To the Cadets and Youth of Our Time

• Speak like a lawyer, because your words carry weight, and one day, they may defend justice.

• Express like a philosopher, because truth often hides in questions, not answers.

• Think like a scientist, because the world changes not through belief, but through discovery.

• Analyze like a psychologist, because the mind is the battlefield, and peace begins within.

• Observe like a detective, because what the world whispers in shadows reveals what it hides in light.

• Love like a poet, because even warriors need a reason worth fighting for.

• Decide like a judge, because your choices are verdicts that shape not just your life, but generations.

• Create like an artist, because vision paints the future before it becomes reality.

• And work like an engineer, because dreams are only blueprints until you build them with your hands.

The above quote, not attributed to any individual, synthesizes various professional and creative approaches as a model for a well-rounded and meaningful life.

We are more than the next in line, we are the line. We are the rising tide that lifts the ship of tomorrow. Elders say we are the backbone of the world, and they’re right. But remember, a spine doesn’t just hold up a body, it lets it move, bend, rise, and stand tall.

So, stand tall, cadets. Move with purpose. Speak with courage. Love without fear because the world does not wait to be led, it waits to be inspired.

And that’s what we were born to do.

Fawensky Valery

President, Alabama JROTC