17-Year-Old Leads 300 US Navy Cadets Before School, Nears Naval Officer Dream

Riddhi Chauhan, a 17-year-old Indian-American student from Queens, has secured admission to the Naval Academy Preparatory School, taking a step towards becoming a commissioned US Navy officer. As the Battalion Commanding Officer of her school’s NJROTC unit, she leads nearly 300 cadets through drills, training and mentoring activities before classes begin. Her journey includes multiple leadership roles, academic achievements and the development of her unit’s first SeaPerch underwater robot.