G.I. Katie: Senior of the Month Profile
By Drew Bethel
November senior of the month, Katie Hare, holds herself differently than her classmates. She stands out not just because of her good grades or her kind, humorous personality. She stands out because she’s vowed to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. She’s chosen to protect the country.
“My brother and I decided pretty young we were going into the military,” says senior Hare. As of the last week of October, Hare is officially enlisted into the United States Army where she plans to specialize in psychological operations. At just 17, Hare needed parental consent to pursue her future early.
“I don’t think that my parents were surprised,” says Hare. “We always grew up with a lot of structure around the house so it’s something I’ve always been accustomed to. It just kind of made sense to go in. My mom is having to get used to it but both my parents were extremely supportive. There was never a part where they said don’t do it, they just said make sure you want to.”
Before any soldier can officially go on to active duty, they first have to complete basic training. Beginning July 13, 2020, Hare will be in South Carolina, attempting to complete a feat that not everyone can handle.
“I’m turning the nervous energy into excited energy,” Hare says. “From what I’ve been told there is no way to prepare yourself for it mentally but you can prepare yourself physically so that’s what I’ve been doing.”
After her 10 weeks at basic, Hare will graduate to further psychology training in North Carolina for another 11 weeks.
“I’ve always wanted to help people who are dealing with PTSD and stuff like that,” Hare says. “However, I have decided that I’d rather focus on psychological operations. It’s still dealing with people but now It’s about getting into people’s heads and trying to get in the mindset of the enemy. I know someone whose job was propaganda in another country and trying to lure people out. They find out everything they can about the country and study how to get into the guy’s head. It’s getting into people’s heads to find out the information we need.”
While Hare may be enlisted as a Reserve at the moment, she has no intention of staying in only one place. Until she finishes her degree in psychology at Oklahoma State University, Hare will remain in Oklahoma but after that, who knows.
“I 100 percent want to go overseas,” Hare says. “When I graduate I will be graduating as a lieutenant and then I will compete for active duty. Then hopefully I will be stationed somewhere the problem is. I want to be where there is a problem. I want to be over there helping.”
If you are interested in taking a path similar to Hare’s, reach out to Mrs. Nassar in Building 6 for further information about colleges and careers to see if this is something you would be interested in.
