It’s the end of the year. More specifically, the end of senior year. Most graduating seniors are looking forward to their last summer at home before heading off to college. A summer of fun, friends and looking forward to discovering their future. For one senior, this is not the case.
Shawn Ferguson, senior at Albert Lea High School, made the decision to join the Army National Guard as a part of her plans after high school. On July 11, 2011, Ferguson leaves for Fort Jackson, S.C., where she will complete basic training. Though this will cut her summer nearly in half, Ferguson said her only complaint is the weather.
“It’ll be July in South Carolina,” Ferguson said. “It’s going to be, like, 115 degrees.”
After three months of basic training, Ferguson will go through different training for another three months. Ferguson said before enlisting you choose a job you want to do for the army when you are done with basic training. She decided to train to be an Aviation Operation
Specialist.
“Basically, I will create flight plans for planes,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson didn’t always want to join the army, though. She said her mother is really enthusiastic about the military and brought up talking to a recruiter.
“I think everyone should join the military after high school for at least a year,” Lien said.
Lien said she wanted Ferguson to look into joining the military because of all of the benefits. Not only would Ferguson receive health insurance and more job opportunities, but she would also receive an education. Lien also said she wants Ferguson to have everything she needs to succeed in life.
“The military can give her things I can’t,” Lien said. “Most importantly it’ll give her the education she needs.”
“And of course I’ll get fit,” Ferguson added with a laugh.
Now Ferguson is enthusiastic about being in the army. Lien said she went with Ferguson to see the recruiter, and when they left Ferguson said joining the army was what she wanted to do and it felt right.
“This gives me the chance to go to college and be in the military at the same time,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson not only has the support from her mother but from the rest of her family and friends as well. She said her grandfather was in the Marines and her brother’s father was in the Navy. Her friends support her decision as well, though they did have one request.
“They’re like ‘Don’t go die on me now’ and I’m like, ‘I’m not going to,’” Ferguson said.
With her family and friends behind her and her ambitions to push her, Ferguson will leave for training. It may cut her summer short, but Ferguson said she will get what she wants and needs out of life, making it worth it.
“I’ll have the respect from my family as well as the experience of going through it all,” Ferguson said.