A new Breed of leadership

LYNN – Breed Middle School had a busy afternoon Wednesday between a Junior ROTC pizza party and science fair, both of them serving as end-of-the-year celebrations.Marvin Pena, 29, of Saugus, a veteran who was wounded in combat, and Jason Gardner, 32, of Lynn, also a disabled veteran, spoke to the students over pizza.Pena was a tank gunner who served two tours in Iraq in 2007 and 2009 before he was honorably discharged. He suffered a knee injury, concussions and a 20 percent hearing loss from the explosions. He attends the Lowell Veterans Center for counseling to help with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.Gardner was a combat engineer and infantry in Iraq from 2005 to 2006. He also suffered concussions, a traumatic brain injury, and has PTSD.The two veterans spoke to the Junior ROTC students about active duty, the military culture and answered their questions.Breed student Elizabeth Castaneda, who served as patrol and escorted the veterans inside the school, was particularly intrigued. She hopes to serve in Afghanistan after graduation from Lynn English in four years.?I want to serve four years in the Marines there,” Castaneda said.Pena and Gardner talked about four items, geared towards students who want to enter the armed forces: leadership, duty, integrity and personal courage.?They taught us to be our own person, and don?t follow,” Castaneda said. “Always take charge. If you?re smart, show it.”Castaneda said she was starstruck by meeting them.?I felt honored and excited,” Castaneda said. “I had butterflies and didn?t know what to say.”Acting principal James Ridley said the world needs more leaders like them and that the leadership academy is a good group of students.Pena acknowledged the students? potential.?You?re future leaders,” Pena said. “I?m proud of you guys.”Down the hall from the cafeteria where the pizza party was held was the school gym, which hosted the science fair.Sixth-graders Agnes Birungi-Ngavirano and Ferdous Al-Shimary were the first-place winners for their grade.As part of the soil versus sand category, they created a tri-fold poster, asking, “Can plants go without soil?”They began their experiment by planting marigolds in sand and soil, but soon learned how they grow.?They need to have the nutrients,” Al-Shimary said. “Our conclusion was that it can?t grow in sand. We also did research at Lynn Public Library, Breed?s library, on the Internet and on our phones.”Like any scientists, they needed to devise a hypothesis, material procedures, conduct research and develop a conclusion after the fieldwork was complete.Al-Shimary said she was surprised they won, but they put in an equal amount of effort.?We?re only sixth-grade kids, but we put a lot of effort into it,” said Al-Shimary, who spent 2? weeks on the extracurricular project, “We each worked on half of the tri-fold poster. I planted the sand, and she planted the soil.”Birungi-Ngavirano, who got the idea from her father, John, was also delighted.?I?m very happy,” she said. “I didn?t think we?d win.”