<p>I had zero motivation to do anything productive in high school until my senior year. I was fat and held a horrible academic standing.</p>
<p>At the end of junior year I decided I wanted to get this straightened out. My grandfather - who was a combat vet - just died and I received the flag from his funeral. It really made me feel stupid being his legacy. I decided that I was not ready for college and that I would need to do something to set me straight. I enlisted in the Marine Corps.</p>
<p>Now, my recruiter would not just take a fatty because I could not pass the Initial Strength Test to ship to boot camp. So over the summer, I worked out with him five mornings a week and ate healthy. I was in great shape by Christmas and had a blast senior year with my new confidence and sense of direction.</p>
<p>I shipped to boot camp after graduating. I spent two months in training until I got a strange virus that resulted in complications with my digestive system. I was in the hospital and then the evaluation holding platoon for a couple more months. The Navy (they do medical for USMC - the USMC is a department of the Navy) eventually decided that it was for the Convenience of the Government (CoG) that I be discharged and given a waiver to return to the military if I wanted to - a move I am still sort of considering. I really liked recruit training and the military lifestyle.</p>
<p>When I returned, I got a part-time job as a recruiter at a market-research company. I retained my boot camp work ethic and I was promoted to my current management position. I am 19, I am the youngest person at my company, and I have about 15 people working under me, most of whom have college degrees. It was a rough road to get to where I am, but I feel more independent than any of my friends at college.</p>
<p>The only problem is that I have a lot of time doing nothing these days - so I end up on CC…</p>
<p>I plan on going to college in the fall though.</p>