The US has a variety of high schools of different kinds. Some of them may seem preferable to those students who wish to devote their lives to military service. One of such educational facilities in Eldorado High School situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Being the home of the Eagles, it has social respect as the city’s premier public high school. One can advise this school for a person that wishes to get a high-quality education or develop a future athletic career. The reason for this is that the school graduates top rated degree recipients as well as college-level athletes. Additionally, the school has a direct connection to the military service as it provides future military specialists of all fields. The fact that ten students of Eldorado High School were recruited by the New Mexico National Guard is proof of the school’s quality of education. The mentioned facts prove that the described school is a prospective educational platform for further success in adult life. This paper aims to present the position of the author as a person that develops the strategies of getting into the National Guard. Being a student, one should consider all possible measures that could increase the chances of having a military career. Thus, the best strategy for becoming a recruit in National Guard is to analyze information about the institution and its graduates. Likewise, it is important to create a list of individual aims that lead the way to the goal. Consequently, the knowledge of school life would ease the process of integration within the school community and eventually lead the way to the National Guard.
Statistics and Demographics
Albuquerque is situated in the southwest of New Mexico. Its total population reached 556,495 in 2013, as indicated by the U.S. Census Bureau (census.gov n.d.). The gender distribution of the population indicates that men comprise 48.6% of the population while women make up 51.4%. The ethnic distribution of the population is mostly Caucasian (42.1%) and Hispanic (46.7%). The ethnic minorities of the region are African American (3.3%), Asian (2.6%), and American Indian (4.6%). The city’s area is 188.8 square miles. Additionally, there are 44,461 functioning businesses as of 2007 (Census.gov n.d.). The unemployment ratio has increased from 3.8% in 2006 to 8% in 2010. 17.9% of the population lives below the poverty line. 7% of populations have a high school education or lower 36% have a high school education, graduates to college comprise 33%, and college graduates or higher make up 24% of the population. The median age is 34.3 years according to a 2009 survey (U.S. Census Bureau n. d.).
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The demographic of Eldorado High School generally follows the average pattern of the city with some variations. For instance, among the 1,882 students enrolled in 2015 52% are male and 48% are female. The ethical representation in the school community, in general, reflects the one of the city. Among the enrolled students, 34% are Hispanic, 54% are Caucasian, 3% are Asian, 2% are Black and 2% are Native American. Additionally, 4% of the students identify themselves as the representatives of two or more races (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Racial representation of the school community (U.S. News n. d.).
Of the 1,882 students enrolled 574 are at the 9th Grade, 493 are at the 10th Grade, 409 are at the 11th Grade, and 406 are at the 12th Grade. Among them, 18% are eligible for the Free Lunch Program, and 3% for the Reduced-Price Lunch Program. 21% of the students are economically disadvantaged (U.S. News n. d.). Moreover, the 815 junior and senior students can apply for the New Mexico Army National Guard.
Infiltrating the Nest of the Eldorado Eagles
The school program has a variety of subjects and activities to keep the students busy with self-development and with the establishment of social connections. Moreover, some of them, mainly the sports-oriented ones, stimulate the spirit of a team and competition. Additionally, being a part of a team, a student-athlete may not only develop one’s physical condition but learn team management and leadership. The coaching and teaching staff has enough skills to enhance and develop the athletic and intellectual potential of the students. That is why Eldorado High School is one of the first educational institutions to consider if a person aspires for a sport and military career. The described social atmosphere enables the newly enrolled students to quickly integrate into the social system of the school. Thus, one has to use this atmosphere to achieve the goal of enlistment in the National Guard.
First, establishing good contact with the coaching and teaching staff is of primary importance. A good coach would always help a student obtain social contact with the other students and teammates. Furthermore, one should introduce oneself to the school’s administration such as Guidance Counselor, Activities Director, and Athletics Director. It is important to establish direct connections with the top management to be aware of the school’s regulations and demands. Additionally, one should consider the educational plans and meet the person that is responsible for the recruitment into the National Guard. Next, it is critical to know that the National Guard has a quota to be sure that there is a real opportunity for enlistment.
There is a presumption that the recruiters would use different methods addressing the students and raising their interest. It is critical to visit and support all of these programs. This is important for showing interest and initiative to the recruiters and to obtain their trust.
On the other hand, one needs to present success in learning and sports in any case. Recruiters tend to visit classes and note those students who perform better than the others or have the initiative for the military service. Moreover, the teachers are aware of the recruiter’s plans. That is why having good contact with teachers is another way to obtain more information about the requirements. Likewise, the recruiter may address the class and propose ways of getting into the National Guard. Thus, one needs to be active in case such activity is happening. It is important to make the recruiter remember success in sports and studies. One may utilize it through the demonstration of the activity and results. Additionally, the recruiters tend to use various methods of obtaining the information such as APPLE-MD forms and so on (Strength Maintenance Training Center 2006). While asking to fill the forms they contact the parents to inform them of the perspectives of the military service. Thus, it is important to notify the parents of the incentives to render them to the recruiter. Such initiative would help him or her to complete the Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP) at the University of New Mexico
Sticking to the described plan of action requires taking a lot of time to communicate with the recruiter, teachers, and parents on the subject. The recruiters may have a tight schedule filling the documents and participating in the social life of the school utilizing the outline in NGR 601-1 (Department of the Army and the Air Force 2006). However, the integration into a zone of trust would foster the desire of the recruiter to consider one’s application form. One should also evaluate the possibility of enrollment in the 4th quarter because the recruiters tend to devote more time than usual. Additionally, a future recruit should leave the recruiter the contact data because they may lose contact with a person when the classes finish. In case the student follows the plan mentioned above, the chances for enlistment to the National Guard increase drastically.
Analyzing the presented information, one concludes that a student needs to develop a plan of action to be enlisted in the National Guard. The utilization of this plan requires the development of social contacts with the school regulators, teachers, recruiters, parents, and other students. This measure is extremely important because a student has to demonstrate his will for military service to the recruiter. The next task is to participate in all activities to make students’ representation remarkable to the recruiter. The last stage is to participate in the programs which are provided by recruiters and to share the personal contact data to boost the chances of enlistment. Consequently, the analyzed set of actions leads to the achievement of the goal.