MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Scholar. Athlete. Cadet. Class Vice President.
Today, we’re spotlighting a young woman who defies singular labels. At just 17, she’s already a standout in multiple arenas. Meet Air Force Junior ROTC Cadet Aaliyah Jones, a rising senior at Oxon Hill High School, recently honored as the 2024 Veterans of Foreign Wars JROTC Cadet of the Year.
Born in Atlanta, Jones moved with her family to the Washington suburb of Accokeek, Maryland in fourth grade. With six siblings and parents who both served in the Air Force, Jones credits her family as the bedrock of her development. “Ultimately, I learned to lead with a calm heart and a clear mind. It’s my household environment - that’s how my parents take on challenges,” she says.
Jones joined Oxon Hill’s Junior ROTC program as a freshman. Her instructor, retired Chief Master Sgt. Vondella Stevens-Maynard, recalls her as “kind of quiet and laid back” during her first year. But as Jones’ involvement grew, so did her confidence and leadership skills. Her instructors soon recognized her rare maturity and decision-making abilities.
One of Jones’ first leadership roles came at the start of her sophomore year, when she delivered a back-to-school night briefing to hundreds of parents and students. According to Senior Aerospace Science Instructor, retired Lt. Col. Marc Branche, Jones “did a great job” and displayed a “command presence” beyond her years. From that moment, “everything we gave her to do, she did well. She just blossomed,” Branche says.
Stevens-Maynard believes in challenging her cadets with new experiences to stimulate growth. “I try to take them out of their comfort zone, giving them things that they’re not used to, and they seem to flourish,” she explains. For example, after her sophomore year, Jones was offered the role of Operations Commander for 159 cadets from 13 different schools at the district’s annual Cadet Officer Leadership Program. Leading cadets from diverse backgrounds was a daunting task, but Jones embraced the challenge. “You’re dealing with cadets with a number of different personalities, but the goal is to get everyone to realize that ultimately, we’re a team,” she says. Helping cadets find common ground and shared goals was key to her success in this role.
Jones also understands the value of mentorship. While her parents and Junior ROTC instructors have been vital to her growth, Jones sought out a local circuit judge she met at a summer pre-law program offered by the Maryland State’s Attorney’s office to help guide her development in her chosen field of law. Over the past two years, the judge has reinforced to Jones “the perseverance of hard work – if you really put forth the hard work, results will come with it and expanding focus, ultimately, your goals.”
One of those goals is to attend college, ideally on an Air Force ROTC scholarship, to study political science. Afterwards, she hopes to earn a law degree and become a Judge Advocate General in the Air Force. Her interest in the law is “focused on either immigration law or diplomatic affairs, as they’re both really broad, and I think that there’s so much that can be advocated in each area.” After her Air Force career, she dreams of becoming a United States Senator. She wants to bring the same bedrock ethical beliefs her parents instilled in her to the highest levels of government.
In July, Jones and her parents were invited to attend the 125th Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, where she was presented with the award. According to the VFW website, the award is “for special recognition of outstanding achievement and exceptional leadership for Junior ROTC Cadets.” This award seeks to recognize a remarkable cadet who will become a leader in their community and serve their country. JROTC instructors nominate cadets that meet high eligibility standards in academic achievement, leadership in the cadet corps, and demonstrated excellence in a variety of co-curricular activities such as athletics and student government.
“Seeing all the patriotism and proud veterans, it just further inspired me to really pursue a career in the service,” Jones said. To win the national award, Jones first had to be named the top cadet in her state and then compete against all the state winners to be named the national winner.
Jones clearly exceeded the award criteria in all areas. She’s the Cadet Wing Commander, Vice President of her senior class, an all-county lacrosse athlete who won the district’s Top Defender award, a high school soccer player, and a member of several other groups, clubs, honor societies, and national associations. Managing such a loaded schedule requires a level of organization and sacrifice that many of her peers aren’t willing to make. “So for example, [going to] training on Saturdays instead of hanging out with friends, I ask myself how bad do I really want to accomplish those things.” Her answer is always, “I really want to accomplish those things!”
Her goal as the cadet wing commander is to create “a program that not only develops you more as a cadet, but really, as an individual. JROTC has a number of opportunities that are just limitless.” In the corps, Jones is a member of the Kitty Hawk Honor Society and participates in drill team and color guard activities.
Her instructors both pointed to her winning mindset. “She’s got her attitude set right, and like most success stories, it’s all about attitude,” Branche said. The instructors see their role in their cadet-led program as facilitating cadets’ growth by presenting them with challenging opportunities, letting the cadets lead - and sometimes fail - and then providing constructive feedback to identify areas of success and issues to improve. Both instructors voiced a strong belief in the model of “leadership-by-example.” Perhaps nothing conveys that model better than the following simple anecdote: After the Cadet Officer Leadership Program concluded, several cadets approached Stevens-Maynard to tell her, “I want to be like Jones!”