Jack McAleer
Subhead: Flying High: Balancing Academics, Athletics, and Leadership and More
If you’ve ever thought, “Kids today (insert some trait or tendency that discourages you) …” this article is meant to shatter negative perceptions by highlighting young people who break the mold by standing out with their remarkable achievements and character.
One such young man is Jack McAleer, a BGHS senior with impressive accolades. His resume includes sports, academics, band, AFJROTC and a whole host of community service. But that’s not all.
Within JROTC, he serves as:
- Core Commander
- Strength Team member
- Air Rifle, Team Captain
- Color Guard member/Washington flag
As an athlete, he was on the varsity tennis team junior year, and a key player in the team’s success.
In band and academics, his record includes:
- Advanced Jazz Band, Jazz Band: Freshman - Junior Year (trumpet player)
- Wind Ensemble and Pep Band: Freshman - Junior Year (tuba/sousaphone player)
- National Honors Society Vice President
The rigors involved in doing all those things well are substantial. Jack keeps up with it quite naturally while maintaining a solid academic record. He says that JROTC has been his favorite of all the things he's done. He elaborates on his responsibilities in that realm:
“Being the corps commander or group commander of my AFJROTC unit has been my main drive in high school and has piqued my interest the most, yet I do not intend to join the military, or at least not till after college. I am in charge of 120 cadets and have led events like the Veterans Day parade, our Military Ball, and plenty of staff meetings where my staff and I get together to discuss topics related to what we are working on.”
Fun fact
Last summer, Jack was selected to attend the Flight Academy at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. He worked day after day, getting little sleep, to eventually earn his private pilot's license!
The future
Jack has his sights on attending college as a Business Major and pursuing a career in aviation as a commercial pilot. He is considering various universities.
Of his over 120 hours of community service, he says, “JROTC has allowed me to be very involved with my community, and I will not hesitate to help out in any way that I can when given the opportunity.”
We’re proud to have young people like Jack coming up through the ranks at BGHS. With the leadership skills he’s developing, drive, and heart for the community, we have no doubt he’ll go far and continue to make his hometown proud!