. After high school, he aims to attend a United States Military Academy or enroll in a college ROTC program.
Cadet Administration Officer
Cadet Ortiz has been in NJROTC for two years and this will be her third. First, she was a Mustering Petty Officer (MPO), then she was Platoon Commander (PC). She is currently the shark company Admino. What she likes best about NJROTC is all the leadership opportunities it offers her. After high school, she plans on going to college and completing a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. On her free time she enjoys karate, dancing, and volunteering at church.
Cadet Supply Officer
C/LTJG Harbin is an NS-2 and a Senior at SRHS. Along with being the Supply Officer (SuppO) at the Navy JROTC Unit, he is also the former Vice President of SRHS Student Council. Along with these jobs, he does a lot of technical things such as coding in JavaScript, Python, HTML, CSS, JSON, and Lua.
Cadet Public Affairs Officer
In the 3 past years I have been in NJROTC, I was a Squad Leader then an MPO and now I am PAO for our Unit. I am very creative, I love art and digital design. I use many forms of Art in the pictures I capture throughout the Unit to provide an inside look into all that we do in NJROTC.
Cadet Educational Services Officer
C/LTJG Acosta, has formerly been the guide and MPO for 5th platoon his sophomore year and Public Affairs Officer his junior year. Some of his hobbies are; playing guitar, photography and working out. After High School he plans on earning his bachelor degree in criminal justice and then working in the Law Enforcement field.
Cadet First Lieutenant
Cadet Cruz is the Shark Company 1st Lieutenant. During her 1st year of NJROTC, she was positioned as squad leader in 2022. Currently, she is responsible for ensuring the NJROTC unit is kept in optimal condition. What she most enjoys about ROTC is pushing herself to her absolute limit. In addition to NJROTC she plays guitar for Church and works on self improvement at the Boys & Girls Club. After graduating, she plans on attending College and then joining the Military.
Cadet Command Fitness Leader
C/LTJG Fernandes is our current CFL, in his freshmen year he was chosen to be a squad leader and later moved up to a platoon guide, in his sophomore year he retained his position as a guide honing his leadership abilities until his junior year where he was made into First Platoon PC and now, in his senior year he was put into a CFL position to strengthen the fitness of the cadets and promote healthy habits.