The Chronicle Features Where Are They Now? By Javier Medina Staff Reporter By Carly Herbert Editor-In-Chief From professional to deeply personal, four military veterans shared their stories with members of the Kettle Run community. The event, which took place on Tuesday, April 2 in the auditorium, was organized by psychology teacher Jessica Nathan Pullen Penn State University Journalism Major KR Class of 2018 What are your favorite classes? “My favorite class is Geology of National Parks Online.” What is your goal after graduation? “I want to either be a beat writer for a DC sport or be a part of a talk show/sports analysis show.” What is your job on the college paper? “I call college coaches all over the country and interview them and write articles about them. I also get to go to games occasionally and write game stories. I got to go to the Big Ten Championship at Notre Dame and the NCAA Tournament Regionals in Allentown, sit in press row during the game, and attend the post-game press conference to get quotes to write an article so that was pretty cool. Murphy. Speakers were Colonel Wayne Murphy, Army; Matthew Dreher, Marines; John Kiecana, Air Force; and Paul Schreifels, National Guard. Chris Murphy, Army, was the moderator. Mrs. Murphy invited psychology, sociology, and sports medicine classes to learn about Post Traumatic Stress Injury. Bill Davidson’s CTE class attended to learn about military technology and engineering opportunities. David Kuzma’s history class attended to hear about how war has changed over the years. “Initially, I was interested in the students developing a greater appreciation of military veterans,” Kuzma said. “I believe the takeaway was how the Veterans stressed how the students should develop plans for their future.” Speakers shared their experiences with being deployed, deciding they wanted to join the military, what they learned while serving, and returning home. Along with stories that carry painful memories, the speakers photo by Shelly Norden Sharing their stories of life in the military, veterans encourage students to make the most out of their futures. shared lighthearted stories of the memories they made with their fellow soldiers. Students were encouraged questions. to ask Senior Gwyn Newcomb asked if being thanked for their service is gratifying or reminds them of negative, traumatic experiences. “I learned we have to be more mindful when thanking people for their service,” Newcomb said. “That instead we could say ‘Thank you for your sacrifice’ and then start an actual conversation with them.” Senior Harper Crater also learned a lot. “The veterans who spoke to us had really interesting perspectives on reentering society after high stress situations and how those experiences affected their mental health,” Crater said. “It was a lot to take in. They were open with us and very blunt about their experiences - there was no sugar coating their traumas. I think my biggest takeaway was the experiences they’ve had, though not entirely bad, have directly impacted them as much as they have my experiences and freedoms as a citizen of the US.” The presentation made senior Drew Nowland consider joining the military. “I’ve always thought about joining the Air Force because that’s what my dad did when he graduated high school,” Nowland said. “But listening to the veterans talk about their experiences, it really is motivating me to join the Air Force. Kids nowadays don’t understand how much their lives people have given of away to serve out country and give us freedom. That’s why we need veterans to come in and talk about what they do to give us freedom.” Mrs. Murphy was proud of how well students behaved during the presentation. “The audience cared and listened and wanted to know more,” Murphy said. “I was extremely proud of our Kettle Run students.” Murphy hopes that students left with a stronger appreciation for those who served. “These men shared personal experiences that were full of pride and emotion and each story carried the emphasis that you, the individual, make your success in life,” Mrs. Murphy said. “Effort, intent, drive, amd grit are important in becoming what you want to be in life.” April 2019 ‘A Soldier’s Experience’ Educates Panel of veterans share their stories and answer questions Abigail Schefer University of Colorado Boulder Aerospace Engineer Major KR Class of 2018 What advice do you have for students who are applying to college? “Choose a school that has undergrad opportunities in the field you want to pursue and be willing to step outside your comfort zone and challenge yourself.” What are your favo rite classes? “Computer Science, Calculus, Physics, Materials Science”. What do you aspire to be when you graduate? “I’m not sure what I want to specialize in yet, but I would like to be working within the space industry.” 6 Features
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