>>> SHE'S ONLY 18, BUT CAMRYN KYNARD IS ALREADY MAKING
HISTORY.
THE SENIOR AT SPRINGFIELD'S CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL IS THE FIRST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN FEMALE COMMANDER OF THE SCHOOL'S AIR
FORCE JR.
RESERVE OFFICER TRAINING CORPS PROGRAM.
I CAUGHT UP WITH CAMRYN REEBTLY -- RECENTLY AND BRING YOU HER
STORY.
>> CAMRYN KYNARD CHECKS IN WITH THE UNDERCLASSMEN.
>> YO ARE A SOPHOMORE?
>> NO, MA'AM, I AM A FRESHMAN.
>> AS WING COMMANDER AT CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL, SHE HAS A LOT OF
RESPONSIBILITIES.
>> I AM THE HEAD OF THE WHOLE PROGRAM, I OVERSEE THE
DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF EVERYTHING.
>> REWIND TO FOUR YEARS AGO AND CAMRYN ARRIVED AT CENTRAL SHY
AND UNSURE >> FRESHMAN YEAR I WALKED IN
THROUGH THESE DORS AND I DID NOT KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING, CAM, WHY
ARE YOU DOING THIS?
WHY ARE YOU HERE?
I REALIZED THE MAIN REASON I WAS HERE IS THIS PROGRAM MADE ME
CONFRONT A LOT OF THINGS THAT I NEEDED TO DEAL WITH.
OKAY, GUYS, SO, PROMOTIONS ARE GOING TO BE ON THE 12th.
>> LIKE PUBLIC SPEAKING.
>> GOOD JOB FOR UNIFORM.
TODAY IS WEDNESDAY.
YOU ARE ALL LOOKING SHARP.
>> AND DECISION MAKING.
>> I LOOK AT CHALLENGES DIFFERENTLY.
THE LITTLE EIGHTH GRADE GIRL WOULD HAVE RAN AWAY FROM TALKING
TO HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE, TURNED AWAY.
I LIKE IT.
I LIKE THAT I CALL THE SHOTS AND I NEED TO ANSWER RIGHT NOW AND I
CAN DO RIGHT NOW. >> AND RIGHT NOW CAMRYN JUST
MADE HISTORY AT CENTRAL AS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN FEMALE TO
BE INSTALLED AS WING COMMANDER.
>> IT IS HARD TO PUT INTO WORDS THE FEELING --
>> YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB.
>> THANK YOU.
EVERY 50 NOES YOU WILL HEAR A YES.
I'M THE LOWEST POPULATION, SO STATISTICALLY I'M NOT SUPPOSED
TO BE HERE.
BUT MAJOR THOUGHT I SHOULD BE HERE AND HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO
SHOULD MATTER.
>> THE MAJOR RETIRED FROM THE U.S. AIR FORCE --
>> IT IS THE SAME RIBBON.
IT GOES NEXT TO IT. >> IS THE SENIOR AEROSPACE
SCIENCE INSTRUCTOR AT CENTRAL.
>> I'M PROUD SHE MADE IT.
SHE DESERVED TO MAKE IT.
HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT SHE'S HAD THROUGH THE YEARS MADE IT
JUST AN EASY PICK FOR ME.
>> EVERY MORNING CAMRYN ARRIVES AT SCHOOL JUST AFTER 7:00.
SHE DOES ROLL CALL AND LEADS THE SENIOR CADETS IN THE PLEDGE OF
ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
>> THEN IT IS DOWN TO THE BUSINESS OF A HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENT.
A.P. ENGLISH, A.P. AMERICAN GOVERNMENT, A.P. PSYCHOLOGY,
JUST TO NAME A FEW.
THE JUNIOR ROTC PROGRAM IS ALSO A CLASS IN WHICH STUDENTS WHO
PARTICIPATE RECEIVE A HALF SCIENCE CREDIT.
>> SHE DEFINITELY IS A LEADER AND PEOPLE LINE UP TO FOLLOW
HER.
>> KEITH WORTHY IS A CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
AND ATHLETIC DIRECTOR.
HE SAYS JUNIOR ROTC IS ONE OF THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER PROGRAMS
AT CENTRAL.
>> SOME PEOPLE THINK IT IS A RECRUITING TOOL FOR THE ARMED
FORCES, WHICH IT IS NOT.
IT IS ABOUT LEARNING LEADERSHIP, BEING PART OF A TEAM, INTEGRITY,
THEY ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
THEY ARE ONE OF THE MOST REQUESTED GROUPS IN THE
COMMUNITY, NOT ONLY SCHOOL EVENTS BUT POLITICAL AFFAIRS,
OTHER SCHOOLS, ATHLETIC EVENTS.
THEY COULD FILL EVERY WEEKEND IF THEY WANTED TO.
>> THIS IS ONE OF THE OLDEST AIR FORCE JR.
ROTC PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY AND THE FIRST IN NEW
ENGLAND.
IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1966 AT TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL.
>> MARCH.
>> THE WAY THE ROTC PROGRAM DESIGNED HERE, OUR MISSION
STATEMENT IS SIMPLY TO BUILD BETTER CITIZENS DEDICATED TO
SERVING THEIR NATION AND COMMUNITY
>> CAMRYN SAYS SHE IS GRATEFUL FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT HER
PARENTS GIVE HER AND GRATEFUL FOR HER EXTENDED FAMILY IN
JUNIOR ROTC.
>> THE REAL THING THAT KEPT ME COMING BACK IS THE FAMILY
FEELING THAT THIS PROGRAM GAVE ME OF, YOU KNOW, I HAVE FAMILY
AT HOME, BUT WHEN I'M HERE I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A WHOLE OTHER
FAMILY LOOKING OUT FOR ME.
>> CAMRYN SAYS SHE WON'T PURSUE A CAREER IN THE MILITARY AFTER
HIGH SCHOOL, SHE WOULD LIKE TO BE A TEACHER OR PRINCIPAL
SOMEDAY, MAYBE EVEN AT CENTRAL.
BUT HER ROLE IN ROTC CERTAINLY HAS SHAPED HER AS A YOUNG WOMAN.
>> INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
>> WHEN I DO THAT EVERY MORNING IT REMINDS ME I'M DOING
SOMETHING BIGGER THAN MYSELF >> AS SENIOR YEAR IS FLYING BY,
SHE AS THAT THIS ADVICE FOR FELLOW STUDENTS AND EVEN ADULTS
>> DON'T BE THE LIMITATION TO YOURSELF, DON'T BE IN YOUR OWN
WAY.
ONCE YOU MOVE YOURSELF AND MENTAL BLOCKAGE OUT OF IT THAT
IS WHEN YOU BECOME THE MOST SUCCESSFUL.