At the CJ pep rally on Tuesday, Sept. 24, the CJ student body cheered as Gonzalez-Anastacio walked out onto the gym in her army uniform. Her senior classmates showed their support for her by shouting, “USA! USA!” The underclassmen followed their lead.
“I want to give a special shout-out to someone who has shown incredible dedication to our country and to those around her,” announced Leslie Perez-Soria ‘25 at the pep rally as the school recognized Gonzalez-Anastacio’s achievements.
“Through her hard work and determination, she became the first CJ student to successfully complete the Army’s basic combat training before graduating from CJ,” Perez-Soria continued. “She is not just a soldier—she is an amazing friend who brings warmth, loyalty, and support to everyone who knows her.”
Where many students often find themselves working summer jobs and hanging out with friends, Tiffany Gonzalez-Anastacio ’25, spent most of this summer completing three months of military training. A brief summer leisure ended as her military career began when Gonzalez-Anastacio reported to basic combat training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri on June 17.
Gonzalez-Anastacio was allowed to get a jumpstart on her military career before graduating through the split training option, which allows high school students to enlist and do basic training without a high school diploma. This all came about when Gonzalez-Anastacio was 16 years old. Her parents suggested she consider joining the United States military to help pay for college. On her 17th birthday, she contacted an Army recruiter who explained that there was a split training option, stating, “Why do it later when you can do it right now?”
Going through basic training gave Gonzalez-Anastacio a chance to grow not only as a person but also as a soldier who will serve in the Army Reserves after graduation.
“Basic training taught me a lot, like how to push my limits and that it is all mental,” she said. “It taught me physical training, teamwork, and discipline. I also learned how to handle a weapon. I had never touched one before, so I thought it was pretty cool.”
Gonzalez-Anastacio admits that adjusting to military life was challenging, as she wasn’t used to the intense discipline, waking up at the crack of dawn, or going to bed early. She had to adapt to taking frequent corrective actions, whether learning how to properly wear her Army uniform or perfecting her drills and marching. For her, the most challenging part of basic training was being away from her family for months.
“The longest I’ve been away from them was one month, so being away for almost three months was tough,” said Gonzalez-Anastacio. “I could only talk to them each Sunday for 20 minutes, which was really hard.”
“Tiffany is an amazing student! She is fully proficient in both English and Spanish and loves to help others,” said Krystal Rosa, her English Learner (EL) teacher. “She’s very responsible and sometimes she comes to the EL room to get her work done or help students, that’s why this year she is one of our teacher assistants. I love working with Tiffany and supporting her during basic combat training. It was very exciting because her classmates wrote her encouraging letters that were mailed to her, demonstrating that everyone at CJ is incredibly proud of her.”
Gonzalez-Anastacio returned to Ohio from training on Aug. 30, just a few days after the start of her senior year. Throughout her final year at CJ she will have a drill weekend once a month with her local unit. Next summer, she will return to Missouri to attend advanced individual training in the field in which she will work at her Army Reserves job. Once she graduates, and completes additional training, Gonzalez-Anastacio will start receiving a salary and access to educational benefits as a soldier.