Pauls Valley High School senior Chloee Nunez is a very busy student. Her schedule would challenge most adults. But Nunez made a decision this summer to commit to her future and do what is best for her.

“At the end of my junior school year, I started thinking about joining the National Guard. After girls State this summer, I believed this would be something that would benefit me,” said Nunez. “I am an All-State clarinet player, woodwind captain, and section leader. I have been BPA vice president for two years. BPA is our school’s leading community service club. I also spend half my day at Mid- America Technology Center. I take Pre- Engineering courses here. Along with this, I take AP courses to graduate with honors. I will have 21 concurrent credit hours after this semester, and I have kept a 4.0 in college and high school.”

Nunez enlisted in the Oklahoma National Guard where she will receive educational benefits she can use to pay for college while serving her state and country.

“The recruiting process has been, for the most part, easy. I spoke to Baylee, my school’s National Guard recruiter, and he has made himself available to discuss concerns. He convinced me pretty quickly the Guard would be a good fit for me,” said Nunez. “I plan on going to college at Oklahoma State University for an Architectural Engineering degree. College benefits are the main reason I am joining the National Guard.”

After attending basic training and AIT school, Nunez will serve with the 545th Engineering Unit as an Intelligence Analyst.

“I looked into joining the Air Force, but the National Guard is a better fit for me,” said Nunez. “As a 4-foot- 11, 110-pound girl, I was heavily discouraged by my family and friends to join the military. The advice I would give to anyone curious about joining would be to question it confidently. People will always say something about the choices we make. Be able to talk about why you want to and what your concerns are to your recruiter and your loved ones.”