AUSTIN, Texas — The morning air was crisp as more than 1,200 high school cadets stood at attention on the south steps of the Texas Capitol, a sea of neatly pressed uniforms and youthful faces. The sun rose behind them, casting long shadows across the historic grounds, as the young men and women of the International Leadership of Texas (ILTexas) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) prepared to present the colors.

For these students, leadership is more than a concept—it is a way of life. At ILTexas, every student is immersed in a curriculum built on the United States Marine Corps 14 Leadership Traits and 11 Leadership Principles, which develop an “Others Before Self” mindset. They don’t just learn about leadership in textbooks; they live it through service-learning projects, rigorous leadership training, and the values instilled by their Marine Corps JROTC program - the largest in the nation.

But the mission of ILTexas extends beyond discipline and service. Every student is required to learn English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese — three of the most widely spoken languages in the world. The goal is not just academic excellence but global preparedness.

“We’re training the next generation of leaders — not just for Texas, not just for America, but for the world,” said Superintendent Eddie Conger, a retired Marine Corps Infantry Officer. “Our students are being prepared to bridge diplomatic gaps, to engage with foreign governments, and to lead on an international stage. They are learning that leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about making the world a better place.”

The language training at ILTexas is more than an educational requirement; it is a strategic advantage. As the U.S. faces increasing global challenges, there is a growing need for leaders who can navigate cultural and linguistic divides. These students are being prepared for roles in diplomacy, military service, international business, and government—positions where their ability to communicate across languages and cultures will be invaluable.

ILTexas was born out of Conger’s experience in the Marine Corps and as an educator after he retired from the service. After several years as a teacher and administrator, he applied to the state of Texas to open a public charter school that would focus on preparing students to lead in an ever-connected world. By integrating language instruction from the beginning starting at kindergarten, students finish high school prepared to expand their education and leadership opportunities in international environments.

Military Times spoke with Conger about the mission of ILTexas, how it came into being and what he hopes to accomplish in the future.

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Military Times (MT): What was it that that brought this school about? What made you say “I think there’s a need for this, and here’s how I’d like to go about doing it”?

Eddie Conger (EC): I was in the Marine Corps as an infantry officer from 1981 to 2001. While I was at the Amphibious Warfare School and as a student at the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, there were about 8-12 officers in each cohort and always an international officer who not only spoke their native language but also spoke perfect English. And I’m a Texan, so I’m still learning English.

My last three years in the Marine Corps I was stationed in Okinawa, Japan with my wife and four children. I witnessed first-hand how my own children, by taking an hour of Japanese a day, were able to pick up the Japanese language. But more importantly, what I witnessed in my oldest daughter was that not only could she speak the language but she picked up the culture to the point where when she spoke to older Japanese or adults, even her body language changed to be culturally respectful. I’ve always been fascinated by that.

And then I retired in 2001 and wanted to continue to serve. I became a teacher in a traditional ISD Independent School district here in Texas where I served as a teacher for three years and then as assistant principal at a middle school and high school, and principal of a middle school and high school, and then promoted to lead 13 schools in Dallas.

But I could never get the language component down to the kindergarten level. While I was at Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas, I brought in the Chinese language and a lot of folks were questioning why in the world was I doing that? “You know, the kids can’t even read and write English, and you’re bringing in Chinese.” But the reason obviously to me is that the number one trade partner between Texas and any other country at the time was with China.

They were the largest population in the world and economically they were number two. Anyone who has served anytime in the military, would recognize that they are a strategic competitor. Doesn’t necessarily make them a strategic enemy, but it makes them a strategic competitor. If we’re going to live up to some of the admonitions that we were taught in the military in command and staff college, if we’re reading what Sun Tzu said, we’re much better off if we can win the battle before we ever have to engage on the battlefield. If we know the language and the culture we will be stronger to understand and to resolve issues before they become conflict. And if we can’t then we have done everything possible before we commit to sending men and women into combat.

MT: Given your background and the involvement of the JROTC program, obviously the military piece of this is important to you, but it’s not just military focused, right? The point here is to say, “hey, no matter what field you’re going into, we want to prepare you with these leadership skills and these language skills to be able to work internationally.”

EC: Absolutely. And that is extremely important. Texas A&M University has one of the largest Corps of Cadets in the country, but very few of the Aggies that are in the Corps of Cadets actually serve in the military.

It’s the same thing with our kids within ILTexas. Even though we have one of the highest participation rates — about 28% of our high school students are in our Marine Corps JROTC program, very few of them actually go into the military. However, they will learn invaluable life lessons of leading peers.

MT: What do you see as kind of the next evolution of this school and what you’re trying to do? What you know in the next year or two years, five years, what do you want to accomplish?

EC: Well, we want to continue improving, which every Marine everywhere wants to do. We want to continue improving what we’re doing. We want to continue to support the students as they are going out to college and as they get out into the workforce well beyond college.

We have folks who are working on Capitol Hill that are alumni. We have folks in the State Department that interned there. We had someone that was an intern at the White House. We’ve have two military officers already – Space Command and Navy. We have students at the Air Force Academy, the Naval Academy and many other alumni who are serving in all branches of the military.

But what we hope to do is to be able to have more of an impact here in Texas. We want to be able to keep hiring good teachers. We want to be able to expand the program as long as the state will allow us to expand. We went from zero to 25,000 in 12 years, I wouldn’t object if we were able to be at 50,000 in the next 12 years.

The goal is not necessarily the numbers. The goal is to make sure that we’re making an impact. And that our kids, when they leave us, they truly are living out ‘Others Before Self’ in everything that they do.