ASVAB Opportunity

Are you interested in learning more about the military and the different careers and opportunities that they can provide for the future?  On the morning of January 29th, students are able to take the ASVAB at TWHS. The ASVAB is a career placement test through the military.  Please understand that taking this test does NOT commit you to joining the military or making the military as your career - it is simply to give you options that could be available to you for the future.  In fact, many students will elect to take the ASVAB to help get additional career insight without planning to go into the military.  If you are interested in taking the ASVAB, please stop to see me and I will get you signed up.  This is a free opportunity.

Military

I spend a lot of time talking on my blog about college related topics because so many of the WKHS seniors will head to college after graduation, but tonight I wanted to pause for a moment and talk about the option of joining the military.

I have always had a great deal of respect for those individuals who decide to serve our country through the military.  If you have every been in my office you have likely seen the framed photos I have displayed from when I went to Parris Island, SC to visit where the US Marine Corps recruits go through boot camp. I know that the military isn't for everyone (I am definitely someone who doesn't have the strength or bravery to be successful in the military), and I think that is also why I have such a high level of respect and appreciation for those who do.  But for those students who feel as if the military is a part of their future career path, I want to remind you that I am also here to support you on that journey.

Just this past week I was talking with a sophomore who said that he wants to join the military after high school and I asked if he knew what job within the military he would want to pursue.  And he was stumped - and he definitely isn't alone in that!  Each branch of the military has their own job codes - for example in the Army and Marines they are called MOS's - Military Occupational Specialty - and in the Air Force they are called AFSC's - Air Force Specialty Codes - but essentially these are a military service members "major" and what their job will involve.  There are hundreds of these codes for the different jobs people can pursue.  I think that is one tihng so many people forget - that joining the military gives you lots of different possibilities of types of jobs that you can be trained to complete while serving in the military and beyond.

If you are interested in joining the military, it is really helpful to talk to the recruiters.  They are the experts whose jobs are to educate you about the options of joining the military.  Now, I will also remind you that they are just one source of information, so if you are unsure, be sure to ask lots of questions and don't feel pressured to make any decisions before you are completely comfortable and ready.  It is the same as with colleges - you don't want to make any rush decisions that you would later regret - so do your research, ask questions, seek input from a range of sources, and then trust yourself as you decide.  If you need support in getting connected with a recruiter for a particular branch you can always look online, but we also have contact information for the recruiters assigned to WKHS and you can find that information in the front of the counseling center and many recruiters will also visit the Commons during lunches to help answer questions for interested students.

While enlisting in the military is the most common avenue of service after high school, there are also other options related to the military such as ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) which is where you go to college, but also participate in the ROTC program so that when you graduate you are also an officer in the military and Service Academies which is where you go to college specifically focused on serving as an officer in your desired branch.  In fact, one recent WKHS graduate, Sean Kim, will be back at Kilbourne tomorrow to share insight and to answer questions from interested students about what it is like for him being at the US Air Force Academy.

The other thing that I think is interesting about the military that I want to make sure you know about is the similarities towards going to college.  Just like when you are applying to college, you have to research the different schools to see what is right for you.  When considering a future in the military, you need to research the different branches and avenues of service to find the best fit.  With college applications you need to take admissions tests.  With the military you have to take the ASVAB which is very similar to the ACT and helps identify various career possibilities depending on your score.  With colleges you have different college specific steps to complete which may also include interviews.  In the military, you will also have additional steps that you need to complete such as passing a physical exam and working with the recruiters to select the job that will be your future path.

Know that the military is a great path for some students and that if you are thinking about this for your future, that I would love to talk to you more about how I can support you as you work to make that goal a reality.

Military Options

Are you interested in learning more about the military and the different careers and opportunities that they can provide for the future?  There are a couple of great opportunities coming up for our students to participate in - both which will be hosted at TWHS. 

A Military Information Night will be held this week on Wednesday, January 15th, at 6:30pm at TWHS and all students and parents are invited to meet with the military recruiters.  The recruiters from all of the different branches who work with our schools will be there to present information about their opportunities and then to meet with you 1:1 after the presentation.

Additionally, on the morning of January 25th, students are able to take the ASVAB - a career placement test through the military.  Please understand that taking this test does NOT commit you to joining the military or making the military as your career - it is simply to give you options that could be available to you for the future.  In fact, many students will elect to take the ASVAB to help get additional career insight without planning to go into the military.  If you are interested in taking the ASVAB, please stop to see me and I will get you signed up.  This is, again, a free opportunity.

Military Options

Are you interested in learning more about the military and the different careers and opportunities that they can provide for the future?  There are a couple of great opportunities coming up for our students to participate in - both which will be hosted at TWHS. 

A Military Information Night will be held tomorrow night, Wednesday, January 16th, at 6:30pm in the TWHS library all students and parents are invited to meet with the military recruiters.  The recruiters from all of the different branches who work with our schools will be there to present information about their opportunities and then to meet with you 1:1 after the presentation.

Additionally, on the morning of January 26th, students are able to take the ASVAB - a career placement test through the military.  Please understand that taking this test does NOT commit you to joining the military or making the military as your career - it is simply to give you options that could be available to you for the future.  In fact, many students will elect to take the ASVAB to help get additional career insight without planning to go into the military.  If you are interested in taking the ASVAB, please stop to see me and I will get you signed up.  This is, again, a free opportunity.

Military Education Night & Reminders

One week from tonight, on Thursday, March 8th at 6:00pm Worthington schools will be hosting a Military Education Night at TWHS.  This is a great opportunity for any WKHS students who might be considering the options available to them in the future connected to the military.  The presentation will begin in the TWHS auditorium as all of the branches of the military will spend a few minutes sharing information about the opportunities available in their area of service and then after the brief presentations, students and parents will have the opportunity to meet at the individual booths of each military representative in the lobby area.

I also wanted to remind you that, in addition to being the Military Education Night, next Thursday is also the final day of the 3rd quarter and therefore it is also the date that all students intending to participate in athletics during the spring must make sure they are passing at least 5 classes.  This is really important because I know that sports are a key component in many of your lives and you have to be eligible in order to be able compete.

If you have any questions about the Military Education Night or finishing the 3rd quarter strong for academics and for eligibility, don't hesitate to let me know.

Happy Veteran's Day

Even though at WKHS we celebrated Veterans Day last week, I wanted to pause today and express my gratitude for all of the men and women who have served our country.  The courage, bravery and sacrifice you and your family members showed are incredible.

My grandfather (pictured) was a WWII veteran.  (He died several years ago.)  His closest friends were also WWII veteran's and sadly there is only one of them left living today.  When I recently attended the funeral for one of my grandfather's friends, I was stunned to realize that he had been a Marine at Iwo Jima and that he was a Purple Heart recipient.  I have literally known this man for my whole life and I knew he was a Marine, but never realized those details.  Following his funeral my mom and I were looking through some of my grandfather's papers and pictures from the war and it is fascinating to read some of what my grandfather was doing and experienced during the war.  My grandfather graduated a semester early from Grandview Heights high school so that he could join the Army and the war.

I will always be grateful for all of our country's American heroes.  Each individual who makes the decision to dedicate part of their lives in service to help protect our country and the freedoms we so often take for granted are heroes and deserve our unwavering gratitude.  To each parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, or friend who has served in the military or are currently a part of our armed forces, THANK YOU!  And to all of my former students who have joined the military, I also want to express my gratitude and reminder to please stay safe.

Happy Memorial Day

I love the quote that "America is only the land of the free because it is the home of the brave." I cannot imagine the courage and conviction it requires for men and women to make the decision to serve in our nation's military. I am incredibly grateful that there are people who are willing to dedicate their lives to protect our country. On Memorial Day, I hope you will join me in thinking not only of those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and for the families they left behind, but also for all who have proudly served to make us the home of the brave. God Bless America and all who have made the choice to serve! 

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow for the final 4-day week of the school year.

Veterans Day

Today, Veterans Day, we remember and honor the men and women who have served the United States in our military to protect our freedom.

As I reflected on how much I appreciate the service, dedication and sacrifice so many men and women have given to our country, I couldn't help but have my mind wander specifically to a few different groups of people. My mind went first to my grandfather and his friends, then I thought of all the Marines that I met while at the Parris Island for the Educator's Conference (what all the pictures and newspaper article in my office are from), and then I couldn't help but think of all of my former students who have served (or are currently serving) in the military.

I'll be honest, there is a part of me that is worried to put up this list because I am scared that I am missing people, but this is the list I could come up with tonight in alphabetical order... Vinnie Aebi, Adam Bardelang, Alex Blake, Josh Burton, Taylor Castelli, Eric Castoe, Austin Clouse, Tom Collier, Drew Cox, Dorothy Dibble, Joda Dotson, Stephen Downard, Michael Frizzi, and Zach Ellifritz.

There are no words to adequately express my gratitude and respect for your courage, strength and dedication to country. To all Veterans, thank you for your service and for those of you still in the military, thank you and please, stay safe!

Also, for those of you who might be thinking that you'd like to find ways to honor our nation's military men and women, I thought this article had some great ideas:

15 great ways for students to support our military

West Point

Consider this your advanced warning, but this post has a LOT of pictures! (I did try to help matters by resizing them all to smaller resolution so hopefully the post won't take forever to load, but if you want to see more of the details that are lost on the web, stop in my office next week when we are back at school and I will be more than happy to show them to you.)

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York.

It is an absolutely GORGEOUS campus and it was a wonderful experience. I am so thankful that I had the chance to visit in person as no pictures can do it justice - including my own. (Not that this is going to stop me from showing you lots of pictures.) If in the future you are ever considering attending the USMA, I strongly encourage you to visit the campus. It is worth it!

For me, the best part of the experience was the interaction I had with the people on campus. This started with Major Will Freds, an Admissions Department Regional Commander for the Great Lakes Region. (I may have messed up his title, but he was very impressive.) Major Freds is also a West Point graduate and has served in a variety of different areas including Kentucky, Germany, and Iraq before returning to West Point in his current admissions department role.

This is a picture of me with Major Freds standing on the balcony of their brand new library overlooking part of campus.

One of the things that I really appreciated from my visit at West Point was the fact that the new "plebe's" or first year cadets are all assigned to an officer to help them with their transition into life at the USMA. The way that I learned about this transition program was as we walked through campus, Major Freds was greeting a variety of different cadets and to several of them he talked about having them up to his house for Easter this weekend.

In keeping with the people I met on campus theme, I also had a chance to briefly visit with Taylor Castelli, a 2007 WKHS Graduate and current West Point Cadet.

The picture on the left is Taylor standing in the Mess Hall. The picture on the right is (obviously) me with Taylor and we are standing in front of their brand new library.

The library is very impressive and was just opened this school year. Below is a picture on one of the floors of the library which shows a back area of books and the front study areas.

Looking out from the library there were some incredible views. The picture above shows a variety of different points of interest. The main large green field is their parade field. This is where the cadets line up and do their parades and the stands that you see would be packed for this type of an event. Then beyond the fields in the background you can see the Hudson River. I learned yesterday that the way the river makes an "S" like curve around the campus is a primary reason why George Washington picked this as the area to build West Point. And, if you look close, you will be able to notice the people on the far right side of the picture - that is part of the USMA Varsity Baseball team - who were preparing for their game. All cadets at West Point are required to participate in athletics on some level - some will play a varsity (Division 1) sport and others will participate in more intramural like levels. In fact, the time that I was able to see Taylor was in between his classes and before his sport. (Taylor told me ahead of time that it was before his wrestling practice, which I found was his way of either not wanting me to worry about him or his best way to describe it without me asking a million questions, but the reality was that he was participating in "Grappling" which is really a more hand to hand combat sport.)

The picture below shows one of the main classroom buildings on campus, but what is deceiving about this picture is that the building is actually 4 stories tall, but it drops down toward the river so you enter on the top floor of the building. And, as you can see, parking is a challenge on their campus (just like every school in the country) and so they use the rooftop of this building for additional parking.)

These next few pictures are inside the classroom building pictured above. The cadets in the halls and then, at the start of class, everyone has disappeared into their classrooms and all that remains in the halls are their coats hanging neatly on the hooks and their bookbags placed on the floor outside of their classroom.

This next picture shows the actual size of the classes at West Point - an average of 17 students! It was definitely a small class setting and it was also interesting to learn that the cadets (and I keep wanting to type "students" or "kids" as I am writing this, but they have earned the title cadets so I am trying to call them by their appropriate title) are given everything that they will need... this includes their uniforms, bedding, computer, etc. And, I also learned that everything has it's place and is supposed to be in a particular area within their room.

The teachers are a combination of civilian professors or military officers. The cadets in this class were taking a quiz and their professor was walking around in the hallway instead of being in the classroom with the kids because of the Honor Code that all the cadets are required to follow and is prominently placed in the middle of campus (as seen below).
The main walkway areas on campus give you a feel for the beauty of West Point...

This is one of several of the logos which are in the ground through the middle of the walkway areas. The buildings are all stone as you can see...

And the cadet chapel (right side above and pictures below) was stunning...

(Picture on left is stained glass in chapel. Picture on right is view from cadet chapel looking back down over part of West Point campus.)

The pictures below show some of the barracks (also known to the rest of us as dorms) where the cadets live.

The cadets are all required to eat breakfast and lunch in the Mess Hall and Thursday night dinners. Other nights they have options on when or where they can eat. The Mess Hall looks like something straight out of the Harry Potter movies. It was very impressive. The cadets are required to be in a particular uniform when eating in the mess hall which is part of why they will elect to eat somewhere else for dinner at times.

(Left is entrance to mess hall and below is the main picture into the mess hall followed by a look back at the mess hall with the stained glass window.)

And finally, my "Oh the Places You'll Go Picture" - since yes, I ask you to take a picture somewhere of you on every campus that you visit, here is a picture of me in front of the Admissions Office. :-) And, it was cold here yesterday, so it is no wonder that the USMA uniforms are made of wool! :-) Hope your break is adventerous and informative as my trip to the USMA was and I am hoping for improved weather for the rest of my trip... :-)

A Future Midshipman

It shouldn’t be a surprise to know that I truly care about “my” students and what happens in each of your lives. While you will graduate and move on to new adventures in life, the fact that I believe in you and support you doesn’t stop just because you walk across the stage and receive your diploma.

So, today’s news is not about one of my current kids, but rather a former student. Tom Collier graduated from WKHS last year and is now a student at Miami University. He recently found out that he has received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy! This is a dream come true for Tom and I couldn’t be more excited for him. Tom has demonstrated the commitment, drive, and perseverance to succeed and I am so proud of him. Congratulations Tom!

Introducing Justin...

As you likely recall, two years ago I went on an educator's conference to Parris Island to learn about the Marine Corps. While there I had a chance to meet a few of the young men working to become Marines. Justin Jones was one of those individuals. Justin has been stationed in Hawaii and today I received an e-mail from his mom letting me know that he deployed to Iraq about a month ago and will be there through September or October. While in Iraq it is challenging to deal with feeling homesick so it is helpful to give any glimpses of home. I am going to put together a care package to send to Justin and would love it if you want to jot down a quick note that I can include with the package I send to him. You can drop your note off to me at school and I will be sure it gets mailed to him. Thanks for helping to brighten Justin's day!



(FYI: In the picture above Justin is the Marine on the left closer to me and he is also pictured to the left.)

September 11th

September 11th (2001) was one of those “huge” moments in my life when I realized the world was more dangerous than the little bubble in which I lived and functioned. I will always remember where I was and what was happening as we watched the towers come crashing to the ground. I can’t believe it was 6 years ago – and even more than that – I struggle to think that you were between 8 and 10 years old at the time… (Wow, do I feel old!)

So today, a day of remembrance for those who lost their lives on that tragic filled day, already had special meaning to me – especially every time I saw a flag at half staff. (I feel this is such a powerful display of respect so it always catches my attention.)

Today was also special because one of my former students from last year, Joda Dotson, stopped in to visit. Joda graduated in June and a week later headed off to Marine Corps boot camp. He survived the 13 weeks of intense training and graduated last Friday. He is home on his 10 days of leave and spent a little time at the school today. (As you can see in the picture - he is so skinny - there is barely anything left of him!) I am so proud of him and what he has already accomplished! If you are at the football game on Friday night and see Joda (he plans to attend) be sure to tell him congratulations. For me, his visit felt even more poignant since it fell on September 11th.

After school I took the opportunity to watch a few more sports – JV and Varsity Soccer and Varsity Volleyball. All three teams won which was great! (At least I think JV Soccer won their game – there isn’t a scoreboard and I was late leaving my office to get out to the field for the start of the game, but I only saw Kilbourne score goals…) I really do enjoy having a chance to see you participating in all of the different opportunities that are available at WKHS. It was the perfect way to end the day!

I also wanted to give you a heads up that I will not be in the office tomorrow. We have the annual college articulation meeting (where all of the Ohio colleges – public and private – give us a quick overview on what we need to know to help you with your applications) so I will be off learning all that I can to be as helpful as possible. Hope it is a good day and I will see you on Thursday!

Welcome Home

In order for this picture and story to make sense I need to give you some background so I hope you will bear with me…

About a year and a half ago I was invited to go on an Educator’s Conference to Parris Island which is a location of Marine Corps Boot Camp. Knowing NOTHING about the military I figured it would be a good learning experience. I must admit that I was a little nervous about the trip, but since we didn’t actually have to DO anything while there except for watch and learn, I figured it would be OK. As it turns out, I loved the experience! It was wonderful to meet the recruits (they are called recruits throughout boot camp because they must earn the title Marine) and to see what transpires during the 13 weeks as these young men and women go from Civilian to Recruit to Marine. The Dispatch sent a reporter and photographer on the trip and ran a story on the front page. One of the front page photos was of me shooting an M16. (First time I had EVER held a “gun” or more appropriately “weapon” in my life let alone fired one!) So, needless to say it was a memorable trip and I have lots of pictures in my office if you are ever curious.

I gave you this background because I want to tell you about one of the recruits that I met while at Parris Island. During the trip, they allowed us to eat lunch with the recruits on two different days and it was great to meet these young men. The first day was eating an MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) and that is where I met Alfonso (pictured above). Alfonso helped me and another counselor by preparing our food. (I couldn’t even open the MRE!) We talked the entire lunch break and because I was asking questions he wasn’t able to eat – I didn’t figure out that rule until later and felt awful about him not being able to eat much of his own lunch, but when I informed the Drill Instructor about it, he told me that I just told him about someone who was going to be a great Marine because he put others before himself. Well, Alfonso graduated from boot camp, went on for further military training at the School of Infantry and earlier this year was deployed to Iraq.

Last year when I was meeting with the Juniors and their parents we often discussed community service projects and one of the students mentioned coordinating drives for care packages to send to those serving in Iraq. At that point I didn’t realize that Alfonso was in Iraq, but thought it would be a great volunteer project for me to take on as a way to demonstrate my gratitude for those who serve in our nation’s military (I am far too much of a chicken and a wimp to ever be able to do that!) and also as a way to honor those individuals who I had met at Parris Island. So, I worked with my family and friends to put together care packages and off they went to Iraq. (I received responses from several individuals and will share those with you some other time because they are fascinating.) The week after I mailed a dozen care packages I heard from Alfonso’s dad and learned that he was also in Iraq. Needless to say, another care package was quickly in the mail! Alfonso and I e-mailed routinely during his deployment which was great. (It’s really hard waiting on snail mail back and forth between Iraq!) I knew he would be returning home soon, but wasn’t sure when exactly. I found out today that he has arrived back to North Carolina safe and sound!

Welcome Home Alfonso!

PS – During boot camp they make the recruits wear these really thick glasses that won’t be easily damaged… I’m sure Alfonso would want me to tell you that. LOL!

And finally, a response to the question of when the data in PrepHQ was going to be updated… it should be updated next week. They were waiting to make sure that we have all of the new students that will be coming to Kilbourne before they do the data upload. You can look for that info soon. (Great question by the way!)