By Emily McElyea
For some people, sitting in big lecture halls and getting a degree has always been their plan, but Sam McElyea knew from a young age that college wasn’t for him.
“College is not assuring anything in your future, like finding a successful job,” McElyea said. “Sometimes people get a college diploma then get stuck with a job they hate their whole life.”
McElyea is currently a junior at Delta, and although he has made up his mind on joining the military, he’s not exactly planning to enlist in the Army fresh out of high school.
“My original plan was to join right after high school,” McElyea said, “but I’d like to enjoy at least a little time just at home.”
McElyea said his family isn’t exactly thrilled about his decision to join the military, but they will still support his decisions.
“None of them really like it, because the military is dangerous,” he said. “I don’t think anyone wanted their son or their nephew going into a job they could be potentially killed in.”
McElyea said he has always struggled with ADHD, even while taking medications to try to manage it. Although he said he’s a little worried about how his ADHD will affect his performance in the Army, he is determined to manage it better.
“It’s different from school, I’ve never had a big job like that. McElyea said, “I know in the military you get told exactly what to do, no exceptions.”
Aaron Flanders is a Delta graduate who is currently serving in the Navy. He graduated from Delta in 2021, and is currently on year three of his six-year contract.
After deciding he wanted to join the military his sophomore year, he enlisted toward the end of his junior year, and since then, he has faced a lot of hardships.
“Being separated from my family is definitely the biggest hardship I’ve had to face,” Flanders said.
Flanders has been with his now wife since their sophomore year in high school, and now have a one-year-old daughter together.
“There were a lot of people who helped me make my decision, but my wife and my grandma were not very supportive of it,” he said.
Since Flanders has enlisted, he has traveled a lot for the military. Only a few weeks after his high school graduation he moved to the Great Lakes, where he stayed for two months for boot camp, then was transferred to Chicago for a year of schooling.
“Moving a lot has definitely been a hardship. It’s a financial strain, having to move all the time.” Flanders said.
He was then stationed at a military base in Virginia in the fall of 2022. He and his wife moved in late September, where they lived for just under a year while Flanders continued more of his military schooling.
In June of 2023, he was stationed in Hawaii, where he remains stationed. He has been on one deployment, which lasted five months.
Flanders said he’s not planning on re-enlisting after this contract ends.
“It’s just not for me,” he said. “I know I have way more opportunities to make more money outside of the military.”
Although Flanders does not regret enlisting the military, he does recommend doing your research before enlisting.
“Don’t do it unless you’re 100% sure it’s what you want,” Flanders said.
Hailee Hamilton is currently a senior at Delta. She enlisted in the National Guard mid-November.
“I wanted to become a detective, and I knew I wanted to do law enforcement, and the military is one of the routes that can make it quicker to get to that,” Hamilton said.
Unlike most students who are debating on joining the military, Hamilton made her decision in just a short three months.
“I know it was kind of a quick decision, but I knew it was the right decision,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton does not plan on making the military a career; instead, she wants to further her education after bootcamp.
“I plan on going to college after I’m done with basic training and job training,” Hamilton said. “I haven’t decided where I’ll go for college, but probably Ball State to study criminal justice.”
After college, she is considering returning to the military.
“I think after college I might extend my contract and go into the Army and do a CIT job,” Hamilton said
CIT stands for Certified Instructional Trainer, whose job is to validate the knowledge and skills of professionals who develop, design, and deliver safety, health, and environmental training.
