They came down from the sky and the crowd roared with excitement.
This happened last Friday when Carrollton High School students experienced a special treat when five members of the Golden Knights parachuted into Grisham Stadium during the school’s testing pep rally held April 26, taking the entire student body by surprise.
CHS Principal David Brooks said the students were in awe, as was he, of the U.S. Army Parachute Team.
“The students cheered and cheered loudly,” said Brooks. “It was such a spectacular sight that it took a few minutes for everyone to realize what was going on.”
Brooks said he and his administration were looking for a way to put some excitement into the school’s annual testing “pep rally,” and event designed to build momentum and place focus on the importance of standardized testing that wraps up the school year.
“We had the opportunity to bring in the Golden Knights and we thought that would be a great fit for our rally since it is held in Grisham Stadium,” said Brooks. “This was an event many of our students may never see again.”
West Georgia Army Station Commander James Goolsby said Grisham Stadium was a great place to showcase the team and the pep rally timing worked out with the team’s schedule. The five parachutists who participated come from all over the U.S. and different branches of the military.
Goolsby said while the team’s purpose is to promote the armed services and support military public relations efforts, bringing the team to a high school campus may also prompt students to consider a career in the military as their post-secondary option.
On Monday, seven CHS students who have chosen that career route will be recognized during a signing ceremony at the Board of Education office. CHS annually recognizes these students in addition to others who are going to college.
“We work hard to expose our students to the variety of options available after high school,” said Brooks. “While we don’t recruit for the branches of service, we want to make sure students are exposed to the option. We want our graduates to make the best choice based on their personal situations.”
