I have so much respect for those who serve our country. Knowing since high school that I wanted to go to college and become a teacher, I never considered that I would be an appropriate fit for being in the service.

However, my wonderful friend Scarlett manages to both serve and pursue her bachelor's degree at the same time! Amazing right? I was curious about how she does it all, and she graciously allowed me to ask her a few questions. :)

1. Why did you choose the National Guard over other branches?

Scarlett: I picked the National Guard over other branches for a few reasons. The biggest reason is that I wanted to finish school without taking any big break, besides the year I took off to attend basic training and AIT. Another reason is that I wanted to serve my country, but I also wanted to stay at home (I’m very close with my family and definitely was not ready to leave them). I had talked for a long time about joining the active duty Army, but my mother was 100% against it, so when I saw a flyer at school one day for the National Guard, I finally convinced my mom that it was the right choice for me and that she shouldn’t be mad at me.

2. What made you decide to join the service?

S: I decided to join the service following a trip to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. I felt a strong sense of patriotism while I was there and felt that I owed it to my country. I actually do not come from a very military-influenced family, but I do have a few grandparents who served. Also, I am one of eight children, and I did not want my parents to have to pay for my way through college for me, but I did not want to be up to my elbows in debt. That being said, free tuition was definitely a big bonus for me.

3. What is it like to like to balance school/service?

S: Some days are definitely easier than others. For the most part, it is not too hard to balance school and drill. There are the occasions, and it never fails to happen at least once a semester, where I’ll have a big paper due on the same Friday where I’ll have a three-day drill and be forced to skip class because of it. All of my professors have been incredibly understanding thus far though, which definitely helps take off a lot of stress. Thankfully I have early registration, so I can plan ahead to try and avoid having Friday classes.

4: What is the biggest lesson you have learned from serving?

S: Oh wow, that’s a hard one to pinpoint. I would say that I have learned a lot about time management, getting things done in a fast manner but making sure that they’re done correctly. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast; that is something one of my drill sergeants would always say, and it is something that has stuck with me for a few years now. Rushing through something isn’t always the answer. Go slow, take your time, and eventually it’ll be faster than going quick, messing up and then having to correct your mistakes.

5: Do you regret joining/wish you had joined sooner or later?

S: Well, I joined right after I turned 19. I think I joined at the perfect time in my life. I had only finished a year of college. I had grown up a lot in that year though. If I would’ve joined right after high school was over, I do not think that I would have been mentally ready for it and probably would not have made it through basic training. A lot of the people in my basic training company who had a difficult time, mentally, were the 17 and 18-year-olds. If I would have waited any longer, I don’t think I would’ve actually joined.

6: Have you met/known a lot of other people in the service that are also in school?

S: I’ve met about one in each class. I’m sure there are more, but it just never came up in conversation.

7: Has being in the service influenced your education at all?

S: Oh definitely. When I left, I was still a middle childhood education major. While I was in basic training, I realized that there was no way I could teach middle school kids without getting impatient with them; I could hardly help teach friends different things while I was there without getting annoyed. When I got home, I changed my major to criminal justice in hopes that it would line up more with my military career since I am an MP (Military Police).

8. Do you have any recommendations for those who are considering joining the service?

S: Um, make sure that is something that you really want to do. A bunch of the people who dropped out of my basic training company were the ones who realized, after three days, that they did not want to be there anymore and that being in the military was something that they did not want. Also, make sure that you get a MOS (Military Occupational School) that you really love!

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If you are considering serving our wonderful country, I hope that this article can give you some insight. I am forever thankful to all of those that protect us and give their lives in doing so.