Air Traffic Controlman 1st Class (AW/SW) Leonor E. Ortegacruz of Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NAS JRB) New Orleans was named Navy Region Southeast (NRSE) Sailor of the Year for 2015 during a ceremony on board NAS Jacksonville Dec. 3.

Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville hosted the ceremony at the conclusion of NRSE Sailor of the Year Week, where the top five finalists selected from the region's 18 installations competed for the honor.

The finalists participated in a series of recreational activities, including a visit to Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans' Nursing Home, St. Augustine, Florida; a tour of the Jacksonville Jaguars' EverBank Field; and a visit to Jacksonville's Lone Sailor Memorial. The final day included an oral board with various Southeast installations' command master chiefs.

"Our five Sailor of the Year finalists were selected from an extremely talented group of Sailors ... across the region," said NRSE Command Master Chief Michael Jackson.

According to NAS JRB New Orleans Command Master Chief Chad Helms, Ortegacruz is very worthy of the award, but the other competitors were equally deserving.

"I'm super excited because the competition was so great," said Helms. "The bases really brought their best forward. It was evident not only in their packages, but also at their oral boards. These Sailors came to compete."

Ortegacruz expressed appreciation for the time at NRSE and the ability to bond with fellow first classes.

"Meeting the other Sailors and forging friendships with them was probably the most rewarding part of the experience," Ortegacruz said. "We are all in different ratings, but we all have something in common. We all have the same wants and the same goals -- to better ourselves."

Each of the finalists was accompanied by his or her command master chief. According to McLawrence, the time spent with these senior leaders was a highlight of the competition.

"We discussed leadership and guidance," McLawrence said. "Hearing the different takes on leadership from master chiefs and senior chiefs was very rewarding, and something I will take back with me."

While the board could only select one Sailor of the Year, all of the candidates should be extremely proud to have made it as far as they did, according to Jackson.

"It is truly a great accomplishment," he said. "The competition was fierce."

Ortegacruz will go on to compete against Sailors from other regions for the honor of Commander, Naval Installations Command Sailor of the Year. The selectee from that competition will go on to compete for Chief of Naval Operations Sailor of the Year.

Along with Ortegacruz, the top five included Gunner's Mate 1st Class (SW/EXW) Joseph Blacka, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, Air Traffic Controller 1st Class (AW/SW) Ayanna Gregg, NAS Jacksonville, Aviation Machinist's Mate 1st Class (AW) Theophilus McLawrence Jr., NAS JRB Sam Houston - Fort Worth, Texas, and Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) (AW/SW) Marlon Squires, NAS Whiting Field, Florida.

For more news from Commander, Navy Region Southeast, visit www.navy.mil/.