Photo By Peter Chang | Maria Hoyt, a soldier in the Washington Army National Guard poses in her gown and...... read more read more
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In brief conversations with Maria Hoyt, you can tell she has a goal and mission in life and she plans to find a way to accomplish it.
“I was a student in the running start program,” said Hoyt. “I knew that I could get two years of college paid for through the program right away.”
The Running Start program provides 11th and 12th grade students the option of attending certain institutions of higher education and simultaneously earning both high school and college credits.
“I was able to graduate high school and earn my associate’s degree at the same time and mature faster than many of my peers,” said Hoyt, who graduated with degrees from South Kitsap High School and Olympic College.
While in her last year of running start, Hoyt knew she wanted to continue her educational goals but did not know how she was going to pay for it. After looking through options, talking with peers and adults she found her way to the Washington Army National Guard recruiting office.
“I wanted to leave college with as little debt as possible, and between running start and the National Guard it has made the whole cost very little,” said Hoyt. “I am now enrolled in Washington State University and also am a member of the simultaneous membership program with the Reserve Officer Training Corp.”
If enlisting in the National Guard, attending classes at two schools and being a teenager wasn’t enough, Hoyt decided to throw her name in the ring for the Miss Pierce County competition in February 2020.
“I had been doing pageants since I was 12 and it sounded like a fun thing to do right before leaving for college,” said Hoyt.
Hoyt took the honors of Miss Pierce County in March 2020.
“It has been exciting and such an honor,” said Hoyt.
Her accomplishments came as she managed the COVID-19 pandemic and waited for a date to leave for basic training and advanced individual training. Feeling overwhelmed, Hoyt put on her graduation cap a simple quote, ‘I can and I will,’ to remind herself to take one thing at a time.
“There were so many things going on and I just needed that reminder that I can and will fulfill all the goals I have planned for myself,” said Hoyt. “It was more of a self-reminder, that I can and will accomplish my goals.”
She now has a goal to complete her bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting and earn her commission as a Military Intelligence officer.
Ultimately, she hopes to educate future high school students on personal financial readiness.
“I would like to see this be a requirement for all high school students,” Hoyt said. “Currently personal financial readiness is a requirement in just seventeen states and Washington isn’t on that list. When you leave high school you are impacted by all these really adult decisions that you’re not informed on, so I want to see that as part of my social impact initiative.”
| Date Taken: | 05.13.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 05.13.2021 15:37 |
| Story ID: | 396319 |
| Location: | CAMP MURRAY, WASHINGTON, US |
| Hometown: | PORT ORCHARD, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 747 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, National Guard soldier strives to reach goals while serving in uniform and as Miss Pierce County, by Joseph Siemandel, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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