NPHS seniors take on different pathways in the military
Discipline, courage and strength are just a few of the many required qualities to serve in the military. Whether it is the Navy, Marines or Air Force, NPHS seniors are preparing to serve the nation and make sacrifices along the way.
Hanna Porter, senior, was inspired to join the U.S. Marine Corps because of her physical strength and the feeling of satisfaction that comes along with representing the country. “I’ve always wanted to prove myself […] with achievements, so going through the military and going through boot camp, I would see that as a really good achievement for me,” Porter said.
Though she is aware of the mental barriers she will face while missing her loved ones during training, Porter looks past the temporary struggles and is excited for the lasting impacts of being in the military. “There’s probably going to be days where I want to quit and it’s going to be hard not being able to see my friends and family a lot, but at the end of the day I’m doing it for my future,” Porter said.
Like many, Porter is grateful for the post-service benefits that will financially stabilize her. “The military is going to pay for my education, so I know that I won’t have to fear losing my job or anything. So I’ll have steady pay, job promise, plus I’ll have all the other benefits like house loan benefits and stuff like that,” Porter said.
Similarly, Ryan Heredia, senior, initially looked into recruitment options due to financial advantages that come from serving in the military and decided to join the naval branch. “I needed college to be paid for…So I wanted to take stress off of [my parents] by going to college for free,” Ryan Heredia said.
In addition to gaining new experiences, Ryan Heredia is expecting the responsibilities that come with developing a leadership position in a stressful environment. “I’m gonna face the pressure of setting up everything, since my job is assigning tasks, and I’m gonna have a lot of pressure of seeing who’s [going to] do what,” Ryan Heredia said.
Although Ryan Heredia’s announcement received support from his parents, he also faced some mixed reactions from others. “My cousins didn’t really like the idea, because they’re very anti-government. It made me kind of sad, because I thought that maybe they’ll be supportive, but at the end of the day, you can’t change someone’s mind,” Ryan Heredia said. 
While looking forward to joining the airforce, Samantha Heredia, senior, also acknowledges that she will miss out on experiences with her friends. “[I will miss] just the rush part of college and being able to be with the friends I’ve made throughout my high school career because obviously they’re all going straight into college, so I would be missing just starting the first year, year and a half with them,” Samantha Heredia said.
She looks forward to meeting a variety of people from all backgrounds with the same goal of serving in the air force as her. “[I expect to develop] more people skills and be able to deal with a wide bunch of people because the military is so diverse, and just the ability to speak to people from all walks of life,” Samantha Heredia said.
Despite the fact that joining the military right out of high school can take away from the “normal” college experience, several advocate that the unique lifestyle creates significant benefits and life-long impacts. “I hope to make lasting memories, meet lifelong friends and take advantage of the post-service benefits,” Porter said.
