Lincoln Park teacher to participate in Marine Corps boot camp

LINCOLN PARK, Mich. – A local teacher is headed to boot camp to train with the U.S. Marines so she can report back to her students about the experience.

"My students don't let me forget I signed up for this," said Leslie Hare, a health teacher at Lincoln Park High School.

Hare was recruited by the United States Marine Corps to attend their Educators' Boot Camp at Parris Island, S.C. on Feb. 10-15th.

"They'll be put through drills, obstacles, rifle training and leadership training to understand all that goes into 'the few, the proud'," said Sgt. Jeremy Newby, a Marine Corps recruiter.

Hare is working hard to be in shape for the boot camp experience.

"I've been training at the YMCA in Southgate and I think I'm ready," she said.

Hare is one of 40 high school teachers and administrators from metro Detroit participating in the annual program exposing educators to Marine boot camp, its training methods and the culture behind being one of the world's most elite military organizations.

"The teachers deal with this young men and women when they are at their most crucial point in life when these students are thinking, what am I going to do with life," said Sgt. Newby. " A lot of individuals don't know what to do and think the only thing they can do is college and that's not true."

Hare caught Newby's eye because he says students look to her for advice..

"I know not all of my students will go to college, not all of them will go to trade school," said Hare. "This is another opportunity that I can counsel kids towards after I get educated myself.

"Like my kids tell me you tell us tell us to take healthy risks. So how can I not take the risk myself?"