Emile Skeete was selected in January as the Cadet of the Month by the 8th Brigade of the U.S. Army Cadet Command.

The brigade oversees Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp -- JROTCP programs in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, California, Nevada, Alaska, Hawaii and Guam.

A junior at Lakes High School and a first lieutenant in the Lakes High School JROTC program, Skeete was selected from a pool of students that included cadets from 157 other Army JROTC programs.

"Cadet First Lieutenant Skeete is an exceptional scholar, athlete and leader who sets an excellent example every day," wrote retired Lt. Col. Allen Patty, the senior Army instructor at the high school.

"He is extremely busy, but never too busy to complete tasks asked of him and still achieve a 3.86 GPA during fall semester and to earn the JROTC Academic Excellence Wreath."

Military service characterizes Skeete's family.

Both of his parents retired from the Air Force, and his great-grandfather and great-grandmother served in the Navy during the Second World War.

Skeete plans on enlisting in the Marine Corps upon graduation from high school with the goal of serving as a leader in the Corps' special operations command, or MARSOC.

"The reason I want to become a Marine is because the Marine Corps is perceived as the hardest and toughest branch," explained Skeete, "and that really pulls me toward it because I want to take on that challenge and come out on top."

Another source of his motivation to serve as a Marine may come from his grandfather.

"Something I would like to accomplish in the Marine Corps would be to earn the parachutist badge," he continued, "and I would like to earn the badge because my grandfather earned his while he was in the Marine Corps."

According to Patty, the JROTC program at Lakes High School is an intensive and interactive elective designed to motivate young people to become better citizens.

Learning from retired senior officers and noncommissioned officers, the cadets are exposed to a simulated military environment that requires them to learn and practice the essential skills for working in any organization.

Skeete's recognition as Cadet of the Month bears this out. 

"He demonstrates strong moral character, and we count on him often for the toughest jobs -- other cadets want to be like Skeete," concluded Patty.