Multiple LHS students have recently signed with military recruiters and will be going into the various branches once they graduate. Some students plan on graduating early through Op-Grad in order to join the military even sooner.
“The kids that do optional practical training (OPT) grad have the opportunity to finish anytime, at a random time, throughout the year as soon as they finish their coursework,” counselor David Ramsey said. “They have the same opportunities to be able to meet with the military recruiters and they can either go straight to college if they’d like, or they can go straight military.”
Senior student Emily Fry is going into the Navy. Because this branch offers such a wide variety of opportunities, Fry is using the Navy as a way to get a college education and travel around the world.
“I talked to my neighbour,” Fry said. “He’s actually in the Navy, and he said he traveled to places like Hong Kong, Australia, England, and Scotland. I just love traveling so much.”
There are several options for students going into the military. Senior student Hagan Brooks is preparing himself for his future in the Air Force by being a part of the Civil Air Patrol, and by becoming a junior firefighter.
“I’m going into the Air Force to serve my community, state, and nation,” Brooks said. “No one really technically made my decision to join. The Civil Air Patrol kinda helped put me towards that path, but I made the ultimate decision by myself.”
Differentiating determining factors push students into the military, but like senior Austin Page, going into the Navy is a partial family tradition. With the help of his recruiter and his father, Page is studying what he wants to do.
”Most of my family was in the Navy, and also I’ve been looking into it for the past few years,” Page said. “There are a lot of benefits for it, between health care and all the payments that they do, and also it’s a guaranteed paycheck.”
Senior Christian Straus is planning on going into the Naval Academy to play football. Although it is difficult to get into the academy, Straus is hopeful about his future.
“The discipline and everything else that they use to teach the soldiers and make them officers in the military really helps,” said Straus. “I see most likely a promising career afterwards, and a job in the field of criminal justice as well as a good football career.”
