Eighty percent of students at LT attend four-year colleges, College and Career Counselor Cody Dailey said. However, the College and Career Center still focuses on the 20% of students who look for other opportunities, such as the military. 

“There is not one pathway to success,” Dailey said. “I want all students to find their path, and I also think it’s important for those students that want to do the military to see themselves in the College and Career Center.”

This year, LT is hosting its second Military Week on Nov. 4, 7, and 8, Dailey said. Last year, NC hosted this event, but on a smaller scale. The same session took place during periods four and five each day, and about 15 students attended each day in total. The same structure will be implemented this year, so students will be able to attend without missing class. Students are able to register on SchooLinks by looking under “Events Calendar.” 

“I hope that [students] get a true sense of why they want to join and why they were drawn to [the military],” Dailey said. “I hope that they learn more about the process.”

Each day will bring a different session, Dailey said. One will be about Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), which allows students to train for the military while attending college. Another will be a pair of active duty members discussing enlisting immediately out of high school, and there will also be a session about the service academies, led by Thomas Smith, an admissions representative from the U.S. Naval Academy and Blue and Gold Officer. 

“I thought [Military Week] would be a nice opportunity to educate students about this particular option,” Smith said.

Smith is a representative for the Naval Academy, but his presentation will touch on each service academy. The presentation will include content regarding the structure of the service academies, the admissions process, experience at the academy, and the service commitment. Smith works to guide students through the admissions process at the Naval Academy, and interested students are able to contact him for more information. 

“I’d like [students] to learn a bit about what the federal service academies offer,” Smith said. “And I’d like them to learn a bit about the admissions process.”

This year, Military Week leads up to the deadline to register for the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) Test, Dailey said. The last day to register is Friday, Nov. 8, and the test itself will be held on Nov. 20. Students who attend military week and find themselves wanting to learn more are able to register for the test after attending a session. 

“We talk a lot about the college application process here at LT sometimes, and that’s at any high school,” Dailey said. “You know, we’re talking about four year and two year colleges. I will say, even in the college career counseling realm, we don’t talk enough about some of those other pipelines.”