US Army Sergeant Timothy Beauchesne speaks to a class, while student James Lane prepares to ship off to Fort Benning, Georgia.

Students from Northlands Job Corps Academy in Vermont typically move on to one of four areas after they graduate: employment, college, advanced training at another Job Corps Center or the military.

It was the last of these options that brought US Army Sergeants Timothy Beauchesne and Robert Blevins to Career Exploration Instructor LaNell DeCosta’s classroom recently. Beauchesne and Blevins visit Northlands each week to discuss the potential of pursuing a military career to small groups of students.

“The Army can be a career in itself, a stepping stone to a career outside the military or a gateway into college,” Sgt. Beauchesne said. “It can be a really good opportunity.”

He drew the word “SOLDIER” on the board, and then used each letter to begin a word describing different aspects of what the military can provide:

Service

Occupation

Leadership

Diversity

Income

Education

Respect

Those words resonated with carpentry student James Lane. Born and raised in Burlington, Vermont, James has enlisted in the Army as part of the delayed-entry program. He has earned his GED at Northlands, and will be shipping out to Fort Benning, Georgia after completing his trade. He has even encouraged his classmates to enlist.

“My father used to tell me that it doesn’t matter if you’re scrubbing a toilet or working on a cure for cancer,” James said. “You’ve got to put everything you have into your work and be proud of it. Service to my country is something I can be proud of.”