By Moriah Schranz

The following story was posted on March 29, 2024. Here is the original link.

On November 13, 2023, Maury High School selected Senior Chief Hector Medina for its Teacher of the Year.

In a sit down interview, Medina described the transition from active duty to the classroom and the value of JROTC.

“It was very difficult at first,” Medina said. “But then I joined the United States Navy and had to grow up fast.”

Medina moved from Puerto Rico to Hartford, Connecticut, where he spent his childhood. At 18, Medina joined the US Navy and moved to Jacksonville, Florida. Spanish is Medina’s first language and he expressed the challenges he faced learning English.

Medina went to the American Military University in Charles Town, West Virginia while on active duty. Through the Master’s Training Specialist Program, Medina acquired his teaching license. This program lit the spark for his teaching career, landing him in Maury High School’s JROTC program in 2018.

The following has been edited for clarity:

MS: What was the transition [from active duty to education] like?

HM: I went from active duty to working at a school house. The transition was very difficult because I came from a structured environment, being in the military for 27 years. Coming from this structured environment where everyone listens to you and does what they are told with no feedback is hard because the teenagers are so different. I thought the JROTC program was more similar to the active duty military. It isn’t and that is not the kids fault. I just had a different vision.

MS: What’s the big difference between active duty and JROTC?

HM: In active duty, they have something to lose. As a teenager you are just developing and the teachers sometimes have to introduce leadership, accountability, etc. The difference is that I can not blame the kid for still developing. I had to take a step back and look at the classroom from a parent perspective, not a teaching perspective. I had to change my technique a whole 360.

MS: Covid started just after you began teaching. How did that affect you?

HM: I had just started a learning system that had felt comfortable and then boom!I I went home and never came back. That messed me up but I think it did for every teacher.

MS: How did you maintain structure during this online period?

HM: Many things we could not do since JROTC is so hands-on, but we gave a lot of independent stuff. I would assign pushups every night; whether they did them or not I don’t know, but we built a lot of trust. Next year, they would be tested on those pushups and they knew that. It’s all about the long term. I trusted them to do the right thing.

MS: How did you build that trust?

HM: I rewarded them with their good grades and after Covid, they came to class prepared, and I saw that they did what I asked and proved me right. I saw I could trust them.

MS: What do the uniforms signify to you and the students?

HM: I am very pro-military.I think it’s one of the best programs out there. The uniform isn’t just about wearing them. It’s all about teaching the student the details. I get to see from the beginning to end of the year how good students get with their uniform. I see them take a little pride, a little leadership, ironing their clothes, polishing their shoes. I give them all the tools and then it’s time for them to execute them. It signifies that they represent the United States Military, Maury High School, and their family. Many of these kids have parents in the military and it’s a big deal to wear them.

MS: With Norfolk having the largest Navy base in the country, do you think it affects the JROTC program?

HM: I think it helps the program because many of the students come from a military home but even so, they don’t know the military roles. This class not only gives students light of what their parents are doing every day but also helps them form a connection with them.

MS: What percentage of your JROTC kids would you say are serious about joining the US military?

HM: I would say about 50%. We don’t select our students. Anyone can join. People can have physical or mental challenges but can still join. The beautiful thing is that many transform themselves and say, “Wow, this is really what I want to be doing.” I may not have a high number that join the military but still all of the students that leave, leave better people. For four years they are taught accountability, leadership, hard work and that’s then in them. Whether they join the military or not, they will be better students.

MS: What advice do you have for anyone joining JROTC?

HM: Hopefully our future students see our program as a Plan B. I want them to understand that when everything fails, no money for college, scholarship fails, I am here to give you that scholarship and serve our country. Go be successful in life. Your Plan A is to do whatever you want to [do] since day one but if all fails, we are always here. I have 24 scholarships for any students that want them.

MS: Is there anything you would like to add?

HM: I’m privileged to receive Teacher of the Year. I didn’t take this job even thinking I would be nominated for such a position. I was nominated by my peers, so hopefully I’m doing something right. I want the word to get out that more students should try this beautiful program we have here at Maury. More students should join JROTC just to see if they can get something out of it.