GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Clay High Navy NJROTC hosted its big 50th-anniversary ceremony at the school cafeteria last Thursday, April 13.

The event included impassioned speeches from Principal Jennifer Halter, Master Chief Chris Green, County School District Coordinator of Athletics and Development, John Sgromolo, and others. The program ended with a ceremonial cake-cutting.

The ceremony officially highlighted a half-century of an elective program that put hundreds of Blue Devils’ students on a fast track for life after high school, regardless of their big post-graduation plans.

During a ceremony, community educational leaders spoke about important programs regarding the ever-important high school elective program.

Halter said while there is plenty of tradition at a school that has produced professional athletes, elected officials and several others of note, there might not be a tradition quite like this one fostered through the NJROTC program.

It’s a sentiment that resonated with the group of clean-cut, uniformed students who were able to “take it all in” while taking a short break from class for the historic anniversary.

While Sgromolo, a Clay High alumnus, has a proud lineage of military family history. The son of a Marine veteran and grandson of a Navy veteran said while service to the country is of the utmost importance, lessons learned in the immersive, all-involved NJROTC program will help them succeed regardless of where life’s journey might take them.

“The cadet staff has very high standards to live up to and we are ready to make this a great year. I would like to thank all of those cadets and instructors who have gone before us, and made Clay High School Navy JROTC a premier unit for the last 50 years,” said Cadet Commanding Officer, Mikayla Wyrick.