TO ENLIST

BY NATALIE MARTINEZ PHOTO EDITOR

Whatsenior Jesse De Lira thought was going to be a regular C lunch turned out to be a turning point for his future. After his eyes spotted a pen he wanted, De Lira approached the Army booth during lunch to talk to a recruiter.

After exchanging numbers, De Lira had the chance to ponder over the recruiter’s words.

“A couple of weeks passed and he texted me trying to recruit me, and I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll tell my mom, see what she thinks about it’ and my mom supported it,“ De Lira said.

Besides talking to a recruiter, De Lira has made daily changes in his life to help prepare him for the future.

“I am going to the gym a lot, and sticking to a more strict diet,” De Lira said. “And getting into the mindset that in a few weeks I will have somebody screaming at me almost every day.”

According to De Lira, another abroad and wildlife conservation, Moore will gain hands-on experience learning more about sharks and their daily behaviors.

“Along with my scuba certification, I am going to learn how to handle sharks,” Moore said. “I am going to also learn how to analyze the data —comparing and contrasting from other sharks and learning what the data can tell us about the specific shark as well.”

According to Moore, this is just the first stepping stone of her marine biology path as she hopes to gain her PhD in the field after her return home and one day continue to share her experiences with other aspiring marine biologists.

“I want to travel the world and focus on teaching and helping students focus on wildlife and how to save our ecosystem,” Moore said. “I think sharks are the most misunderstood creatures, and I want to help them and protect them.” reason for joining the Army is because of his family history.

“I have a lot of family that went into the Army,“ De Lira said. “A couple of them went into the Air Force, but I chose the Army since I have two uncles who went into the Army. They really inspired me.”

De Lira took steps including going through the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) and taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test.

“It’s basically like the ACT but a lot easier,” De Lira said. “You can get a 1-99 score, and I got a 60, which qualified me for a $20,000 bonus.”

By joining the Army, De Lira said he will be able to stay close to home, only 5 hours away, help shape him into the person he aspires to be. De Lira will begin his training in Oklahoma on May 30.

“I’m excited to meet new people and make long lasting friendships in the Army,” De Lira said. “I can’t wait to see the joy on my moms face once I graduate from basic training.”