GMC News
Father shares GMC’s impact on son
Derrick Shields says Georgia Military College (GMC) continues to make a difference in his son’s life. 18- year-old Chris Shields, who is from Columbus, Ga., is starting a new journey in the United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA). He was appointed to the USCGA in May 2016 and was sworn in on June 27. In 2015, Chris enrolled in GMC through the self-prep program for the Coast Guard Academy.
“There were over 2000 applicants from around the world that applied to be a part of the class of 2020,” said Derrick Shields, Chris Shields’ father. “For Chris to have been accepted is a testimony to how prepared he was thanks to GMC.”
Derrick said his son developed an interest in attending the USCGA during his senior year at Brookstone School in Columbus, Ga. He said Chris decided to attend GMC after hearing that GMC is one of only a few schools in the nation that offer the prep program for service academies. As a self-prep cadet, Chris successfully completed the same curriculum taken by cadets who are selected each year to enter the Coast Guard Academy.
“This program was designed to prepare him for the rigorous academic and physical demands of the United States Coast Guard Academy,” said Shields. “Coming to GMC confirmed his decision to pursue entering into the Coast Guard Academy. Being in class with the other scholar program cadets and being exposed to the military lifestyle enabled him to determine that this was the career choice for him.”
Derrick Shields said GMC provides endless opportunities for students to prepare them for anything they want to achieve in life.
“I would recommend GMC to other students and their parents because of the individual attention that GMC affords,” said Shields. “GMC is for the student who knows exactly what their future goals are and for the student who has not settled on a particular path. GMC is an excellent school. The facilities are excellent with a great teacher to student ratio in all classes. The administration has a hands on approach to helping families make good decisions about college and career choices. Going to GMC will prepare a student to go anywhere in the nation.”
The USCGA swore in Chris Shields along with 307 other cadets who are currently beginning a seven week indoctrination program.
