Cadet Christina Lewis held the pole of the U.S. Army flag firmly as she marched through downtown El Paso. She was part of El Dorado High School’s ten-person Color Guard, proudly representing the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) program in the city’s Veterans Day parade. Halfway through the parade, a gust of wind blew her cap off. However, Christina remained resolute, keeping her eyes forward and holding her flag high.
“That was a little embarrassing,” recalled Christina, a straight-A student and freshman in the school’s early college program. However, she felt proud to walk in the parade, representing her school and celebrating veterans.
“For the Veterans Day Parade, we were honoring veterans. My father's a veteran, so we were honoring him as well. So having that pride and being in the uniform, showing that you care for the men and women who served our country, it's just a great feeling,” Christina said.
In recognition of her outstanding accomplishments, Christina was selected to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the Socorro ISD Board of Trustees regular meeting in November 2025.
When Christina first entered El Dorado High School in August, she was a shy and reserved student. However, after joining NJROTC, Christina has transformed into a confident leader, shaping her future.
As the only female tenor in the school’s choir, Christina proudly performs alongside the male singers. She has already sung the national anthem at football games with the choir.
Inspired by her father’s military service, she is considering a career in the Army. This year, she also enrolled in welding, a course that is typically male-dominated and has very few females.
“I just think that if anyone's going to have the opportunity to represent women where we're not represented a lot, why not me?” Christina said.
She originally joined NJROTC for the physical education credit but now thinks it was the best decision she could have made.
In the program, she and her fellow cadets learn leadership, citizenship, and naval science through classroom instruction and activities such as drill, marksmanship, and community service. They also develop valuable skills like self-discipline and teamwork, which are essential for college, the workforce, or future military service.
Christina is especially grateful for the friends she has made in the program and credits them with helping her step out of her comfort zone.
“It just ended up being a super friendly environment where we can get our work done, but we still have fun,” Christina said.
Anthony Lopez, the school’s naval science instructor, remembers Christina as being reserved at the beginning of the semester. However, over the course of the semester, she has emerged as one of the top students in her class. She consistently offers to help other classmates and participates in after-school activities, such as recruitment events, where she showcases her excellent communication skills.
“People are following her, and that's what we're looking for is leaders,” Lopez said. “If she continues in the program, and she keeps doing what she's doing, she has the chance of being one of those leaders.”
Christina is also excited to be part of Empire Early College High School and is looking forward to earning her associate degree from El Paso Community College. By the time she graduates from high school, she will have two years of college behind her. To prepare for this journey, she joined the school’s AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program, which supports high school students in becoming eligible for and successful in college.
She is currently taking an advance placement course in Human Geography, as well as honors courses in algebra II, biology and English. An excellent math student, she is considering majoring in math in college, with a minor in ballet.
“I think it's a good thing that they're providing those opportunities for us because without that, we'd have to go the four-year college route,” Christina said. “This way we get two years out of the way.”
Although she is only a freshman, Christina is already looking ahead to the next three years of high school. Her goal is to advance in NJROTC and earn a higher rank insignia. She also intends to give back to the community through volunteering. In October, Christina and her classmates volunteered with the Adopt-a-Highway program, helping to clean up a section of the highway. This December, they plan to place wreaths at the gravesites at Fort Bliss National Cemetery. Above all, Christina aims to make a meaningful impact in the world.
“I’m looking forward to making more friends and having bigger opportunities as I move forward in high school. (I want) to be in a position of leadership in ROTC, to be a role model for other people and to help other people out,” Christina said.