MARLBOROUGH – This fall, business travelers at Fairfield Inn and Suites in Marlborough were kind enough to donate brand new, unwrapped toys, asking that they be given to children who might not otherwise have a very bright holiday.
General Manager Cheryl Prentiss knew immediately who to call, as this had happened in the past. Major Travis Bowser, Senior Marine Instructor of the Assabet Valley Regional Technical High JROTC program, quickly responded and was able to store the items until the annual Toys for Tots campaign began. Recently, prior to delivering the toys to a Worcester warehouse, Bowser gathered a group of cadets with some of the toys for a photo op.
Assabet Valley has had a JROTC program for over ten years. Currently there are 104 cadets in the program. Offered under the academic side of the school as Leadership Education, the mission statement states the purpose “to develop character and citizenship in the youth of America.”
Major Bowser puts it quite succinctly.
“We are not recruiters; we are making better citizens. Our cadets are not required to join the Marine Corps or any branch of service. I am happy if we make sure that our graduates go off to one of the three big E’s…Education (college or more advanced trade school), Employment (entering the workforce in their technical field), or Enlistment (in any of the service branches). We are 100% involved in our communities, and work with local groups such as the Hudson Police,” he said.
The JROTC is nationally recognized and is accredited by the Commission of International and Trans-Regional Accreditation as well as through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement.
