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SSHS’ JLAB leadership team advances to nationals
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Posted on Mar 06 2023
Saipan Southern High School’s JROTC Leadership Academic Bowl team. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Saipan Southern High School’s JROTC Leadership Academic Bowl team has advanced to the national championship level for the second time in a row, making this their third appearance at the nationals after going through two intense phases of online competition.
This year’s JLAB leadership team—composed of cadet captain Malentino Amandus, cadet captain Shamira Sulyman, cadet captain Lana Sunderland, and cadet 2LT Shanna Villaluz—has qualified to compete at the 2023 National Leadership Bowl Championship in Washington, D.C., which will be held at the Catholic University of America campus this summer from June 18 to 22.
The cadets from Saipan Southern High School have proven their ability to overcome and succeed despite the obstacles these students have faced over the last three years.
This year’s victory marks Saipan Southern High School’s third time advancing to the championships to compete against 40 other high schools at the national championship level. It was during the 2021-2022 school year when the Saipan Southern High Schools JLAB leadership team went to the national championships for the second time and won the Esprit de Corps Award. That secured for the Manta Ray Battalion its second Esprit de Corps Awards, the first one attained by the SSHS JLAB leadership team in 2016.
“I am so incredibly proud of my team for making it to nationals! They put so much time and effort into their practices. Knowing that it all paid off makes me so happy,” said an SSHS alumni, cadet major Mechaella De Ramos.
De Ramos was one of the cadets from last year’s JLAB leadership Team who made it to the national championships and is also the SSHS Manta Ray Battallion executive officer this school year. “With this being the second year in a row that our JLAB leadership team has made it to championships, I’m hoping that they can keep this new streak going.”
Saipan Southern High School’s JROTC senior army instructor CSM (Ret.) Richard Basa said this year’s JLAB leadership team deserves this honor. “I feel that it is well deserving once again, and it really is just amazing and is such a blessing that our JLAB leadership team won again. The team’s hard work, dedication, and countless hours of study sessions have finally paid off. I am very proud of the cadets in the leadership team and as well as our academic team.” (PR)
