Meet the 17-year-old Indian-American leading 300 US cadets

Dubai: While most teenagers are still getting ready for school, 17-year-old Riddhi Chauhan is already on the drill field, commanding nearly 300 cadets through morning exercises.

The Indian-American student from Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Queens serves as the Battalion Commanding Officer of her school’s Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) unit—the highest student leadership position in the programme.

Now, she has reached another major milestone after securing admission to the Naval Academy Preparatory School, bringing her one step closer to becoming a commissioned officer in the United States Navy.

Riddhi joined the NJROTC programme as a freshman hoping to build confidence and strengthen her leadership skills, according to Indian media reports.

Over the next three years, she steadily rose through the ranks, taking on increasingly demanding responsibilities that transformed her into the leader she is today.

Before becoming Battalion Commanding Officer, she served in several key roles, including Academic Commander, STEM Commander, Platoon Leader and Inspection Commander.

Today, she oversees the day-to-day operations of the battalion, supervises training, mentors junior cadets and helps ensure the smooth functioning of a unit comprising nearly 300 students.

Her day begins long before the first school bell rings. Four mornings each week, she arrives before 7am to lead drill practice, balancing the demands of military-style leadership with her academic studies, India Today said.

Sponsored by the US Navy, the NJROTC programme aims to develop leadership, discipline, teamwork and character among high school students. For Riddhi, it became the foundation of a lifelong ambition to serve in the armed forces.

Riddhi’s rise was built on years of consistent hard work and achievement.

As Academic Commander, she helped lead her school’s team to the second round of the Leadership and Academic Bowl for two consecutive years and played a key role in securing first place in a national academic examination.

As STEM Commander, she led the development of the battalion’s first SeaPerch underwater robot, giving cadets practical experience in robotics, engineering and problem-solving.

Mentoring has also become one of her defining strengths. Over the years, she has guided more than 200 cadets, helping younger students develop confidence, discipline and leadership skills.

For Riddhi, leadership is about far more than rank or authority.

She says her approach has been shaped by the teachings of Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, and her involvement in the organisation’s youth programmes, which emphasise humility, compassion and selfless service.

Those values, she says, helped her navigate demanding leadership roles and challenging training exercises, including Sail Training in Newport, Rhode Island.

Reflecting on her journey, Riddhi says the programme taught her to remain calm under pressure, embrace challenges and consistently step beyond her comfort zone.

Admission to the Naval Academy Preparatory School marks a significant milestone on Riddhi’s path towards the prestigious United States Naval Academy and her ultimate goal of serving as a commissioned officer in the US Navy.

She is the daughter of Ruchika and Dilip Chauhan, whose family traces its roots to Jaipur in Rajasthan before settling in New York. Her sister, Kahini Gupta Chauhan, is pursuing a career in medicine.

At just 17, Riddhi has already led hundreds of cadets, mentored future student leaders and earned a place on one of America’s most respected pathways into military service. For her, the achievement is not the finish line—but the beginning of an even bigger mission.