By Dominique ROCHA 

Ever since he was a child, 16-year-old Ashar Baker has always known that he wanted to work in defense. Baker has settled on becoming a U.S. Army Ranger. In the meantime, Baker has been serving his community through the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept. – Crescenta Valley Station Explorer Academy. Through this program, Baker has had the opportunity to learn about working in law enforcement. 

Another learning opportunity recently presented itself to Baker: the National Student Leadership Conference, a program that allows students to experience what it is like working in Intelligence and National Security. The application process required Baker to submit a letter and essay on why he deserved to attend. The only issue was that the program and travel cost about $6,000 … and Baker was about $4,000 short. 

A GoFundMe account was created on Baker’s behalf to help facilitate donations and get his summer plans underway. The community rallied in support and helped Baker raise the rest of the money. 

“I was very thankful that so many people were willing to help me achieve my goals,” Baker said. 

With the help of his community, Baker attended the National Student Leadership Conference in June. The conference was held at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and was nine days long. The program followed a dynamic schedule that was designed to give insight into what it is like working in intelligence. While there were different programs within the conference, such as diplomacy, architecture and political action, Baker’s program was intelligence and national security and focused on assessing threats, strategizing and communicating.  

Every day was different and included field trips to the FBI and DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) buildings or to landmarks like the Arlington National Cemetery and the Washington Monument, guest speakers, and role simulations, which he said were the best part.

While the days were filled with career-oriented activities, there was downtime in the mornings and middle of the day. Baker made sure to spend his free time getting to know the other like-minded students and even started a running club in the mornings where he and a few others participated in three to five mile runs. 

“I met a lot of people who were ambitious and driven,” Baker said. “We were able to help each other grow.” 

The conference allowed Baker to explore other careers in defense. While his career ambitions are still to join the Army, he was able to gain information on these types of careers should he choose to go down that path. 

“I believe that all the people you get to meet and the challenges you get to overcome are a once in a lifetime opportunities,” he said. “When else would you be able to visit the FBI building?” 

Now, Baker plans on continuing to prepare himself for enlistment. He is focusing on improving his physical and academic well-being and is currently enrolled in dual enrollment, an academic path that will allow Baker to graduate from high school a year early. 

He hopes to join the Army at 17 years old.