Goodrich-There are heroes among us.
That’s the message Bayley Schultz, a GHS senior, hoped Reid Elementary kindergarteners will take with them after a visit on Wednesday from a few United States Marines.
‘A soldier is a hero,? said Schultz. ‘The students will get firsthand what it’s like being a hero and being away from home for the holidays. The soldiers in the classroom make them more real for the students? that they have families, too. So when the students write thank you notes to the soldiers for a class assignment, the perspective changes.?
The visit from the Marines was initiated by Schultz, who has been an intern in Lauren Vandeberghe’s kindergarten class at Reid since September. After graduation this spring, Schultz plans on a career in pediatrics and utilizes the internship as a Capstone project’an assignment that serves to complete the academic experience for students, typically during their final year of high school.
Sgt. Sullivan, a local Marine since 2005 who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, said it’s not just the military aspect.
‘We visited Reid on Wednesday to support Bayley, too, and further her education,? he added. ‘You just don’t know the positive impact later in life for our youth.?
‘We emphasize to the students that we are not Supermen,? added Sullivan, who for the past three years has been a Marine recruiter in the Flint area. ‘We spend time in the community during the holidays to help remember all those that serve now and in the past. Many of the students often have a family member that have served, too.?