“I want to the best that I can be, so this will be a great opportunity for me, and I don’t want to pass it up,” said Cagle. “My father is a Marine. I believe that this summer academy will provide a lot of the same fundamentals as what my father went through.”
Over the course of the week, they will be challenged to step outside of their comfort zone and to strengthen their confidence and leadership skills. They will hear from notable leaders from around the country, such as entrepreneurs, Holocaust survivors and Marine Corps leaders. They will be surrounded by a diverse range of students from around the country. Physical fitness will also be emphasized through physical training and scenario-based reaction courses.
“As a young person in my community, I feel like I have a lot to contribute,” said Cagle. “If I can learn some strong leadership skills, I can take those skills back with me and use them to lead my teams, youth council or even as a math tutor in my high school and brother’s elementary school.”
Cagle embodies of the virtues of Marine Corps characters and principles by frequently volunteering at both his high school and little brother’s elementary school as a math tutor, and as a coach’s assistant. He works as a network technician and is the team captain of the varsity soccer team. He’s part of the county youth council, National Honor Society and Beta Club. Finally, he’s enrolled in 10 different honors and dual enrollment classes.
“I feel that all of us have the ability to mold ourselves into better people,” said Cagle. “By being exposed to an environment that helps with character development, I hope to come away from the academy with a new understanding of how to better myself as a person and prepare myself to make the right decisions, be it for myself or for a larger group.”
To be eligible for SCLDA, students must submit an application and written essay to ensure they possess strong morals, ethical standards and an understanding of Marine Corps leadership traits such as judgement and unselfishness.
The 2018 Summer Leadership and Character Development Academy will take place July 16 – 22, 2018. The goal of SLCDA is to return students back to their communities more confident, selfless and better equipped to improve the lives of those around them. To nominate a student for the 2019 Summer Leadership and Character Development Academy, please visit slcda.marines.com.