PEOPLE / ATLANTA: To the core, she’s a corps enthusiast

For Benjamin Mays High School senior Carmen Reeves, some of the most exciting times of high school have happened outside the classroom.

She’s captain of the softball and track teams and is a member of the basketball stats team. She also has devoted much of her free time in the last four years to the school’s Jr. ROTC program.

The corps has allowed the 17-year-old, who leads her school’s battalion, to get involved with the community. She has collected toys for needy families, and for the last three years she has been part of the Empty Stocking Fund drive.

This weekend, she’ll be visiting her church, True Light Baptist in west Atlanta, and visiting shopping centers in the area in hopes of raising at least $200.

“I like that I can do something hands-on for the less fortunate people in our city,” said Reeves, who is also Brigade Commander over the eight Jr. ROTC programs in other Atlanta public schools.

Being in the Jr. ROTC runs in her family.

“My aunt was in ROTC in high school, and I learned about it from her,” she said. “I’d seen the ceremonies they had, and I loved the uniforms and thought it would be an interesting thing to do.”

It’s given her the opportunity to travel to summer camps, symposiums and seminars, where she’s made friends with other Jr. ROTC students.

The highlight of her service so far was spending a week last summer in West Point, N.Y.

“I loved it. It was a great experience,” said Reeves. “We got to see exactly what they do in the Army. I got to make new friends, and I found there’s a whole Jr. ROTC family out there.”

The Jr. ROTC has had an enormous influence on Reeves’ life, she said.

“It’s helped me with leadership skills. It’s strengthened my self-esteem and taught me about teamwork.”

She credits her ROTC training with helping her earn a scholarship to Grambling State University in Louisiana, where she’ll enroll next fall as a communications major.

“Grambling was my first choice,” said Reeves. “I learned about it from a student who graduated from there and told me how great the school was. And when I found out they had a good mass communications program, I was sold. I plan to be a news anchor or a sports commentator.”

While she’s studying toward that goal, Reeves intends to stay in uniform as part of the ROTC program at Grambling.

Though the future looks well-planned, Reeves said there’s one piece she’s hoping will fall in place in the next few weeks.

“We’ve submitted a tape to march in the Inauguration Day parade,” she said excitedly. “I did a briefing on what our program is about and had video made of what we do. Now we’re just hoping to get a response. Going to Washington would be a great Christmas gift!”

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Fun facts about… Carmen Reeves

1. Outside of Jr. ROTC, her favorite class is British literature.

2. She’s a sports fanatic who likes bowling and inline skating.

3. Her favorite movie: “Baby Mama.” “It was one of the most hilarious movies I’ve seen,” she said.

4. She has four sisters and a brother, all of whom are supportive of her ROTC career.