The pandemic disrupted educational plans and left students to decide whether military service holds a more secure future than their academic paths.
Citrus College Veterans Success Center Director and Navy veteran Maria Buffo said the military can offer an astounding experience.
“My experience in the military was incredible,” Buffo said. “There were some not so great moments, but there were incredible memories. It has given a lot of opportunities to me and opened a lot of doors for me. I don’t regret it one bit.”
As stated on usa.gov/join-military, U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents with a valid green card can enlist in the military. The age requirement to enlist is 17 with parental consent or 18 without. The age limit goes up to 28 in the Marines, 31 in the Coast Guard, 34 in the Army, and 39 in the Air Force and Navy. Enlistees must have a high school diploma or GED and be physically fit.
Air Force Veteran Diane Landaverde will begin the Citrus College Cosmetology program this fall. She said the military is a steady place to be employed, especially since more people have stopped pursuing their degrees.
Although there are restrictions on who can join the armed forces, there are still many benefits. Usa.gov/military-and-veterans states service members are provided with free on-the-job training, money for education and housing, affordable healthcare and benefits such as 30 days paid vacation upon beginning employment.
“Illegal drug use, health conditions such as eczema and asthma, or an enormous amount of debt would be a few reasons someone could get disqualified,” Landaverde said. “Criminal records too, depending on the circumstances.”
Landaverde said the military is a stable working environment. However, Citrus College counselor Raquel Gutierrez said in an email that an education gives students more mobility in the workforce.
“A college education is important because it provides options,” Gutierrez said. “I think it is times like this where education is important because it can give students something to fall back on.”
When everything shut down, many people lost their jobs. The U.S. Department of Labor stated roughly 22 million people became unemployed due to the pandemic.
COVID-19 also halted many job prospects for active military who planned on ending their contracts to start out in the civilian sector. As stated by Wall Street Journal reporter Andrew Jeong on Feb. 16, about 92% of the U.S. Army’s eligible personnel reenlisted.
The National Student Clearinghouse claims college and university enrollments declined by 2.5% in 2020.
The Citrus College admissions office was sent three interview requests between March 16 and March 25 but has not responded. It remains unclear whether or not Citrus’ admissions were affected since there are many articles speculating college admissions is actually rising.
A March 16 Wall Street Journal Article reported many Ivy League schools have waived SAT and ACT requirements, which has led to a flood of applicants.
There are many pros for joining the military, but Buffo said there are still a few cons such as diversity.
When recruiting, the military is actively trying to diversify since it is known for being predominantly male and white.
Cory Dickstein stated in an October 2020 Stars and Stripes article that the service is seeing a breakthrough among new enlistees. Non-whites were about 47% of the 2020 recruits for the Army, and 18% were women. This is up from roughly 45% in 2018 and 2019.
“I worked twice as hard just to break the stigma,” Buffo said. “We are not too frail, we can take care of ourselves, we’ve proven that many times over. The military has its challenges, but progress is being made. Progress has been made, and progress will continue to be made for women in the military.”
She said her time served in the military made her realize how differently women are perceived, and she defied the odds.
Landaverde said the military has been making more room for women to become leaders, and for students who are unsure of what to do with their futures, it’s a great place to be. However, Gutierrez said Citrus College is a great place to make these big decisions.
“For those students who are unsure of what to study or what career to pursue, the college environment provides a safe space to explore,” Gutierrez said. “Citrus College offers many resources to help undecided students such as counseling classes, career assessments and career counseling.”
