Submitted by Jose G. Vergara
High school and middle school students who are members of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Cadet Program participated in two important events, Local and National. The participating students were Niyati Shah, Kiana McQuade and Veronica Vergara all from Scotch Plains, New Jersey; Paul Koizumi from Fanwood, New Jersey; and Anushka Kumar from Watchung, New Jersey.
The local event was at the Park Middle School Science Fair, Scotch Plains/Fanwood, held on March 9, 2018, in which CAP cadets from the Captain “Bud” Jackson Composite Squadron (NJ-102) taught students the principles of flight with CAP flight simulators. The cadets also demonstrated facial recognition technology and flight with a Quadcopter. Further, the CAP cadets provided a Military Style Color Guard to initiate the Science Fair Awards Ceremony where the best students’ projects were recognized, and prizes were awarded.
The cadets explained to the public that CAP is a non-profit corporation that serves as the official Auxiliary of the US Air Force civilian non-combatant. They talked about the benefits of participating in the afterschool CAP cadet program for middle schoolers and high schoolers, including aerospace and orientation flights (in powered planes and gliders), lessons in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with hands-on activities, military structure (customs and courtesies, discipline, drills, physical training, and leadership), national space mission competition, national cyber security competition, etc. In addition, CAP has over 30 summer camps across the nation that train cadets on different subject areas including engineering, flight instruction, international travel, engineering, pararescue, leadership, robotics, emergency services, and more. The CAP cadet program provides a unique experience not found in other after school programs.
The second activity that the CAP cadets participated was the National CyberPatriot (Cyber Defense) Competition. CyberPatriot is organized by the Air Force Association (AFA) and presented by Northrop Grumman Foundation, among other industries and federal organizations. The high school CAP cadets earned Second Place in the State Competition for the All Service Division composed of 21 teams from JROTC Army, JROTC Marines, JROTC Navy, JROTC Air Force, Civil Air Patrol, and Naval Sea Cadets Corp. The Middle School CAP cadet’s team earned the rights to pass to the National Semifinals. Nationwide, 5584 teams enrolled for the CyberPatriot Competition.
The competition consists of scenarios where teams are placed in the position of newly hired IT professionals and are tasked with managing a network and/ or computer operating system. Their task was to find cybersecurity vulnerabilities and harden the system while maintaining critical services. In addition, they learned teamwork, critical thinking skills, and technical knowledge which are key to a successful career in cybersecurity.
The National CyberPatriot Competition goal is to attract K-12 students toward careers in cybersecurity or other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines critical to our nation’s future. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of growth for jobs in information security is projected at 37 percent from 2012 to 2022; much faster than the average for all other occupations.
Overall, students who become members of the CAP cadet program have a great advantage in their future college applications. The “College Confidential” webpage states: “…since Admission officials are up to their eyeballs in common extracurriculars … Model UN, yearbook, orchestra, etc. CAP is something different and will help you stand out in a crowd. Secondly—and most important—it’s something you want to do, and it meshes with your stated passions. It’s likely that your enthusiasm will come across in your applications and, especially, in an interview situation. So even if you aren’t applying to only military colleges, this sounds like a smart choice…”
For more information about the after school CAP Youth Cadet Program, please contact jose.vergara@njwg.cap.gov or visit CAP’s webpage at gocivilairpatrol.com/cap_home/youth/
(above) Cadet Niyati Shah of Scotch Plains at her information both at Park Middle School.
(above) Cadet Kiana McQuade of Scotch Plains teaching flight simulator to a Park Middle School student.
(above, l-r): Cadets Anushka Kumar (Watchung), Veronica Vergara (Scotch Plains), Sagar Patil (Edison), Paul Koizumi (Fanwood), and Kiana McQuade (Scotch Plains).
