This week on Parish Porch, we’re shining a spotlight on one of the most impactful programs shaping young leaders in our community, JROTC. Commander (Aaron) Bates, a retired U.S. Navy officer, joins us to talk about his journey from cadet to commanding officer and how he’s now using that experience to guide students at St. Amant High School.
We talk about:
- The real purpose of JROTC (spoiler: it’s not military recruitment)
- How discipline, structure, and mentorship can change a teenager’s life
- What Commander Bates looks for in his cadets, and how he builds leadership from the ground up
- The personal path that led him from Metairie to Covington to 27 years in the Navy
- Why he believes JROTC is one of the most valuable programs in public education today
Whether you’re a parent, educator, or former cadet yourself, this episode is packed with insight into what’s working in Louisiana schools and why programs like JROTC deserve more attention.
Resources:
- Follow the St. Amant High School NJROTC Program on Facebook!
- Connect with Commander Bates via the St. Amant High School website
- Veterans support via the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs
COME MEET US!
This Friday, the 25th, Parish Porch will be at the Gonzales Lowe's! Stop by, learn more about what we do and why, and enter our raffle for a chance to win some local goodies from Country Kitchen, Curve Mart, and Ascension Community Theatre.
-----
Interested in becoming a guest or sponsor? Reach out to us directly at parishporch@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you!
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!