Lancers prepare for military service

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BEING in the military can seem scary to some people, but at Granger, there are some brave seniors who are currently in Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps or JROTC and plan on joining the military as soon as they graduate.

Seventeen-year old Maria Vargas (12) said the army offers many different opportunities. “I like knowing that I will be able to protect my country and people,” Vargas said. She has had friends and family that have been in the army and have told her how awesome it is. That also got her interested.

Her family and friends said it feels wonderful to know you are not only helping your country, but also other countries, and in the process, you’re meeting new people.

These Granger girls haven’t even graduated yet, and they are ready to protect their country and the people in it. That alone seems hard to do and require courage. To be in JROTC, students have to stay in school and maintain good grades. When applying for JROTC, students don’t need to have good grades, because they help get grades up, but to stay in it, students need to keep grades at passing levels.

The mission of JROTC is “to instill in students in United States secondary educational institutions the values of citizenship, service to the United States, and personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment,” according to Title 10 of the United States Code published on the gop.gov website.

Yecenia Suaste (12) not only has JROTC for first period, but she also has dance for second, which can be a lot to handle for a girl who also has lots of homework to worry about. Suaste became interested in JROTC because she likes a challenge and she enjoys growing with others. “Motivation was key. We cried together and placed together,” she said.

Sharol Brand (12) said encouragement towards JROTC came from her mom and aunt. They both joined JROTC when they were younger, and Brand wanted to follow in their footsteps. Her mother was very proud of her.

All these girls were nervous going into JROTC, but they became strong, independent leaders coming out of it, regardless of all the people that doubted them just because they’re girls.

“Right now, I feel proud that I’ll be serving my country but also showing that just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I can’t be as strong as a man,” Vargas said. “It’s fun and awesome because you get to learn new things and meet new people.”

In JROTC, lots of students enjoy taking leadership positions and putting them into action. They like doing service which not only helps the community, but also them personally by helping them become independent. Suaste’s advice to those interested in joining JROTC in the future is to “be committed if you are willing to take the challenge. Be physically and mentally prepared,” she said.