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TOP STORY OF THE DAY - From Knights to Marines: Recent Northview graduates trade in caps for helmets
For as long as they can remember, joining the military after high school was the route Keegan Allender, Tyler Lee and Kaden Stewart wanted to take.
And the week before Christmas, the trio took major steps towards accomplishing their goals as they walked out of Northview High School for the final time as students – all three graduated one semester early – to pursue their dreams of serving their country as members of United States Marines Corps.
All three recently had a going away party, with food and drinks being donated by the Brazil McDonald’s, which is a favorite of Allender, Lee and Stewart, and will be heading to basic training in the coming days.
Allender and Lee, who will be placed in the same bootcamp, said they have been training for the last several months to be ready for the rigorous workouts and mental tests that will be coming their way and are excited to get started.
“I’ve gone in every Thursday to speak with my recruiter to make sure I’m prepared for everything that’s about to take place [at bootcamp],” said Lee. “I’ve been staying physically active and mentally preparing myself for what’s coming.”
Stewart will be staying back to continue recovering from tearing the ACL and meniscus in his knee and should be leaving town sometime in the spring. While his former Northview football teammates go through basic training, he’ll be training on his own to make sure he’s in tip-top shape.
“I tore my ACL and meniscus in my first football game this year. I’m hoping to be fully recovered sometime in March,” said Stewart. “I’m not sure exactly when I will be leaving but in the next few months, I will be working on getting fully healthy again.”
Will Stewart have questions for Allender and Lee about their experiences at basic training to help prepare himself for it? Sure, he said. But he also noted that everyone has their own experience, something he is anxious to find out what his will be like.
“I believe everyone has a different experience. My recruiter and other friends who have already gone through bootcamp have given me tips to help me out, but again, I’ll learn some things myself,” he said.
Allender and Lee will be in the same basic training camp, and both acknowledged they’re glad to have a friend and a familiar face to help get them through the process of preparing to become a Marine.
“It’ll be nice to have someone that I know since everyone there comes from different parts of the country and different walks of life,” said Lee. “It’s nice to have someone there.”
All three were members of various athletic teams during their high school careers at Northview, and each of them said being a part of those groups taught them the importance of teamwork and camaraderie, which were instrumental in their growth on and off the playing surface. They believe that will benefit them during basic training and throughout their military careers.
“My football career helped me with my mental toughness and camaraderie. I’ve been taught that no matter what job I have, there will be a team aspect to it. The military is definitely one of those things that relies on teamwork because it can be the difference between life and death,” said Stewart.
“In both of my teams, we had to lean on each other and make sure we counted on someone else. It’s all about teamwork,” Allender said.
By graduating early, the three former Knights will be missing out on different aspects of being a high school student such as prom and playing other sports, but they’re not looking at it that way. Instead, they’re focused on getting a head start to the rest of their lives as they move away from Brazil to help protect the United States of America.
“I feel like I’m getting an early start,” said Lee.
