It takes a lot to juggle school and extracurriculars, but Mya McColl’s recent accolades make it clear that hard work and time management is well worth the effort.
McColl is a rising senior in Berkeley County School District, splitting her time between as an academic high-flyer in the district’s Berkeley Middle College program as well as Cane Bay High’s AFJROTC program.
Those efforts have not gone unnoticed; she was recently named the Region 3 / Sub-Region 3 Outstanding Cadet of the Year, as well as the Region 3 Overall Cadet of the Year.
McColl’s recognition was announced via a message sent out from Jason Joyce, AFJROTC Regional Director representing the East Central Region and Sub-Region 3.
Region 3 of AFJROTC consists of all AFJROTC units in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Region 3 consists of seven “sub-regions”, each of which consists of 30 units that Joyce oversees. All 30 of Joyce’s units are within the state of South Carolina and make up Sub-Region 3.
Joyce wrote he had the opportunity to visit Cane Bay High and meet McColl and her school instructors as part of the program’s annual Unit Evaluation.
“Cadet McColl represents herself, her program, her school and your district in an outstanding manner,” Joyce wrote. “She is an exceptional young person and deserves to be applauded for her stellar efforts and accomplishments.”
Berkeley Middle College is the only magnet high school in Berkeley County, made possible with a partnership with Trident Technical College. The program gives 11th and 12th grade students the opportunity to complete all requirements of a high school graduate while simultaneously pursing an associate degree and other certifications provided by the technical college.
Students in the program report to Trident Tech’s Berkeley Campus for school but will report to their base schools for other commitments like sports and student organizations – like McColl’s case with Cane Bay’s AFJROTC program, which is led by instructors Maj Christopher Perham and MSG Paul Brown.
Perham nominated McColl for the recognition via a glowing recommendation that outlined her commitment to Berkeley Middle College and Cane Bay High AFJROTC.
In the letter, Perham wrote that McColl quickly rose through the ranks when she joined AFJROTC and held several key positions her sophomore year, including Flight Commander, Flight Sergeant, Academic Team Commander, and CLC Prep Commander. This past school year, she took on the roles of Executive Officer and Military Ball Host.
She has previously been recognized with other numerous awards, including the Region 3 Cadet Leadership Award, Air Commando Association Award, Sons of the American Revolution Award, Daedalian Award, Cadet of the Year, Cadet of the Quarter, and the Distinguished Cadet award.
Perham also wrote that McColl is very active outside of school as well. She serves as an altar server and trainer for new altar servers at her church. In the realm of martial arts, she is a second-degree black belt in Shotokan Karate, an assistant instructor, and a certified tournament coach for the AAU 2023 tournament season. She has competed in numerous state, regional, and national tournaments, winning multiple medals, and even competed in a world championship in 2022.
“Cadet Captain Mya McColl embodies the values and principles of the Air Force JROTC program,” Perham wrote. “Her leadership, academic excellence, and commitment to her community make her an exemplary candidate for recognition.”
McColl said she does her best to make sure she has enough time to travel between the two schools and prioritizes her schoolwork and her AFJROTC duties.
“I work really hard to do as best as I can in AFJRTOC, and I am glad that that paid off,” she said.
She said she initially joined the program because of an interest in the military and figured JRTOC would be a great way to get her foot in the door, and also liked the idea of pursuing student leadership roles; she hopes to move up to a commander position during her senior year.
“I really like the people in it – a lot of us have been in AFJROTC since freshman year so we’ve known each other every semester all the way (through senior year),” she said, adding that Perham and Brown are wonderful instructors. “I also like the opportunities it gives you for a cadet-led corps versus completely being led by instructors.”
She has found similar characteristics with Berkeley Middle College, crediting the program for allowing students to take ownership of their school work and gain time management skills.
“It is a great way for me to get ahead,” McColl said.
Cane Bay High’s AFRJOTC students had a very active school year through volunteering and community service efforts. Color Guard students honored veterans on Veterans Day, and did more community clean-ups via the Adopt-A-Highway program than in previous years. Students also participated in a Bataan Memorial Death March; students raised more than $1,000 for Wounded Warriors through those efforts – and the hike was mapped out entirely by students, starting at Cane Bay High and weaving through the Cane Bay community.
McColl said she is considering a career in the U.S. Air Force but is unsure of her immediate plans after high school. She wants to pursue ROTC at a collegiate level if possible.
McColl added that AFJROTC provides great opportunities for students to grow and excel during their time in high school.
“It’s a very rewarding program if you put the effort in,” she said. “It gives you lots of opportunities for leadership if you work toward it, and it looks really good if you’re going to college – even if you’re not going into the military.”
McColl is the daughter of Yumi and Robert McColl. The family resides in Summerville.