LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – A Mount Dora High School teen and rising senior has been named the Air Force/Space Force JROTC Cadet of the Year, according to a news release.
Officials said Cadet Peyton Scott, Mount Dora Air Force JROTC, competed against 850 other units from around the world and was chosen ahead of more than 30,000 other cadets to earn the distinction.
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The award marks the first time in the program’s 29-year history that a Mount Dora cadet has been selected for the worldwide honor, according to the release.
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Scott will be formally recognized by Lake County Schools Superintendent Diane Kornegay and the school board at an upcoming meeting.
“Cadet Scott is driven, energetic, committed, loyal and trustworthy; he’s also humble, kind, respectful, courteous, encouraging and inspirational,” said USAF Major (Ret.) Andrew Scott, Senior Aerospace Science instructor at Mount Dora High School. “His impact on our program, Mount Dora High School and the Mount Dora community will be his lasting legacy.”
Criteria for the award emphasized cadet leadership and involvement within the unit, school and community, as well as academic performance and citizenship character traits such as dependability, followership, communication skills, motivation, and problem solving skills.
Officials said during this academic year, Scott amassed 284 JROTC community service hours which is a new single-year cadet record for the Mount Dora High School unit.
According to the release, he is credited with motivating 18 other cadets to exceed the 100-hour service hour threshold this year, another record for the program.
In setting yet another record for the program, Scott guided the cadet corps to garner over 8,000 hours of service this year while serving as the Corps Commander.
“We are all very proud of Cadet Scott,” said Mount Dora High Principal Marlene Straughan. “He represents the best of Mount Dora High School and we are confident that he will go on to do great things.”