Parkview High School senior earns Legion of Valor Bronze Cross for Achievement Award

     Candace Elkins, a senior at Parkview High School, has been awarded the Legion of Valor Bronze Cross for Achievement Award from the Legion of Valor of the United States of America.

     Candace serves as the Cadet Battalion Commander in the school’s Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) and holds the rank of Cadet Lieutenant Colonel, the highest rank in the unit. 

     “’Focus on your weakness and exploit it until it becomes your strength’ is Candace’s leadership philosophy, and this has proven to be a success throughout our battalion,” says Parkview High JROTC instructor First Sergeant Nontron D. Ward, United States Marine Corps (Retired).

     The Legion of Valor Bronze Cross for Achievement is awarded for recognition of academic excellence and demonstrated leadership within JROTC and the community. To earn this national recognition, students must rank in the top 10% of their JROTC unit and the top 15% in their overall class standing. While over 300,000 students participate in JROTC nationwide, only a few dozen are recognized with this award each year.

     “Candace is tenacious, dedicated, and driven to raise the bar for herself and others. She represents what it takes to commit whatever it takes to lead by example,” Ward adds. “Her accomplishments academically, as a student athlete, and community service provider are above reproach. This [award] promotes the quality and recognition that Parkview High School and Gwinnett County Public Schools exemplify regionally and nationally.”

     Some of Candace’s achievements at Parkview High include a JROTC GPA of 98.5, a class standing of 43 out of 731 students with an overall GPA of 98.8, service as the Battalion Executive Officer and Color Guard Commander, and earning a Varsity Letter in Lacrosse.

     “[Candace] is a well-rounded student-athlete and is highly engaged at her school. Her record is indicative of the traits that the Legion of Valor Committee seeks when making their selections for this award,” says Dr. Frank Jones, coordinator of Academies and Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education, Computer Science, and Work-Based Learning.