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On Island Profile: Fernando Webster

May 28, 2007 — Fernando Webster doesn't believe in just paying lip service when it comes to his children — all 103 of them.
The former Veterans Affairs director, known fondly as "Nando," is a mentor to a group of children in his job as a JROTC director/instructor at Central High School.
"Some people say it's about the kids, but they do nothing," Webster says as he waits for his charges to march in a Memorial Day Parade. "I believe I can make an impact on these kids and that's why I'm here. We have 103. I wish I had 150."
Webster, who lives on St. Croix, was a senior Army instructor at Charlotte Amalie High School on St. Thomas after leaving his post with Veterans Affairs in 2002. He later joined Central in 2005, when there was an opening. In that time, he has made the JROTC members a highly visible bunch, though he shies from taking any credit.
Despite his low profile, he embodies the principles that children's advocate Marian Wright Edelman speaks about in her famous quotes: "If we don't stand up for children, then we don't stand for much," and "You really can change the world if you care enough."
Quoting another oft-used phrase — "It takes a village to raise a child" — Webster shares the credit with his assistant, 1st Sgt. Joseph Aimable, whom he says he can always count on to support the charges in their care.
One of those charges, 16-year-old Robert Storms, said Webster is an inspiration to all the JROTC members.
"He is one of the few people to make us work hard towards a good future — both physically and mentally," Storms says. "And, he makes sure I work even harder when it comes to education."
It's Memorial Day, and Storms and others have started gathering at Bassin Triangle just after 7 a.m. to take part in the parade that will work its way to downtown Christiansted. Webster has yet to arrive.
"We all know that he could have gotten a big government job, but he told us a long time ago he wasn't going anywhere," Storms says. "I believed him, because I could see he enjoys doing what he is doing with us."
Webster was one of the St. Croix district chairs of the deJongh-Francis gubernatorial campaign and could easily have accepted a job with Gov. John deJongh Jr or Lt. Gov. Gregory Francis, the two men he supported through a brutal campaign. But said he refused any job offer.
"I am where I want to be — making an impact with these kids," he says.
Romy Garcia, 16, another student working with Webster, speaks mostly Spanish.
"He's a nice teacher," she says in halting English, adding that she can never use the fact that she doesn't understand English entirely as a crutch. "He gets along with everyone." Giggling, she continues, "When I say I don't understand, he can tell me good in Spanish."
Romy's younger brother, 14-year-old Felipe, is also part of the group.
"He's a nice person and he's fun," Felipe says. "He makes us do a lot of community service."
The community-service projects run the gamut, eating into free time and weekends as the students work as escorts during pageants, guide traffic and parking, take part in various military events and perform color-guard duty at official functions.
Webster drives up in his metallic-beige Silverado truck and steps out, singing out a hearty "Good morning!"
The students greet him with a chorus of "Good morning, Major Webster."
The group also has a choir and often gets asked to sing the National and Virgin Islands anthems. Last year, the JROTC members were the largest group marching in downtown Christiansted for World AIDS Day, with Webster walking proudly alongside. Last weekend the group made a formidable presence at the Cancer Relay for Life, camping out overnight at the Educational Complex Field. Webster and some of members were up readying breakfast as early as 6 a.m..
The JROTC kids are like his own, says Webster, who is married to the former Luz Belardo and has four adult children.
"We treat these kids like ours," he says." The more love and care we show for these kids, the more they want to be there for us. Anything we ask them to do, they do."
As if on cue, he stops talking to call out for someone — anyone — to go to his truck.
"Put some water and the Capri Sun (juices) on ice," he says to no one in particular. Storms hops to it.
No one donated the drinks. "Anytime we have a function, we do this," he says, shoving a hand in his pocket. He and Aimable pay for the group's provisions.
"Sometimes they get a meal from the people who request their help, but that's not all the time," Webster says. "We always have a need for donation, because as a result of the many hours of community service, we don't have time to do the fund raisers as we should." He continues, "There's not a week we don't get a request for them to do community service projects and we have yet to refuse a request."
Central High School has the only JROTC program on the island, so the members are in heavy demand. On St. Thomas, where both CAHS and Eudora Kean high schools have JROTC programs, they split community-service projects.
Webster says he hopes to enroll more students in the program at Central, and Principal Gary Malloy has pledged his full support. Some parents frown on the program because they erroneously believe that JROTC is an avenue to their children being shipped off to war, he says.
"Our mission is to motivate young people to be better citizens, and one of the primary purposes is to help students graduate from high school," he says.
The JROTC curriculum offers students workshops in financial management, etiquette, community service, health, nutrition, first aid and history, among others.
"The JROTC curriculum incorporates some basics — things they need to survive in the real world," he says.
Webster, who spent 24 years in the military, says he, too, got his start in JROTC.
"I wouldn't do it any other way," he says. Webster served in the Army for 12 years, then went on to officer school and retired from the V.I. National Guard in 1998 with the rank of major. Most current JROTC enrollees are females, which Webster says comes as no surprise.
"The enrollment projects what is happening at all schools," he says. "The females are staying in school, while the males drop out."
He and Aimable hope to change that.
"Whenever we see young men around on campus, we talk to them, counsel them," he says. "We try to encourage them — even if they're not in the JROTC program — to study and show them how to conduct themselves."
On most days, the JROTC program ends long after school buses have completed their routes, so it is up to him and Aimable to drop the kids off at their front doors.
In fact, Webster outfitted the back of his truck with wooden safari-style benches that he had bolted and shellacked to safely carry students to and from activities.
"I can take 10 to 12 kids at a time," he boasts.
What makes Webster most proud, he says, is that his students beat out nine other schools in Puerto Rico during a recent JROTC competition. They took part in six events and won prizes in four — two first-place trophies in color guard and unarmed drill competitions; a second-place trophy in the squad drill competition and a third-place trophy in the armed drill competition.
"These kids really need to be commended," Webster says "because they worked had and they deserve the recognition."
But his kids believe that Webster and Aimable deserve the commendation.
"When we leave school and do good, we'll have Maj. Webster to thank, and Sgt. Aimable, too, because they care about our education," says Romy Garcia.
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