Graduating seniors have many options from which to choose when it comes to career paths, and one of those choices is serving in the United States military. For many recent graduates of the Comal Independent School District, a military career is the natural next step after high school.
“I chose to join the Texas Army National Guard to not only follow in the footsteps of many of my family members, but to also live the Army’s values,” said Vincent Meza, a Smithson Valley High School 2020 graduate. “I want to go to college, meet new people, see different places and ultimately, become a firefighter. The Guard will help me achieve my goals.”
Meza’s father, Mike, retired from the Army after 21 years of service; his mom, Irma, served five years; and his older brother and sister, Michael and Katy, have joined the Army and Army Reserves, respectively.
The Meza family is just one of the many military families who are a part of Comal ISD and who continue to serve in the U.S. military. With this tradition, many Comal ISD students choose a military career after high school graduation. They either commit to a branch of the armed forces, earn a Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship or are accepted to a military academy.
The following young men and women are just some of the Comal ISD 2020 graduates who have chosen serve.
United States Air Force
- Tyler Adkins, Smithson Valley High
- Emily Bailey, Canyon High
- Christy Broughton, Canyon High
- Chris Hardin, Smithson Valley High
- Anya Hintz, Smithson Valley High
- Madeline Mazey, Canyon Lake High
- Troy Robertson, Smithson Valley High
- Madison Smith, Canyon Lake High
- Brayden Stribling, Canyon High
- Austin Stiefel, Smithson Valley High
United States Army
- Kade Bowers, Memorial Early College High School with St. Philip’s College
- James Connor, Canyon Lake High
- Devon Dantzler, Canyon High
- Julian Guzman, Canyon Lake High
- Jace Hamidou, Smithson Valley High
- Alex Hardin, Canyon Lake High
- Daniel Ibarra, Canyon High
- Megan Stockwell, Canyon Lake High
- Justin Vormann, Canyon Lake High
United States Marine Corps
- Riley Crabbe, Smithson Valley High
- Jacob McCutchen, Canyon Lake High
- Marcus Moreno, Canyon High
- Devin Santanna, Smithson Valley High
- Julian Sharp, Smithson Valley High
- Kaleb Rodriguez, Smithson Valley High
United States Navy
- Garrett Duross, Smithson Valley High
- Ryan Feomaia, Smithson Valley High
- Nicholas Graybill, Smithson Valley High
- Randi Green, Canyon Lake High
- Christopher Mickelson, Smithson Valley High
- Ian Royer, Canyon Lake High
- Peter Schultz, Canyon Lake High
- Ethan Slater, Canyon Lake High
- William Ulmer, Smithson Valley High
- Nicolas Warner, Smithson Valley High
United States Coast Guard
- Kyle Myers, Canyon High
Reserves & National Guard
- Cameron D’Albergo, Canyon High - Texas Army National Guard
- Mekayla Mason, Canyon Lake High – Texas National Guard
- Vincent C. Meza, Smithson Valley High – Texas Army National Guard
- Jada Rainbolt, Canyon Lake High – Texas National Guard
- Frances Saldivar, Canyon High – Army Reserves
- Samantha Varvaro, Canyon High – Army Reserves
ROTC Scholarships
- Ian Feely, Smithson Valley High – United States Coast Guard Academy
- Cassidy Felps, Canyon Lake High – University of Southern California
- Madison Harwell, Canyon Lake High – Baylor University
- Nathan Parker, Smithson Valley High – Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
- Samual Torres, Smithson Valley High – United States Air Force Academy
- Cole Wilks, Smithson Valley High – Texas State University
Marion Military Institution
- Heidi Freund, Canyon High
- Scotty Freund, Canyon High
-Smithson Valley High School 2020 graduates with military plans.
-Canyon Lake High School 2020 graduates with military plans.
-Canyon High School 2020 graduates with military plans
-Memorial Early College High School 2020 graduate, Kade Bowers, plans to join the United States Army.
-Smithson Valley 2020 graduate, Vincent Meza, comes from a military family. Vincent is pictured here with his parents, Mike and Irma, who both served in the United States Army.