“The 2025-26 Battalion Commander is Genesis Mendieta.”

A wave of applause filled the room on the night of JROTC’s formal end-of-year dance, the Military Ball. However, senior Genesis Mendieta didn’t even realize that she was named battalion commander that night.

“It was actually my friend that said, ‘I think they called you up there,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, really?’” Mendieta said. “I had an aftershock, and I didn’t realize what was going on. I definitely wasn’t expecting it.”

Mendieta joined JROTC in her freshman year in order to have a fresh start outside of P.E., something that was more “special.”

“I started finding JROTC interesting in how you could climb up in levels and ranks and all of that and how that could put me in a position where I wouldn’t have been exposed to in P.E.,” Mendieta said. “Now, I am able to connect more with teachers, and when you mention you’re in JROTC, they’re like, ‘Oh, wow.’”

When she joined in her freshman year, it was mainly a time to meet new people, expand her social circle and get to know others.

“I felt pretty welcome, and I didn’t feel scared or anything,” Mendieta said. “I was able to fit in pretty well.”

Mendieta was able to integrate into JROTC more easily through making friends with others who are now by her side in the 20th Cardinal Battalion Staff, a group of cadet leaders that are responsible for managing, planning and maintaining the operations of the program. On her first day of physical training, Mendieta met senior Kate Oguntoyinbo, one of her closest friends who is now her Battalion Command Sergeant Major, the senior advisor to the battalion commander.

“I didn’t have a partner for the situps section, and as I was looking for someone, she walked in,” Oguntoyinbo said. “We talked about why we decided to join the program and teams that we were thinking of joining in the program. We joined the color guard team together, and from there, we saw each other every school day, and we have continued to be really good friends.”

Mendieta started discovering her leadership skills after winning a leadership award in her sophomore year at the JROTC Cardinal Battalion Awards Ceremony. That same year, she also became company commander, the head of a certain class period who acts as the “teacher.” Then in her junior year, she earned a more prestigious position as Battalion Training and Operations Officer, responsible for creating weekly schedules, maintaining cadet training records and coordinating JROTC operations at a broader level.

“Junior year is what led me into being battalion commander because I had a position where you have so much responsibility,” Mendieta said. “That’s what paved the way for me to become battalion commander, which is now, in my senior year. I’m in charge of pretty much everything — how everything’s managed and run and making sure everything gets done.”

Now as “the face of JROTC,” according to Mendieta, she leads the entirety of the program and oversees a staff of nine officers, delegating tasks and assignments to certain members. Mendieta and her staff regularly organize meetings on Wednesdays to discuss the plan for the week, including physical training and teaching how to fold the flag properly. Mendieta also oversees the events of JROTC, including blood drives, cadet leadership challenges, and Student Council’s Project Santa. However, in addition to these tasks, Mendieta does much more for her team behind the scenes than others who aren’t in JROTC see.

“There’s actually a lot of planning that goes into the events we have every year,” Mendieta said. “Obviously those who aren’t part of the planning will be like, ‘Oh, we’re just here to have fun.’ But it takes a while — up to months. For example, a lot of it is definitely contacting people, such as coordinating with admin, like, ‘Is this date, okay?’ If we’re doing catering, we have to get in contact with a food place and ask, ‘Okay, how much will it be?’”

Moreover, the events Mendieta plans does not only affect the members of JROTC, but she is responsible for the recruiting process for middle school students as well.

“We have to contact the principals over there, and then we contact the teachers,” Mendieta said. “It’s a lot of reaching out to people that you wouldn’t think that you have to do, but that’s how we get things going. A lot of preparation within the battalion staff itself goes along with assigning groups of cadets different tasks.”

Despite her voluntary work for the JROTC team she is dedicated to, the burden of a demanding leadership position can become overwhelming for anyone, especially with major events that overlap.

“I definitely sometimes feel pressure, especially with school work,” Mendieta said. “Everybody is a student, so we already have that responsibility. With JROTC, it almost feels like a job. It adds a double life type of feeling.”

Being the leader of JROTC on top of her academic life forced Mendieta into being an expert multitasker, with setting priorities through written lists which help her stay organized. Seeing Mendieta’s discipline balancing JROTC with the demands of being a student influenced Oguntoyinbo’s academic journey.

“Genesis is a really busy individual that makes time for JROTC,” Oguntoyinbo said. “If we need help with something, she’ll try her best to help and make sure you understand the material or situation. She’s influenced me academically by tutoring me when I need help and helping me keep my academics a priority.”

On top of being a helping hand for her friends, Mendieta plans events that require volunteer opportunities lasting up to eight hours — one of Mendieta’s favorite parts about JROTC. Mendieta, being one of many Spanish speakers in the program, has been able to grow especially closer to those who are able to speak Spanish along with her.

“I, myself, am a Spanish speaker, and there are some newcomers who speak Spanish that don’t really know much about JROTC,” Mendieta said. “I was able to connect with them through translating for them. There was a little more familiarity and comfortability for them knowing that there was someone who could explain and understand what they were going to get into and what they were going to experience.”

JROTC Battalion Executive Officer, Camilla Flannigan, has been with Mendieta ever since they went to middle school together. Mendieta and Flannigan have continued their journey together through their four years in Bellaire’s JROTC program. Mendieta, Flannigan and Oguntoyinbo make up the top three positions in JROTC.

“In middle school, I kind of knew her as a consistent friend,” Flannigan said. “During freshman year, when I was super scared of coming into this new school where I didn’t know that many people, she was also in the program. She was one of the only people I knew, so it was really comforting to see that she was also entering this program with me. It really brought us closer as friends now.”

In leading the program this far into the year, Flannigan has seen Mendieta’s impact on others as “very sweet and kind.”

“The JROTC instructors can be strict and disciplined on the kids,” Flannigan said. “It’s a nice offset to be gentle with them and to remind them that JROTC isn’t all disciplined hardship. It can be fun, and you can still make friends without everything being like a competition. She brings kindness to the program.”

In learning to guide others effectively, Mendieta has found her leadership output to be stern at times while also remaining friendly and welcoming to new cadets in collaboration.

“I feel like I’ve been able to get more comfortable working with others,” Mendieta said. “I’m not going to lie to you, I used to be stressed before when I’d have to work in a group, because what if someone doesn’t get something done? Now, I’ve had to build up that trust that they will, and I have a way to guide them and actually make something be done.”

Mendieta has now focused on preparing new and upcoming cadets for leadership roles like hers through building friendships and talking to them more consistently.

“I’ve noticed at least some of the people that I started meeting this year change from day one, not really wanting to be there. They were just kind of lazy,” Mendieta said. “And now I see them actively engaging or becoming interested in what I’m doing. It kind of just takes some motivation through telling cadets what I’ve done from my experiences.”

Despite the “substantial” amount of time spent on JROTC activities, practice and volunteering, Mendieta sees a different future for herself, not focused on the military. She instead considers pursuing a career on the dental hygiene pathway.

“I know a lot of people take JROTC to go to the military or get on track with that,” Mendieta said. “I have had thoughts of the military, but as of now, I’ve stuck to not going through that route. I could get a career in the military, but I just think I’d rather take the usual or normal path. The military is a lot of commitment — for the Marines, eight years is the minimum they have to serve, and the army is three years. I just don’t know.”

For Mendieta, the lessons she’s learned from her time in JROTC reflect her work ethic and commitment to her future endeavors. Through discipline, time management and punctuality, her motivation in getting things done has set her up for success. Leaving her legacy in JROTC as the school year progresses near the end, Mendieta aspires to leave future cadets with a sense of hope in trusting the process of time.

“I’d definitely say don’t push yourself too hard,” Mendieta said. “Everything will be all right. And the worry that you’re going through, if any, at the end, you’ll look at it and say, ‘Oh, I didn’t have to worry about that as much as I did.’ As long as you do your stuff and you know what you have to do, everything will come out right in the end.”