Something you might not expect is happening at the North Quincy High School Campus in Quincy, Massachusetts. The school’s ROTC program is 92 percent Asian. That’s more than two times the percentage of Asian Americans in the student body.
The Patriot Ledger wanted to find out what attracted these students to the program.
“They’re just great kids,” said Master Sgt. John DeLorenzo, an aerospace science instructor and director of the ROTC program. “They don’t have to fit in. They get to be themselves (and) change their role, take on things, and feel good about who they are. These kids are involved in everything about the school.”
Michele Li is a senior in the program and a daughter of Chinese immigrants.
“I want to give back to my country,” she said. “My parents were very poor living in China. We are much better off now. I’ll be the first generation in my family to attend college. …The program builds the person from the inside.”