Whitney Vaughn, who graduated from Benjamin Carson High School in 2016, entered high school planning to be a nurse. During her high school experience she started to change her mind due to the stress involved in becoming a nurse. She ended up in the military.
Benjamin Carson High School’s curriculum focuses on science and medicine, but it also offers the Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps known as NJROTC. The NJROTC program helps students take on leadership skills.
The NJROTC program is run by Petty Officers William Justice and Douglas Williams, known to students as POJ and POW.
“My mentors are POW and POJ,” said Vaughn. “They worked with me through every step.”
At first, Vaughn was not interested in the NJROTC program.
“When I first saw NJROTC on my schedule I wanted to change it,” said Vaughn. “After a while, I started to like it.”
“She didn’t like to follow rules and regulation,” said Williams. “As time progressed she started to get better.”
NJROTC does not pressure students into the military, but it encourages them.
“We’re letting them know that this an option,” said Williams, “Another way students can go to college.”
According to Williams, about 10 percent of students in the program go into the military.
Vaughn graduated second out of seven women in her training.
According to Vaughn, what she loves about her life is "being able to be part of something so big and great.”
“Later on in life she found out she can do this,” said Williams, “and got it all together.”
“Life after high school is going pretty well,” said Vaughn, “with so much more to accomplish.”
