BHSS graduate Avery Beck is at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado.
Outside the retractable glass separator in the cafeteria lies South’s Times Square filled with college ambassadors, bake sale fundraisers, and occasionally, the pull-up bars from the Marines.
In witnessing students attempt pull-ups in the middle of their lunches, the question arises: does military recruitment at South effectively enlist students?
For senior Johnna Barger, the military was always the plan. As a fifth generation of a military family, Barger plans to join the National Guard and Army as an enduring family tradition and an opportunity to help others. Currently, Barger is taking an EMS course at Hoosier Hills and hopes to serve as a medic or chaplain. Barger’s passions in the medical and spiritual fields directly align with her devotion to contributing to her community.
Similarly, senior Leo Martin sees the military as a chance to serve his country, discover new adventures, and find structure before becoming a pilot. With veteran family members, Martin has always known the benefits of service and wanted to join ever since childhood. Although recruitment has never directly shaped Martin’s plans, he has conversed with the National Guard twice, once at Hoosier Hills where he studies auto-tech and the other at South.
Martin plans to join the Marines and become a Navy SEAL, noting that the heavy combat interests him.
Alumnus Blaise Odeing (Class of ’22) currently attends the Coast Guard Academy and decided to join to find his full potential “physically, academically, and socially…more than [he] would have ever experienced at a civilian college.” Oeding learned more about the Coast Guard while playing for South’s baseball team and competing in the Headfirst Baseball Showcase camp in Long Island, New York, where he met the Coast Guard Academy baseball coach Eric Degre. Oeding had seen recruiters at South, but only from the military.
Alumnus Avery Beck (Class of ‘24) attends the Air Force Academy and experienced similar circumstances. Rather than recruitment, Beck approached a decision due to previous involvement with Bloomington Country Club.
During Beck’s junior year, she hadn’t heard of anyone else applying to service academies and her academic advisor didn’t know much about the application process. Beck noted service academies and enlistment are “not as prevalent, at least at South and most people are applying to civilian colleges.” Additionally, Beck believes that with South’s proximity to IU, many students initially plan on going to a civilian college.
According to counselor Joel McKay, recruiters receive a percentage basis of senior classes and have found that smaller surrounding schools enlist more students than South. “I think Bloomington [has] fewer kids going just to the military right out of high school…I don’t think we’re viewed as a very military-friendly town, which is a shame because the military offers a lot of people tremendous opportunities.”
From scholarships to experience within the military, McKay has seen veteran alumni become better people from discipline and grow in their careers.
An alumnus who was planning to attend medical school, enlisted in the army as a surgeon and performed over 600 surgeries a year beyond his specialization. McKay noted that this alumnus felt like he had become a better surgeon and enjoyed serving his country with the additional benefits his medical school paid for. McKay believes “[t]here’s no better investment you can make.”
Rather than recruitment efforts, it seems that many South students enlist in the military to serve the country, continue traditions, and advance in their careers.
