Springtime marks the end of a chapter in many lives. It is a time of joy, sadness, nostalgia and anticipation. The senior cadets at Cretin-Derham Hall experienced a mix of these emotions as they participated in the annual JROTC Twilight Parade. This parade, which was held on Wednesday, May 13, sought to display the skills of the Raider Brigade one last time for the year, honor the awardees, and say an official farewell to those who will not be returning to the Brigade next school year.
There are numerous aspects that make the Twilight Parade unique, such as the music by the CDH band, the awards given out to excelling cadets, or the change of command as the seniors step down and the juniors prepare to take their places. However, this year’s parade was made even more memorable as Sergeant-Major David Berrisford, after 18 years at CDH, announced his retirement. In his speech, he expressed sadness for leaving his job, but also gratefulness for his time at CDH. Every moment he spent with us, he taught us valuable lessons about leadership, drill, accountability, and character. SGM Berrisford has left an impact on so many people, one that will shape the rest of our lives and we cannot thank him enough for. In an interview about the parade, SGM Berrisford was asked what quality of JROTC cadets the parade best demonstrates, and he answered, “willingness and ability to work as a team”. In order to put on the Twilight Parade, each cadet must work with one another to ensure a smooth and successful parade. As SGM Berrisford also said, willingness is an important quality in situations like this because everyone must be engaged in learning and working with one another. SGM Berrisford was also asked for some words of wisdom as he ends his time here at CDH, and he said, “be true to yourself.” These works are so simple and yet so true, because they are easy to lose sight of in the midst of a busy school year. SGM Berrisford will be dearly missed in the CDH community, especially among the Raider Brigade, but we are so grateful to him for all of his contributions to this school and we wish him all the best going forward.
Another highlight of the parade was the awards ceremony. Every year, numerous JROTC cadets are honored with awards that they have earned throughout the year by showing leadership, accountability, willingness, and excellence in varying areas such as academics or athletics. Over 50 cadets were recognized this year, and are applauded for their hard work and dedication to JROTC.
Towards the end of the parade, it was time for the seniors to officially step down from their positions and the juniors to assume their role for filling in for the seniors. Although most juniors stepped into higher roles, the most notable change of command was from Cadet Colonel Bridget Bower to Cadet Second Lieutenant Katie Nobrega, who is now the Interim Brigade Commander. After the symbolic passing of the colors, Cadet Nobrega officially took on Cadet Bower’s role, and the seniors walked out of formation to throw their berets in the air and celebrate a fantastic four years of JROTC.
This Spring brings a bittersweet feeling as we say goodbye to many friends and familiar faces and celebrate the contributions each and every person has brought to CDH. The annual Twilight Parade is always an excellent opportunity to celebrate and recognize people in our community we are blessed to have. Congratulations to all of our cadets!
