As the Manhattan High School class of 2025 is preparing to graduate and begin their new chapter, a group of a couple of seniors are choosing a different way. These aren’t just going to graduate but they are stepping up to join the military. 

Whether it’s the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or even Coast Guard, each branch represents a big commitment. For the seniors that are going it means it’s a really big commitment, which means early mornings, intense training and a feeling of purpose. Some students are following their footsteps of their family members who have served, while other students are the first in their families to serve. No matter the different reasons, the decisions come from being brave and honorable.

“I have been inspired by my dad. He was in the National Guard when he was in college and he really pushed me towards the military and finding something that will suit me,” senior Soleil Disney said.

Students who are entering the military spend more of their last year balancing typical pressures of high school with preparing for their life in a uniform, from having to train their body and having recruiting meetings to having to say some difficult goodbye to family. 

“First training I will have to do a week before I start college and I’ll do a boot camp-type thing where I get to learn how to do everything,” senior Marlena Lewison said. 

To have the strength for this big commitment after graduating, these students will carry everything they have learned throughout the years of high school friendships, values and memories. 

“Be physically ready,” senior Carizma Ramos said, “and don’t be scared to choose whatever job you want because I chose a job that is mostly men.”