They grow up fast, don’t they?
All of a sudden, it is our sons and daughters answering the call to serve our country. The reasons they signed the dotted line are as unique as they are. A tapestry of different backgrounds, experiences, dreams, and ambitions makes up the platoons, squadrons, and units they will soon call home.
These young men are trading Mount Vernon’s rich purple cap and gown for the camouflage uniforms and service dress of the United States military. While their paths may differ, they share a common willingness to step forward into something greater than themselves.
These are a few of the members of the Mount Vernon High School Class of 2026 who have chosen military service as their next chapter.
For Krisztian Dennis, joining the U.S. Army is about building a future.
A four-year powerlifter who qualified for the state meet twice and competed in football during high school, Dennis said his decision was heavily influenced by a desire to provide opportunities for the family he is building.
“I wasn’t handed very much growing up,” he said. “It took a lot to get through high school.”
After researching the Army, he saw it as a pathway to stability, growth, and a better future for those he loves.
Dennis plans to become a diesel mechanic, a field that combines his interest in working with vehicles and equipment with practical skills he can carry into civilian life. Beyond the technical training, he sees military service as a chance to leave a positive mark on the world around him.
“I just want to put a really good footprint on our ground to help the people that need it,” he said.
When asked what Mount Vernon taught him, Dennis pointed to the people who supported him through difficult seasons of life.
“Always be the person to help the person sitting next to you,” he said. “Even if you’re going through something, always help the next person.”
He specifically thanked teacher Ms. Belew, his mother, and several mentors and friends who helped guide him along the way.
Dalton Ray Sowell found his path to military service through education and long-term planning.
Sowell joined the U.S. Army and serves as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Specialist. His original motivation was simple: he wanted a way to earn a college education without taking on significant debt.
“The sole reason I went into the military at first was because I wanted to go through college,” he explained.
His long-term goal is to pursue a career in cybersecurity, and he sees the military as an opportunity to gain valuable experience, certifications, and training that will help him achieve that goal.
Sowell also participated in the Army’s Split Option Program, allowing him to complete Basic Training between his junior and senior years of high school before returning to Mount Vernon to finish his diploma. He credits his grandparents and teachers for helping him become the person he is today.
Growing up in Mount Vernon, he said, helped transform him from a shy student into a more confident and outgoing young man.
When speaking to younger students considering military service, Sowell encouraged them to think carefully about their goals and be willing to leave their comfort zone in pursuit of them.
“If you’re willing to achieve what you really want in life,” he said, “then the military is your path.”
For Dalton Michael Wade Rogers, service is about helping others while pursuing a career that can improve lives.
Rogers is entering the U.S. Air Force and plans to work in the biomedical field, helping maintain and develop medical equipment and prosthetic technology.
“I feel like I’m going to be really excited by making and designing prosthetics for people,” he said. “I feel like I can give them a new way of living their life.”
Like several of his classmates, Rogers said avoiding student debt played a major role in his decision to enlist. He made that decision years ago, determined to pay for college while serving his country.
But his motivation extends beyond personal goals.
“I feel like I’m the one that can step forward for people who want to do it but aren’t able to,” he said.
One lesson he plans to carry from Mount Vernon is the belief that small-town roots do not limit a person’s impact.
“Just because you come from a small place doesn’t mean your words can’t mean something,” Rogers said. “You can always do something to help the world.”
He credited his parents, friends, and teachers for helping him reach this milestone, while giving special thanks to his parents for continually pushing him to learn and grow.
Trent Smith is also heading to the U.S. Air Force, where he plans to work in avionics, maintaining and troubleshooting aircraft systems.
A student involved in football, tennis, track, and AV, Smith said the military appealed to him because of the opportunities it provides for education, housing, financial stability, and personal growth.
His decision was also influenced by family.
Originally considering the Army, Smith attended his older brother’s Air Force graduation at Lackland Air Force Base and quickly changed his mind.
“I looked at it and thought it looked a lot more fun,” he said with a laugh.
Smith’s passion for mechanics made avionics a natural fit.
“If I wasn’t joining the Air Force, I’d probably be a mechanic,” he said. “But I get to work on airplanes, which is cooler.”
Looking toward the future, Smith already has a plan. He hopes to save and invest his money wisely, buy a house, open a business one day, and eventually own his dream car, a 1973 Corvette.
To him, military service represents bravery and commitment.
“It shows that you’re willing to fight for something that you love,” he said.
He thanked his mother, grandmother, and brothers for their support and encouragement throughout his journey.
While each of these graduates has chosen a different specialty and has different goals for the future, their stories share common threads. They speak about family, opportunity, responsibility, service, perseverance, and gratitude. They recognize the people who invested in them and the community that helped shape them.
Soon, these graduates will leave the familiar streets of Mount Vernon for training bases, classrooms, airfields, and assignments across the country and perhaps around the world. They will carry with them the lessons learned from parents, teachers, coaches, mentors, and friends who helped prepare them for the road ahead.
As the Class of 2026 turns the page from high school to military service, Mount Vernon can take pride in knowing that these young men are stepping forward to serve with courage, purpose, and a desire to build something bigger than themselves.
Today they wear caps and gowns.
Tomorrow, they will wear the uniform.
