Photo By Lance Cpl. Javarre Glanton | A Ridgeland High School student (left) speaks with combat videographers Lance Cpl....... read more read more
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MCRD PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- Seven Marines from Headquarters and Service Battalion aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, who work in a variety of occupational fields, paid a visit to Ridgeland High School for a military-focused career day May 3.
The visit was intended to expose the students to options in the military by answering their questions in front of handmade displays. It was the first military career day the school had ever hosted.
“We want the kids to realize they’re going to need to choose a career after graduation,” explained Cynthia Hasty, career development facilitator. “It was a salute to the military, because when you tell kids about the military all they know is what they see on TV – just the fighting and war. This was to show them there is a lot more to the armed services than that.”
The 526 students gathered in the campus gymnasium and went around a horseshoe-shaped setup of display tables. The presenters were mostly military personnel, including Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen. Deputies from the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department also attended.
“It turned out well,” Hasty said. “As long as the students get the opportunity to be exposed to a different career, I achieved my goal.”
The purpose of having Marines with different military occupational specialties present was to open the students’ eyes to a plethora of jobs within the Marine Corps.
The handful of students who had an interest in the Marine Corps received a hearty helping of information directly from the active-duty Marines who attended.
“I only spoke with two kids who were interested,” said Cpl. Brian Nichols, combat camera video chief. He said that although few students showed an interest in the Marine Corps, the organization thrives on the few.
“It doesn’t matter if I talk to 1000 kids and 999 of them aren’t interested. If I can connect with one kid and give him the opportunity to have some of the experiences I’ve had while serving, then my time wasn’t wasted,” Nichols said.
Nichols said the challenging nature of service as a Marine makes some people hesitant to join, but it also gives the Corps an elite reputation.
“The military is not for everyone, and the Marine Corps especially isn’t,” he explained. “We are the best at what we do – which is win battles in combat. Because of that, our standards are high. That’s not to say anything against our sister services. It’s just that we expect a lot, we demand a lot and not everyone is up to that call.
“That’s what draws the types of people who do join the Marine Corps,” he said. Nichols did speak with one student who had military ambitions and a sense of dedication that impressed him.
“One young man was in the [Junior] ROTC program. He goes to a private school and goes to that school specifically for the JROTC program. I told him about my experiences and gave him an idea of what to expect at Parris Island, [Marine Combat Training] and then on to his [Military Occupational Specialty] school.”
Service members from other branches also shared their experiences with the high-school students, giving them a well-rounded perspective of the military.
“What I tell students is that my job is marketable if they decide to get out,” said Army Pfc. Emily Knitter, a public affairs specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. “It’s something they can take with them, and that’s what these kids need to see.”
Knitter told students how service can help them expand their skill sets not only through the education, but through the experience.
“Being there and letting them know they do have options, they don’t just have to be infantry, may get them to give enlisting a little more thought.
“A lot of the kids seemed shocked you could be in the Army and take pictures, or be in the medical field, or work in the intelligence field and track insurgents. Hopefully now they see the Army has the potential to be a lot more than holding a gun and wearing a uniform,” Knitter said.
Knitter said the students seemed interested in learning more about jobs available to them in the military, and she said everyone had fun at the event – including the presenters.
As for the students, military career day may have planted within them a seed of interest in becoming part of something larger than themselves.
| Date Taken: | 05.13.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 05.13.2011 16:52 |
| Story ID: | 70340 |
| Location: | PARRIS ISLAND, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 63 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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