Steele Chapter Honors Space Force JROTC Cadet of the Year

AFA’s D.W. Steele Sr. Chapter in Northern Virginia continued its long-standing support of cadet development by awarding Cadet Lt. Col. Giselle Terrazas with the Space Force JROTC Cadet of the Year award at the Arlington Career Center on May 12, 2026.

Mike Maxwell, AFA Virginia State President, represented the chapter during the ceremony and presented Terrazas with the medal, certificates of achievement, and a cash award.

“It’s always a great honor to present AFA’s Cadet of the Year Award,” said Maxwell. “This year’s recipient, Cadet Terrazas, demonstrated stellar leadership and outstanding achievement throughout the year. The Arlington Career Center continues to be an exceptional partner with AFA, and we look forward to continuing that relationship well into the future.”

Col. Scott Dierlam, USAF (Ret.), a Senior Aerospace Science Instructor, said the competition for the award is always highly competitive within the squadron.

“Our winner, Cadet Lt. Col. Terrazas, excelled as VA-821’s squadron commander,” Dierlam said. “Her leadership was instrumental as the unit scored a 100% on the unit self-inspection, earned the Distinguished Unit Award, and led the Inspection Team at the Virginia State Drill Meet.”

Following graduation in 2027, Terrazas plans to attend Virginia Tech, participate in Air Force ROTC through the Corps of Cadets, and major in computer science.

The AFA Cadet of the Year Award is the highest honor presented to a JROTC cadet. During the past two months, Steele Chapter leaders attended five Civil Air Patrol and JROTC ceremonies across Northern Virginia to recognize outstanding cadets with certificates and cash awards.

Dierlam also reflected on why he and Master Sgt. Victor Jude, an assistant JROTC instructor, continue serving as instructors following their Air Force careers.

“Teaching Space Force JROTC is incredibly rewarding,” Dierlam said. “In a short amount of time, you are often able to see tremendous growth in the cadets. Their desire to serve their community is very motivating, and it is easy to come to work each day when you have students so eager to learn and become the best versions of themselves.”

The Steele Chapter has long partnered with the Arlington Career Center squadron, supporting drill meet participation, CyberPatriot and StellarXplorers teams, Honor Guard activities, and cadet attendance at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference. Arlington Career Center is home to one of only 10 Space Force JROTC units in the nation.