Celebrating the Month of the Military Child

Transitions can be hard. Every student knows the stress of switching to a new school or class and the uncertainty that comes with it. For the nearly 2 million children of our service men and women these transitions come with the added stress of new locations and deployments. Children of military families can attend 6-9 different schools during the course of their schooling career, which can make having a consistent education difficult for those students. For some students, NMSI can serve as that constant.
 
 
In April NMSI joins DoDEA and the Department of Defense in celebrating the Month of the Military Child. Throughout the month NMSI will be honoring and recognizing some of NMSI’s own military students and exploring why educating our military children is so important.
 

Jamal Ballard
 
Senior, Houston County High School 

“The best thing about the NMSI AP program is the teachers, they make the courses interesting and engaging while also challenging us as students and pushing us to do our best. The AP program is challenging, the work you’re given is definitely on another level, but I think it has helped me prepare for college. I’ve taken 7 AP courses, AP Computer Science, AP Chemistry, AP Language, AP BC Calculus, AP Literature, AP Economics, and AP Physics. My work ethic prior to taking these AP courses was more ‘I’ll do it whenever I get to it,’ but now having taken these courses I’ve learned to manage my time more efficiently, setting a timeline for myself to accomplish my work ahead of time and systematically rather than having to play catch-up. I think it has helped me because it’s given me freedom to tackle my own challenges, but in a way that never set me up for failure or made me feel alone, I always had a lifeline with a teacher or my peers who were going through the same courses; the program set us up in a way that we were independent but not alone. The AP program may seem intimidating, but students shouldn’t be afraid of the challenge of the AP classes, you always have help whether it be from a teacher or a peer, no one is going to leave you behind. The benefits of the AP program outweigh the cost, it looks great on a college application, it helps you prepare for the future and develop work ethic. The NMSI AP program is an overwhelmingly positive experience.”
 
   
Clarksville High School, Class of 2015 
 
Georgia Institute of Technology, Industrial and Systems Engineering Major, Class of 2019

“The most valuable part of the AP program is how it prepares you for initial courses in college.  The level of difficulty teaches you to be more independent with your education, which is a useful tool in college. The AP program helped me gain a better sense of responsibility for my own work.  Before AP classes I did well if I paid attention in class, but in order to succeed in college at some point you'll have to force yourself to open a book or do a practice exam.  AP courses got me ready for this by including a vigorous amount of work.  I had to devote time out of class to prepare me for tests in my AP courses.  College is similar; and though it can be stressful, I think since I was able to keep up in those classes as a junior and senior, I am better equipped to deal with it all now. I have gained a much better understanding of time management from my AP classes.  I also am glad to have been able to skip a few college courses my freshman year.”
 
Throughout the month of April, NMSI will be honoring and recognizing the military children that we serve in acknowledgement of the Month of the Military Child. Read the rest of the blog series here.