Education Matters | Sarasota Military Academy: Developing the Leaders of Tomorrow

By Christy Pessemier | July 2023

Stepping onto the campus as a Sarasota Military Academy (SMA) class of 2013 graduate, Jessiah Straw’s heart swelled with memories of pressed uniforms, early morning formations, and the camaraderie shared among his fellow cadets. 

Reflecting on his time at SMA, Straw remembers his thoughts and expectations when he first began as a student at the school.

“By the end of my freshman year, I will have overcome my hesitation for public speaking, practiced conflict resolution, learned the basics of first aid, and built disciplined habits for attention to detail and the pursuit of excellence that will serve me for life.”

“By the time I finish my junior year, I will have more practical leadership, team building, and project management experience than many of my peers at other schools will have over the first 10 years of their careers.”

“When I finally graduate from the Academy four years after that first day in formation, I will feel a great sense of accomplishment for the transformation I have undergone as a cadet, and I will also feel a great sense of loss for leaving behind an organization that empowered me along the way.”

Expectations achieved!

Sarasota Military Academy’s unique environment provides a value-rich education and strong character development that focuses on college and career preparation. SMA instills leadership skills and fosters personal growth, enabling each cadet to excel and make positive contributions to society. 

“Our mission at Sarasota Military Academy is to provide a safe and structured environment where every student is a cadet and every cadet is a leader,” said SMA-COL Christina Bowman. 

“Through our JROTC program (Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corp.) and the cultivation of values-based leadership skills, we empower our cadets to become leaders in their own right and equip them with the tools necessary for future success,” said Bowman.

SMA is a public charter school serving grades six through twelve on two campuses. Now, with a waiting list for its middle and high schools, SMA attendance is in high demand. Parents are seeing how SMA provides students a quality education paired with structure focusing on Army core values, and they want that for their children. The demand is coming both from established local families, and new families moving into the area from out-of-state.

SMA-COL Christina Bowman, who serves as Head of High School and CEO, knew that accepting a position at the academy in 2009 was the right decision. She loves that a student will often see her at the beginning of the day and beat her to the punch to wish her good morning. 

“The values, the structure that it provides to the students, it’s small and very family-oriented,” she said. “Seeing how respectful the students were, the ‘yes ma’am,’ ‘no ma’am,’ ‘please,’ and ‘thank you,’ I knew it was right for me and I never looked back.”

SMA is regularly involved with outreach as good citizenship is part of character development. This includes partnerships throughout the community that add value to the experiences and education the cadets receive. Selfless Service is instilled from day one and the cadets learn how to make an impact in their local area and beyond. Some examples are SMA’s partnership with Newtown Connection for mentorship and tutoring of younger students at the Boys and Girls Club of Newtown. 

Other values such as respect, honor and integrity are also included in character building of cadets. These character traits are often rewarded with great opportunities in the community. It’s no wonder Bowman says that Publix calls the administration to tell them they’re hiring locally. 

“They like that our cadets will have an intelligent conversation with adults,” she said. “They’ll look you in the eye and shake your hand. These are the soft skills we teach and that’s the expectation we have.”

Though it’s common for some to assume that as a military school, SMA is a reform school, these misconceptions are quickly disproved. SMA can only provide a structured and nurturing environment within a small class size. At times, that becomes the remedy in resolving challenges students may have had at other schools. There are many stories of cadets who are now successful and happy, yet they started out not wanting to attend the school initially. Being in SMA’s structured environment allowed them to thrive. 

Another misconception is that a large percentage of graduates at SMA end up going into the military. While they do have a strong military emphasis, SMA’s main focus is developing leaders who will make the world a better place and be successful after graduation. These opportunities often include continuing ROTC through Service Academies, paying for college through ROTC scholarships, getting college acceptances in and out of state, enrolling and gaining certifications and diplomas in trade schools, and joining the workforce through a career in the local community.  

Still, Bowman says about 20% to 23% end up enlisting in the military on their own motivation. For 2023 graduates, two were accepted to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Another two were accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy, one to the U.S. Naval Academy Prep School, and another to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. 

In addition, $2.5 million in scholarships were awarded for the 2023 small class of 149 cadets, including 8 ROTC scholarships. SMA cadets were also commended for their commitment to community service with over 14,000 hours, averaging about 100 hours per cadet. 

Currently SMA’s graduation rate is about 95%, while the national average varies from 84% to 87%. 

Bowman emphasizes that they don’t use the word “discipline” to describe the school but prefer to use the word “structure” because it reflects what daily life is like at SMA. This structure provides a positive and predictable environment where both students and staff know what to expect, and what’s expected of them. 

It’s something Bowman appreciates herself.

She loves the mornings at SMA, starting her day with a cup of coffee, checking her emails, and then with the cadets leading in formation. The uniforms are inspected, and the flag is ready for the pledge, and after a moment of silence, “the head and the heart are ready for the day,” she says. 

“You have a battalion, and you have the leaders in charge of those companies, and they are leading to make sure everything is in place.”

Most high school JROTC programs only have one battalion, while SMA has an entire regiment, with five battalions, which is also unique. 

Bowman says they plan to grow the campus to 700 students, but they don’t want to get too large. The smaller class size and building capacity fosters better learning and that family-feel everyone at the school appreciates.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Sarasota Military Academy, visit sarasotamilitaryacademy.org.