A cadet with Dayton High School’s Marine Corps Junior ROTC unit is heading to the National Youth Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C., this summer to seek knowledge in her chosen career field of national defense. Zitlally De La Luz, a sophomore, is being assisted in her fundraising campaign by Chicken Express of Dayton and through donations from the Dayton community.
De La Luz was nominated for the leadership forum by Chief Warrant Officer Ronald Tash, the instructor of the Dayton ISD Marines JROTC program. She hopes to learn more about the path to becoming an FBI agent. Among the many activities planned for the week-long trip are group meetings on a variety of topics related to national security, cyber security and public policy, a military career fair and other career exploration panels, visits to important sites such as Arlington National Cemetery and all the war memorials, and a briefing by a senior member of the Department of Homeland Security.
“On this trip I will learn about the Navy, Marines, FBI and Air Force. It will give me insight into those experiences and give me a behind-the-scenes look at how criminal investigations are conducted,” De La Luz said.
Jon Lee, the owner of the Dayton Chicken Express restaurant, was immediately interested in helping De La Luz after learning about the trip through an email she sent to local businesses in the Dayton community. A military veteran with 10 years in the U.S. Marines, Lee said he believes it is important for young people to learn the value of national security.
“I think it’s the most important thing. People take for granted our freedom. I think we need more young people to get involved in the interests of our country,” he said. “How do we change this crazy world we live in? By helping one young person at a time, and then they go out and help two more people.”
De La Luz is a top academic student at Dayton High School. She maintains a 4.75 GPA and is involved with band, Business Professionals of America, Student Council, National English Honor Society, National Science Honor Society, and Tri-M Band Honor Society, and was recently awarded certification of compliance in a Cyber STEM sponsored by JROTC.
Anyone wanting to contribute to De La Luz’s trip can send a donation to First Liberty National Bank, PO Box 10109, Dayton, Texas 77535. Make the check payable to Zitlally De La Luz and in the memo section put “Scholarship Fund.”