KELLOGG — Kellogg High School’s Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program has been named a Naval Honor School, a distinction awarded annually to the top 20% of JROTC units in the region. 

The designation recognizes programs that excel in leadership development, academic achievement, and community involvement. For Kellogg, that means hundreds of hours of service and a strong presence in school and extracurricular activities. 

“The criteria for honor school is based on a number of things,” SgtMaj Jeff Smith, one of the program’s Marine Corps instructors, said. “Holistically, how effective the program is. They take into consideration community service hours, of which we have between 800-1,100 every school year.” 

Beyond service, cadets participate in sports, band, and clubs, as well as JROTC-specific competitions such as drill, marksmanship, and Raiders. Last year, Kellogg’s Raider team traveled to Fontana, California, and placed third out of 15 teams, earning second or third in three individual events. 

Leadership development and individual achievement were also key factors.  

“We typically have between 10-30 cadets that participate in camps throughout the spring and summer each year,” Smith said. “During the 24-25 school year our program commanding officer, Ryken White, and executive officer, Nolan Harju, also happened to be the school's salutatorian and valedictorian.” 

Awards and academic honors add to the program’s success, but Smith said the intangibles matter just as much.  

“One of the great things about a program like JROTC is that it focuses on these attributes just as much as how well they score on a test,” he said. “One of the main objectives is to develop students into better citizens that become leaders in society.” 

In its citation, Headquarters Marine Corps praised schools like KHS for “superior performance throughout school year 2024-2025,” noting that the unit’s leadership, initiative, and dedication “reflected great credit upon your unit and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval service.” 

The statement also highlighted factors such as inspection results, enrollment, cadet citizenship, community service, and scholastic achievement, including academic awards, scholarships, and enlistments, as reasons for the designation.