Jared Zamora: The Army gives him a job right away

High school: Riverside High School, Durham

Headed to: the Army

June is a big month for Jared Zamora, 18, of Durham.

This month, he'll graduate from high school, marry and ship out for basic training at Fort Knox, Ky.

The four-year member of Riverside's ROTC said the Army fits him best. He signed up a year ago, his enlistment contingent upon graduation.

"I could see myself progressing more in the military than I would going to college," he said. "I didn't know what I wanted to do in college, so that kind of scared me a little bit. I felt like I would just get there and waste two years before I finally found out what I wanted to do. I can go to the military and train and take courses and find out what I'm really interested in."

After basic training, Zamora plans to train as a scout. He said the danger doesn't make him nervous.

"A lot of people, they're scared about, like, dying or going into combat, but the job I chose is a combat job. I like experiencing things, and I felt like if I went into the military I wanted to do a job where I wanted to talk about it. I didn't want to say, 'I sit behind a desk.' I wanted to be able to say something worth saying."

Still, despite his enthusiasm, Zamora isn't sure he'll make the military his career.

"It would be nice," he said. "Right now, I guess it's all in how I feel. Once I get in, if I like it, then I'll do it."