A new era is unfolding in Eleanor Roosevelt High School’s JROTC program with the arrival of Master Sergeant Johanna Ackerberg. Taking over after the retirement of the well known Chief Hollis, Ackerberg brings over 20 years of experience and a calm, professional energy to the classroom. While some cadets say her style feels different– more relaxed and less personal than Hollis’s stricter, family-like approach– many are already noticing her positive impact and fresh perspective on leadership and discipline.
Master Sergeant Johanna Ackerberg joined ERHS’s JROTC program after serving two decades as a Mental Health Technician in the military. Looking for a new challenge, she shadowed the JROTC program at Charles Herbert Flowers High School while on active duty and was inspired by the instructors’ dedication to shaping their students into community leaders. “I was so impressed with the instructors and the community leaders they brought out of their students. I wanted to be part of something great like that,” she said. Ackerberg felt that Eleanor Roosevelt would be the perfect place to continue that same mission—to help students develop the skills to thrive in society and become strong, capable leaders.
Originally from Las Vegas, Ackerberg describes herself as “a gypsy at heart,” having been stationed in Nebraska, Hawaii, Virginia, and Maryland throughout her career. This is her first official instructor position after shadowing at Flowers High School for four months. As she begins her first year teaching, Ackerberg has ambitious goals for the program: she hopes to get cadets more involved in competitions, raise the unit’s visibility within the school, and “really represent the program” while helping students build discipline and self-confidence. “Being an instructor means getting the opportunity to be a mentor, support, and teacher to students,” she explained. “I don’t think my role is limited to the students in my class—I want to be a positive role model and someone students can go to when they need support.”
Starting his second year with the MD-901 JROTC unit, Major Roy Cruz has nothing but praise for the program’s newest instructor, Master Sergeant Ackerberg. He describes working with her as “a breath of fresh air,” explaining that her “new ideas and perspectives have already paid dividends within the unit.” While the retirement of Chief Hollis, the former Aerospace Instructor, left a major gap– “his loss was felt immediately,” Cruz said– he emphasizes that Ackerberg “hit the ground running” and quickly became an asset to the program. “She has already made huge gains in our program by ensuring we show our cadets what right looks like in terms of procedures and training.”
Major Cruz highlighted the personal impact she has on cadets, praising her professionalism and leadership style. “Master Sergeant Ackerberg embodies the highest standards in terms of professionalism, dress and appearance, and exceeding standards. She’s teaching four full classes of first-year cadets, and I can already see these new cadets emulating each of these things.” With her mental health background, he added, she brings an invaluable perspective on resiliency and well-being that will continue strengthening the unit.
Senior Mikayla Franklin shared her thoughts on how her JROTC instructors run things. She said Master Sergeant Ackerberg has more of a “calm vibe,” adding, “she lets you slide with certain stuff. She’s still strict, but overall she’s got a nice vibe.” Franklin compared that to the last Chief, who she felt closer to. “The last Chief was definitely stricter and more stern, but he treated us like we were his kids. I feel like I had more of a bond with him,” she explained. She admitted she doesn’t know the new instructor very well yet, saying, “She feels more like an instructor just doing her job instead of treating us like people,” Still, Franklin summed up both leaders the same way: “strict, cool, and kind-hearted.”
As the program adjusts to this new chapter, Master Sergeant Ackerberg’s leadership and experience promise to carry Eleanor Roosevelt’s JROTC unit into a successful and inspiring future.
