CLEVELAND (WJW) — Students in the Junior ROTC program at Lincoln-West School of Science and Health in Cleveland got to honor one of their own Monday, with a surprise that left their instructor speechless.
Cheryl Greene, a retired U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major and now JROTC teacher at Lincoln-West, thought she was simply helping her students with a special Veterans Day charity event.
Instead, she was the one being recognized with a once-in-a-lifetime gift.
Greene received a pair of tickets to the 2026 Super Bowl in San Francisco, complete with round-trip travel and hotel accommodations.
“No words for the feeling, because I’m shaking on the inside,” Greene said after the surprise.
The tickets were provided through the Browns Give Back platform, with the Super Bowl experience made possible by CrossCountry Mortgage.
Greene said she joined the Army following in her father’s footsteps, spent her career serving across the globe, and even made history as the first female Command Sergeant Major of the 13th Sustainment Command.
“When I got out of the Army, I wanted to continue to serve,” she said. “Students need help, and I wanted to keep giving back.”
Lincoln-West currently has more than 50 students enrolled in its Junior ROTC program — a testament, Greene said, to the next generation’s sense of purpose and service.
“It speaks volumes to who they are,” she said. “Their flowers are just starting to bloom, and I can’t wait to see those flowers blossom.”
The surprise was one small way to thank Greene for her years of dedication — both to her country and her community.
“This is just one of the ways we can say thank you for serving our nation — and now our community,” said Natalie Lonjack, with CrossCountry Mortgage.
As for who she’ll take to the big game?
Greene laughed, “I don’t even know yet!”