Written by: MAJ (Ret.) Micah Ray
HISD’S Absolute Best – Part 2 of 4
Click here to read about Cadet Staff Sergeant Ethan Aragus (part 1)
Houston ISD is the 4th largest district in the United States. JROTC within the district has around 4,000 cadets. Houston MSTC can proudly announce four of their own JROTC cadets are among the top 24 cadets out of 4,000. These four cadets went through a battery of tests and tasks competing to earn a district level promotion and rise to the top of their own battalion’s leadership chain.
Cadet Command Sergeant Major Elizabeth Rigney
Cadet Command Sergeant Major Elizabeth Rigney
Grade Level: 10th
GPA: 4.5
Clubs and Teams:
- Armed Drill
- Color Guard (commander)
- Flag Folding Team (commander)
- Leadership Bowl Team
National Honor Society: Fall 2022
Competitions:
- 2021/2022 Fall Classic, 2022/2023 Bluebonnet Drill Meet
- 2022 Spartan Skirmish (Stafford, TX)
- 2022 Battle of the Bayou (Pasadena, TX)
- 2023 5th Brigade Drill Meet (San Antonio, TX)
- May 2023 Army National Drill Meet (Daytona Beach, Florida)
Positions Held:
- Squad Leader
- Platoon Sergeant
- Company Commander
- Staff: Logistics Supervisor, currently district level Command Sergeant Major
Extracurricular:
- JROTC Cadet Leadership Camp Summer 2022 at Texas A&M at Galveston Campus for STEM
Elizabeth Rigney joined Army JROTC as a freshman in August of 2021. She cited that an upperclassman enticed her to join the program because the upperclassman appeared to be a good role model of success. Since joining the program, Elizabeth has been a stellar performer in JROTC, but she has also been a stellar performer in all facets of her high school education.
She is a driving force on the armed drill team and led two teams to 1st place victories within the district for Flag Folding and Color Guard. She was lauded by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary group for her service to their organization. She has a bright future in Army JROTC and going forward in her academic pursuit of excellence.
Top photo caption: District JROTC Director LTC (Retired) Cornell McGhee promoting Elizabeth to the rank of Command Sergeant Major
Check back soon to read about more Sam Houston MSTC Army JROTC Cadets!
