Breed program molds future leaders

LYNN – Dwindling attendance and a lack of enthusiasm almost scuttled Breed Middle School’s Leadership Academy until science teacher Julie Collins took over and breathed new life back into the program.”When I took over last year we had about 15 kids,” she said. “The only thing they did was come on Wednesdays and do drills, and the big carrot was they got to be in the Memorial Day Parade.”The program is essentially designed to be a junior, junior ROTC, a reserve officers training program that is usually limited to college and high school students. Collins has kept up the drill work but she has also incorporated a community service component into the program and through that has exposed the 30 to 40 students she now wrangles on a weekly basis to a variety of aspects of military life.Recently the group traveled to Liberty Hall in Shrewsbury to drop off more than 1,000 cards for Operation Christmas Card. Collins also has them writing letters to soldiers serving overseas, sending care packages and next week will meet a service dog, Gunnar. They have also met veterans and military families to hear firsthand accounts of what it’s like to be or have someone you love in the service.Recently the students did physical training and worked on drills in the gym under the leadership of Lynn English High School’s Junior ROTC cadets Surelys Holquin and Bertine Fils-Ame.At first it was fun and games as they warmed up with wheelbarrow races. But soon Fils-Ame and Holquin barked out “dress right,” which called the young leaders to snap to attention. Holquin inspects academy members, warning them to “stop smiling” and “don’t look at me,” but Juan Vasquez and Felix Fernandez couldn’t hold back their grins, and they were made to drop and do 10 push-ups each. When another student struggled to do his push ups, Holquin informed him, “I can do better push ups than you and I’m a girl,” before letting him run laps instead.The kids took the abuse and by all appearances, liked it. Ask nearly any of them what they like about the Leadership Academy and they will tell you the drills.Eighth-grader Celeste Matos joined the academy last year. She said she hopes to be a Marine one day and her favorite part of the program is the drills.Aziana Crawford joined and started a family tradition.”I want to be in ROTC because my brother was in ROTC,” she said. “He’s higher up now in the Marines. I’d like to join the Marines to make my mother proud and stay out of trouble.”Lucinda Alimamy likes that the program teaches her responsibility and to stay in shape, two things she needs to work on, she said with a laugh.Alimamy said when she first started she said she could barely do a pushup or a sit up and now she can pound out 60 of each and she likes seeing the improvement. She said she dreams of joining the Army.”I want freedom and equality around the world,” she said.The academy members meet every Wednesday with the exception of the first Wednesday of the month, which is a faculty day, Collins said. They have T-shirts to tell the school who they are and sweatshirts, and Collins said she is hoping to raise funds to buy matching pants for a more uniform look.Collins said she thinks kids are drawn to the program for its consistency and camaraderie.”And it’s gratifying,” she said. “They’re doing something good for themselves, and for veterans and their families as well.”For Collins, she said she loves watching the kids grow in the program, which doesn’t come without struggle. One participant is so committed to the program his grades are beginning to suffer, which Collins said can’t happen. If the situation isn’t rectified she will have to ask the student to leave and he knows it.”They’re getting exposed to the reality of life too,” she said. “You have to do well academically or you can’t continue to be in this program.”He has promised to get it together.”I love the drills and the exercises, and being with friends,” he said. “I would just be bored, sitting around watching TV if I