Student Spotlight: Chris Christian

Young Marine Stands 5-Feet Tall, But Packs a Punch
 
By Wayne Ireland
Staff Writer
 
Arms exhausted from an extreme warm-up, you and a battle buddy now must carry 40 pounds of sand in an ammo can while being forced to crawl half a mile up a hill. An intimidating drill instructor yells at you to stay motivated, while the sounds of simulated gunfire blast from speakers and the intensity rises.

Along with all of this, you need to command your unit of young Marines to overcome this major obstacle.

You’re only a freshman in high school, yet you train and learn like a member of the armed forces.

Every Wednesday, there is a Woodlynde student who attends a national program known as Young Marines for two hours after school. This program has over 280 units with 9,600 members.

She has been a part of this program for a year and a half. Her name is
Chris Christian, and she physically and mentally trains like a Marine. Chris is a Lance Corporal in her unit, which means she also has to take on a leadership role by commanding a small unit of young Marines.

Don’t let her height fool you. Chris is only 5 feet tall, but she packs a punch.

Even though the program lasts two hours, some nights Chris only gets around two hours of sleep because she is still amped up from the training; that’s how intense the Young Marines program is.

Training for those in the program is not only about physical strength, but mental strength as well. When a drill instructor simulates a stressful situation, Chris has to remain calm at all times and also keep her unit calm, too.

When English teacher
Mr. Kupersmith was asked what he thought about Chris attending the Young Marines program, he said it was “Awesome, because being well rounded is a great thing. And that activity in particular is based around good character…”

As a leader, Chris is in charge of nearly 20 other kids around her age.

Being a Young Marine is not easy. For her, it is learning the ability to coordinate events and controlling a unit in the most efficient way.

“The hardest thing is the mentality of going there and not knowing what’s going to happen,” Chris said.

The Young Marines program is challenging because it presents a feeling of unreadiness. Through all of the hardships this program throws at her, Chris still likes going every Wednesday.

She loves “The environment of a strong bond. I also love it because we go and do fun activities, as well as challenging ones.”

Chris said her close friend recommended that she join the program.

“I chose Young Marines because they stand out and are a part of something bigger and unique,” Chris said.

Chris plans to become a Marine one day in the future. This is uncommon, as only seven percent of the Marine Corps is female. Chris hopes to become a part of counter-intelligence or a combat corpsman.

Chris said her family supports her becoming a Marine when she is older.

Joining Young Marines is meant to break a person down and rebuild them; and because of this, Chris feels she has been toughened up mentally, physically, and spiritually.
 
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Woodlynde School is a private, co-ed college prep day school located in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that serves intelligent, talented students with learning differences in grades K - 12. Woodlynde provides a comprehensive, evidence-based Kindergartenelementarymiddle and high school program in a challenging yet nurturing environment for students with average to above average cognitive abilities (IQ) who have language- or math-based learning differences (such as Dyslexia, Dysgraphia or Dyscalculia), Executive Function Challenges, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or Auditory Processing Disorder. Even for those students without a diagnosed learning disability (LD), Woodlynde offers expert and caring teachers in small classroom settings that support academic success. Woodlynde School also offers a post-graduate (PG) program in partnership with Rosemont College as well as a regional Summer Camp for students who learn differently.