A special ceremony was held in Tempe for more than 50 students who are ready to close one chapter of their lives and begin another – serving in the military.
Steven Garcia is a high school senior, ready to report for duty come June 25 in the Marine Corps.
“I just can’t wait,” he said. “I just want school to be over with so I could just go.”
Garcia said he’s been counting down the days to when he starts training.
“They offer a challenge. I love a challenge, but they also have a sense of brotherhood, and everything else I saw fitting for everything else in the military,” he said.
Kylee Golden is also anxious to begin her new path in the Navy come October 5.
“I’ve always wanted to travel. I’m from California, being on the ocean and the ship, I just thought it was the perfect fit,” she said.
She said afterward, she wants to be a sports journalist. As a young woman, she’s ready to blaze her own trail.
“Being able to say, ‘I was in the Navy. I was in the military,’ I think it’ll give me more confidence too,” she said. “I think it’ll be good. I’m ready to stand on my own and say, ‘I can do it too.’”
To the group of brave young men and women preparing to serve and protect the country they love, we salute you and hope you come back home safely.