Pilot Point ISD’s joint signing day saw 18 students with plans for their futures prepare to take the next step in several different directions.
Propelled by their athletic acumen, artistic skill, passion for problem solving or willingness to serve, the students made a variety of choices for lives after high school.
“Instead of having them spread out during the year, we like to put them together,” athletic director Chad Worrell said. “It’s more of a time for our kids to come out, see what our seniors are doing and inspire some of our younger kids to see there’s more options out there than athletic scholarships. There are paths to give everyone different opportunities.”
Ten of the students signing on Tuesday found military service to be the path right for them with the majority signing on for the flexibility of the National Guard.
“I’ll have civilian time, be able to strength train, mentally get better, and the financial aid will help me get set up for life with the National Guard,” Keegan Dewitt said. “I’ll have time to help the country but also help my family and set up for my future. I like not being committed to just one duty at a time.”
Each mentioned the fact it’s a less all-encompassing commitment.
“I chose it for personal reasons and also because I want to try something different,” Yesenia Hernandez said. “You never get this experience but with them. I am a very active person and want to continue that in my life, so I chose the National Guard to keep myself active and help people in need. I want to give this a try, and if it’s not for me, I’ll try something different.”
The fact that, following training, the guard allows service members to continue their education at the collegiate level stood out to two.
“It was a no brainer to go for the benefits and still have my civilian life to pursue engineering,” Dalton Hodge said. “I want to go to college after I complete training. It is very flexible and stands out above things like the reserve or active duty. A lot of us are doing that and made respect to them. I’m just a little more focused on my civilian life.”
One student hopes to use the guard, and its benefits, to help propel her through med school.
“All the benefits are really great—the money for college and really good programs for med school,” Minka Huss said. “I want to go to college, and after college, I want to go to med school. I’ll be in the National Guard for a year or half a year and then still be working for the National Guard but just once a month and two weeks in the summer.”
Several credited a particularly convicting recruiter with their decision.
“When Sgt. Hawks was doing his presentation, it really interested me in going because I saw the ways it could benefit my life in the future,” Pablo Medrano said. “I was already thinking about joining some branch but didn’t really want to leave for four years straight, so when he explained I wouldn’t be gone forever, I could be doing service and be going to college or working, that’s why I chose it.”
The rescue services aspect set the guard apart from other branches as well.
“I was at a hard time in my life, had a bunch of different paths I wanted to go down,” Xavier Raines said “I decided on the military route and was trying to choose a branch. I was talking to the Marines for a while, but then when Sgt. Hawk came in and told me some stories [about rescues], it got my attention.”
The desire for flexibility was absent in the two young men who chose the marines. It was replaced with a desire for the challenge the Corps promises.
“I wanted a challenge,” Juan Mendoza said. “I wanted something that was going to secure my future and to be something better than just myself. It's harder, some people don’t like it, but nothing in life is easy, so you might as well do the hard things.”
That desire to be pushed even outweighed a legacy pick for one.
“For a while, I’ve been wanting to go,” Alex Salazar said. “My grandpa was in the Army, but I feel like the Marines are better because they push you harder. I’m looking for that challenge.”
A family legacy in the Army was the deciding factor for the student who chose it.
“It’s a legacy thing,” Thomas Franklin said. “It felt like it was required in my family to do. I have a sense to go see places and do things and be a part of something bigger than me. I want to be able to lay on my death bed and think I was someone important not just to myself but to others.”
Of the 10 who signed on to the armed services, Tristen Cameron was the only student not present on Tuesday, though he’ll join Mendoza and Salazar in the Marines.
Dennis Arnold will attend Texas State Technical College in Waco, where he plans to earn certifications in welding and pipeline.
“The teachers are amazing,” he said. “… They ‘re always there to help, and one cool thing I learned about the school is that the campus is on an old military base, so I’m looking forward to being there with amazing people.
Arnold thanked his mother, his grandparents and his agriculture teacher Bailee Greiner.
Aiden Wall will attend the University of Texas at Dallas, where he will receive a scholarship from UTD for academic excellence.
Wall plans to study animation and games, with the hopes of becoming a videogame developer.
“Video games are one of the best ways you can create worlds and tell stories,” he said. “The interactivity brings something no other form of media can, and I want to be a part of that.”
Wall thanked his father Jeremiah Wall for keeping him motivated.
Kaylen Stewart will attend Texas Tech University in Lubbock, where she will receive multiple scholarships and join the Goin’ Band from Raiderland.
Stewart plans to study music education with the hope of one day becoming a band director.
“When I did my audition for their music school, I really liked how they made me feel welcome,” she said. “One of the directors walked me to and from the audition room, which I usually don’t have happen when I audition.”
Stewart thanked her parents and Pilot Point ISD band director Daniel Balkema and assistant director Brenna Gournay.
Marshall Hennigar will attend Montanna State University in Bozeman, Montanna, where he will multiple academic scholarships and join the Bobcats’ “Spirit of the West” Marching Band.
Hennigar plans to major in fish and wildlife ecology with the hope to become a forestry technician or natural resource manager.
“I’m most excited about the research opportunities,” he said. “They have both Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, and they ‘re one of the top research programs in the U.S.”
Hennigar thanked his parents and teachers for supporting him.
Dylan Hamblin will be attending Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, where he will receive a partial academic scholarship and join the Warriors’ football program.
“I got to meet the coaching staff when I went there for a visit, and I really like Coach [Russ] Phillips,” he said. “… The campus is also pretty cool because it’s a small town, but its only 10-15 minutes away from a bigger town and there are three colleges there, so I know it’s going to be fun.”
Hamblin plans to earn a degree in business with the goal of one day starting his own business or becoming a part of his family’s aerospace and defense manufacturing company, ZT Precision.
Hamblin thanked God, his family, his coaches and his teammates.
Cara Christensen will attend Texas A&M University in College Station, where she will receive an athletic scholarship as one of the newest members of the Aggies’ equestrian team.
Christensen said she plans to major in business but hasn’t decided her future career plans.
“I’m looking forward to being part of the team,” she said. “It's a big opportunity. The campus is beautiful, and their equestrian center is one of the best in Texas.”
Christensen thanked her parents, her friends and Pilot Point alum and current Aggie, Millie Landon for supporting her. Bennett Cory will attend Dallas Baptist University, where he will join the Patriots’ track and field program.
“I’m excited to train with guys that are faster than me,” he said. “The school also gives me the opportunity to grow in my faith while pursuing my education.”
Cory said he plans to study medicine with the hope of one day becoming an emergency cardiology specialist.
Cory thanked God, his parents, hist teammates, and Pilot Point coaches— Jeff Price, Tyler Lawson and Grady McCrea.
Avery Davenport will attend Stephen F. Austin University, where she will be receiving an athletic scholarship as one of the newest members of the Lumberjacks’ cheerleading program.
“I’m really excited to make new friends, hangout with my teammates and spend a lot of time in the gym,” she said.
Davenport plans to study kinesiology with the hope of one day becoming a physical therapist.
Davenport thanked her mother for pushing her and not letting her give up.
