Sergeant First Class (SFC) Keith Saunders originally thought that he would do his four years in the Army and move on to the next stage of his life, but – over time – he changed his mind.
“I was going to get out of the Army and join the police department. Then I thought, well, I could always join the police department, but the Army is giving me an opportunity to see the world,” said Saunders on the grounds of the Fort Totten U.S. Army Reserve Base in Bayside.
Originally from Baltimore, Saunders enlisted when he was 18 after a semester at Morgan State College. At the time, going away to school did not seem like the right fit.
“The only thing I was there for was the girls,” laughed Saunders. “After that, I had a cousin that talked to me about joining the military and here I am 17 years later.”
Now 34 years old with a wife and a son, SFC Saunders has taken advantage of the Army’s willingness to help with the cost of education and looks forward to graduating with a bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s College in organizational management in 2011. So far, the balancing act between going to class, being a family man and maintaining a full time job has had its challenges.
“It takes a lot of dedication to get to where I am now . . . it will pay off in the long run,” said Saunders, who hopes to take the lessons learned from the military with him to corporate America.
“Leadership, dedication, the drive to want to win, the drive to be successful, the ability to motivate those who work for and with you . . . those are just some of what I’ve learned. I have been lucky to have this experience.”
With his degree paid for by both the U.S. Army and financial aid, Saunders hopes to manage a human resources department in the near future.
“I tell any young soldier to take advantage of the opportunity the Army offers.”
