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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 2020)
MARCH 20, 2020, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE B1 KeizerCommunity KEIZERTIMES.COM Keizer man’s Air Force career lets him serve in unique ways KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Fidel Garcia Morales, Carlos Cruz, Emely Medina and Lidia Valdez re- ceived By MATT RAWLINGS Of the Keizertimes The Act Six Scholarship se- lects approximately 25 of the most promising urban leaders in the Salem-Portland area for full-tuition, full-need scholar- ships to three local Christian colleges. Four of this year’s recipients are from McNary High School. McNary seniors Carlos Cruz, Emely Medina, Lidia Valdez and Fidel Garcia Mo- rales received full-ride schol- arships to attend college this fall. “They come from amaz- ing families, but some diffi cult backgrounds, so to see these kids have this opportunity, I can’t even describe how ex- citing it is to know that they don’t have to worry about school cost. They can really pour their full potential into their future and make a dif- ference in their local com- munity,” said Rochelle Farris, a guidance counselor at Mc- Nary. The goal of the Act Six program is to equip emerging urban and community leaders to engage the college cam- pus and their communities at home through a simple but powerful four-part strategy: • Recruit and Select • Train and Prepare • Send and Fund • Support and Inspire For Morales, being a leader starts at his house. Morales was raised by a sin- gle mother and is the oldest of four siblings. After he’s done with school, he picks up all of his younger siblings from their schools and then, often times, will make dinner for them and take care of them before they go to bed. “I’m the oldest so I have to set the example,” Morales said. During the selection pro- cess — which involves an ap- plication review, an interactive session and a campus visit — Morales felt he was able to stand out as a strong candidate. “What made me different was that I had what it took to be a leader. I truly care for others and I think that’s what made me stand out,” Morales said. Morales will be attending Warner Pacifi c University and plans to study nursing. “This scholarship means a lot to me. It’s another oppor- tunity to further my education Please see SIX, Page B6 a mile in ir e th boots Four Celts land full ride Act Six scholarships By LAUREN MURPHY promote I’ll still be able Of the Keizertimes to make it to retire- When Brennen Hankins ment,” he said. Hankins graduated from McNary he is working in the civil wasn’t sure what to do. engineering squadron “I didn’t really have a game based in Montana. plan I was just kind of trying to Hankins likes the make my own way,” Hankins regularity of his job, said. and the opportunities it He spent a year bouncing gives him to travel. between odd jobs in Ore- “I’ve been in six dif- gon and Alaska, where his dad ferent countries, I’ve worked as a commercial driven through fi sherman, before deciding every state west to pursue the U.S. Mar- of the Mississippi shals Service. with the excep- For him, the mil- tion of North itary was a means to Dakota,” he said. an end. One thing “I spoke to a U.S. Hankins wish Marshals recruiter in civilians knew Staff Sgt. Brennan Hankins. Portland and he said about veter- that the easiest way to ans is that they ask,” he said. get into the Marshal can’t all be painted with He said there are three types Service was to be a one brush. of answer to questions like veteran,” Hankins “Not everyone in the those: someone who says no said, which is military has seen com- and then feels their role serv- when he decided bat, for example. I’m ing their country has been to enlist. one of those people,” minimized, someone who says The minimum Hankins said. yes and has to deal with the A Keizertimes requirements to There is a wide unpleasant memories that are join the Marshals series focusing on variety of jobs and dredged up when thinking the lives of veterans service are being duties within the about their time in combat or, and active duty at least 21 years military personnel. military that require alternatively, someone ends up of age and having different sets of skills, sounding like a braggart, which four continuous just like in the civilian isn’t good for the perception of years of a supervised job — workplace. Hankins said that the person or military service both of which could be satis- military jobs range from cleri- as a whole. fi ed with a tour in the military. cal work to piloting to combat “None of those is a good Hankins went to the Salem and everything in between. thing,” Hankins said. Air Force recruitment offi ce Hankins warned against ask- Hankins got engaged to his and signed up for seven years. ing veterans if they had been in fi ancee, Emma a couple weeks “I did my tour in the mili- combat or if they’d ever shot prior to talking to the Keizer- tary and I kind of liked it,” he someone. times and is contracted to serve said. “It’s a horrible question to another three years. When his contract expired, Hankins re-enlisted for anoth- er four years. “I’ve hit the minimum rank to retire, now I just got to put in the years,” Hankins said. He is an Air Force staff ser- geant and, if he continued to M emorial C enters ◆ C remation & B urial work at this rank without ad- vancing, he would be retired in Simplicity - Convenience - Low Cost 20 years. “I’m still trying to get pro- moted because, you know, bet- ter job, better pay, but if I don’t simple cremation simple direct burial traditional funeral 2020 Census roll out begins By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes Taking part in the United States Census has an impact on almost every aspect of daily life from city to federal levels and, for the fi rst time, com- pleting it can be done online in about 10 minutes. The 2020 Census offi cial- ly kicked off this month and residents can either wait for a notice with an authorization code to come through the mail or simply visit 2020cen- sus.gov and fi ll out the survey ahead of schedule. The questionnaire asks for the names, gender, age (in- cluding date of birth) and race/ethnicity of each person living at the residence, wheth- er residents own or rent and for a phone number in case there is a need to follow up. There is no question about citizenship status. Only one person per household should fi ll out the Census form. 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