ROTC Award Archive
This page is an archive of some of the ROTC winners recognized by the Fox Valley chapter in previous years.
Generally these high school or college cadets have been awarded the Bronze ROTC medal, but there are a few exceptions. The photos and a brief comment on each winner appears in the photo section below.
2016
There were a number of winners of SAR medals and awards at Joliet Central High School. The cadet in the middle of the photo is Jared Ellis who was the winner of the Bronze JROTC Medal. Standing on the right in the photo is Jessy Marasco, who won Third place in the Chapter's Outstanding Cadet contest and was awarded a Good Citizenship medal and $75 from the chapter. He will be the commanding officer of the Joliet Central JROTC program
Standing on the left in the photo is Vanessa Flores who won Second Place in both the Chapter and State SAR Outstanding JROTC Cadet contests. She received $125 from the Chapter, $500 from the State and a Good Citizenship medal.
Dale Bottom presented the Bronze ROTC medal to Cadet Patrick Guest, the Drill Commander of the Aurora West JROTC program. Cadet Guest was in charge of presenting all of the awards and medals at the ceremony. He was crisp, sharp, very poised and precise. Cadet Guest plans to go to community college and then enter the military went finished.
Compatriot Dale Bottom presented the Bronze ROTC medal to Cadet Lian Solanski a Junior in the Bolingbrook High School Air Force JROTC program in May 2016. Lian will be the S-4 or administrative officer for his senior year. He plans to go to college and perhaps become a teacher or enter the military as an officer.
Compatriot Dale Bottom presented the Bronze ROTC medal to Cadet Matthew Reed-Manning a Junior at Joliet West High School Army JROTC program. He placed fourth in the Chapter and the State Outstanding Cadet contest. He has been selected as next year's Commanding Officer. Matthew hopes to enter Annapolis, the U.S. Naval Academy.
Compatriot Dale Bottom presented the Bronze ROTC medal to Cadet Aidan Piwnicki a Junior at Lincolnway Central/West High School Air Force JROTC program in May 2016. Aidan is also President of the Kitty Hawk Honor Society. Based on his popularity with his peers, he should receive an important JROTC position for his senior year.
Compatriot Dale Bottom presented the Bronze ROTC medal to Cadet Stephen Kowalewski a Freshman at Lockport High School Air Force JROTC program in May 2016. As a Freshman, Stephen does not yet have the opportunity for an important position. But he enjoys being on the drill team which requires a more rigid regimen than for other ROTC students.
In May 2016, Compatriot Deeks Carroll, not shown, presented the Bronze ROTC medal to Cadet Joseph Fremgen (left), and Deeks presented the Bronze Good Citizenship medal to Cadet Conor Mach (right). Joseph and Conor are members of the Army JROTC program at Marmion Academy.
Compatriot Dale Bottom presented the Bronze ROTC medal to Cadet Sam Schiller a Junior in the Mooseheart High School Navy JROTC program in May 2016. Sam hopes to be the Executive Officer, the second in command, his senior year. Sam aspires to get an appointment to one of the military academies, Annapolis in particular.
Compatriot Dale Bottom presented the Bronze ROTC medal to Cadet Jonathan McFarland a Junior at Romeoville High School Marine JROTC program in May 2016. He will be the Supply Officer next year. Jonathan is on the drill team and will be its commander next year. This year they competed in Washington, D.C. and came in 25th of 3,000 US high schools.
Compatriot Dale Bottom presented the Silver ROTC medal to Cadet Nilesh Pradhan a Freshman in the Northern Illinois University Army JROTC program in May 2016. Nilesh is from St. Charles, IL. He is included in the Scholar level for the ROTC program meaning he had a 3.0 or higher on all his grades.
In May 2016, Compatriot Dale Bottom presented the Bronze ROTC medal to Cadet Maxwell Gierke a Sophomore in the Wheaton College Army ROTC program. Max is on the Wheaton College Wrestling team and is ranked fifth in the state at his weight division. Academically, he is a pre-med major.