Senior Shani Ambar travels to Israel every summer to visit her family and the land she loves.  Ambar’s most prevalent memory of her trips to Israel is that of Israeli soldiers walking the streets and the immense amount of respect she felt toward them.  Since her first sighting of the protectors of Israel, Ambar told herself that once she graduates high school she would enlist to serve for Israel.  Her dream of becoming a soldier in the Israeli army will come true on August 24 as she travels to her holy land to embark on her journey.  With the desire to gain a better understanding of the experience her parents went through and with the  hopes to develop a new view of the world, Ambar is excited for this life-changing opportunity.  As a member of the Israeli army, Ambar aims to become either a shooting instructor or a basic training commander.

“Though I won’t be in the middle of the action, I believe these jobs are just as important as those that serve on the front line,” said Ambar.  “As a shooting instructor I would teach new soldiers how to properly use guns, and as a basic training commander I would be responsible for imparting necessary information such as first aid, using gas masks, cleaning tools and taking apart and putting together M16 to new soldiers.”

Ambar believes that the skills she will learn in the army will aid her in all her future endeavors.  She plans to discover and push her boundaries to overcome any challenges that may come her way, learn to respect authority and form a mentality that forces her to get back up each time she is knocked down.

“The army helps boost your confidence level and makes you a stronger person,” said Ambar.  “It helps you recognize who you are as a person and what your strengths and weaknesses are.”

Ambar plans to obtain a higher education and although she has no future plans after college, she believes the army will act as a compass and point her in the right direction.