At the age of 17—when most teenagers are simply attending school—Riddhi Chauhan, a New York resident of Indian origin, is leading 300 cadets as a Battalion Commander in the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC). This is the highest rank a student can achieve in the program. Riddhi is a student at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Queens.
Who is Riddhi Chauhan?
Riddhi Chauhan’s parents are Ruchika and Dilip Chauhan. Her family originally hails from Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, though she now lives in New York with her parents. Her sister, Kahini Gupta Chauhan, works in the medical profession. Riddhi is currently preparing to attend the Naval Academy Preparatory School, a crucial step toward entering the United States Naval Academy.
What is the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC)?
The NJROTC is a leadership program supported by the US Navy and conducted in high schools across the United States. The program focuses on discipline, teamwork, and character building. Riddhi participated in the program to find a meaningful way to contribute to her school and to hone her leadership skills. This experience will help her realize her dream of becoming a naval officer.
Roles Riddhi Chauhan has held in the NJROTC
To reach the high rank of Battalion Commander in the NJROTC, Riddhi fulfilled key responsibilities in roles such as Academic Commander, STEM Commander, Platoon Leader, and Inspection Commander. As Academic Commander, she successfully led her school team to the second round of the ‘Leadership and Academic Bowl’ for two consecutive years and secured the top spot in the National Academic Exam. Riddhi has also overseen the construction of a ‘Sea-Perch’ underwater robot.
Serving as a STEM Commander, Riddhi Chauhan led a team of cadets and oversaw the construction of the unit’s first ‘Sea-Perch’ underwater robot from scratch. In this role, she guided over 200 fellow cadets, representing a significant portion of her battalion. Prior to this, there had been major news from the US regarding the achievements of individuals of Indian origin, when six members of Indian descent were sworn into the US House of Representatives.
