It’s been nearly 40 years since Everett Perry joined the Marine Corps with a mind to be a diesel mechanic. Today, he wishes he could go back and thank the recruiter who convinced him to go into medicine. After all, he says, 32 people are alive because of Perry’s service as a medic.  

“I was able to save their lives in some way,” Perry said, “whether they were bleeding out or had a heart attack, 32 people lives were saved from that guy.”

Now, Perry works to embody the same kind of encouragement as a Canyons District Human Resources Administrator, recruiting fellow veterans and others to work in Canyons School District. “Even though I got out of the military, it doesn’t change for me,” Perry said.  “The military had a direct impact on me, I grew up literally, physically, and mentally. As I’ve grown, I’ve learned lessons that help me manage six-thousand employees and find the candidates with the best qualities.”

Canyons District has always worked to provide a place not only for veterans to work, but to thrive while strengthening the community. CSD is home to veterans who also are award-winning educators. Others, such as Quail Hollow Elementary Principal Jeff Nalwalker and Director of Facilities Matt Wolford are excelling as administrators.  

Perry played a role in the recruitment process to find someone to helm the new Navy National Defense Cadet Corps at Jordan High School. Jonathan Ward just retired from 30-years in the Navy and says he’s excited to see the next generation of leaders growing here in the Canyons District. 

“Having a Naval program in Canyons is bringing great awareness,” says Ward. “The first thing I want people to know is we are a citizenship development program. This is not just a recruiting program for the military, it’s also a leadership development program. We’re giving all of these cadets opportunities to grow and lead.”

The U.S. Navy-authorized National Defense Cadet Corps was approved by the Canyons Board of Education in October 2023. The program is open to all high school students. Jordan was awarded the unit by the Navy after a rigorous evaluation process. The program is beginning as an NNDCC, a forerunner to the Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, which is eventually how the program will be designated.

While the training is along military lines, it’s not necessarily for military preparation. The stated goal of the program is to introduce students to the meaning of citizenship and build leadership skills, confidence, discipline, and a capacity for hard work. “These are the personal character traits that are in such high demand by colleges and employers, and they align with the Canyons District’s Portrait of a Scholar competencies that we want to nurture in all of our students,” said Canyons Superintendent Dr. Rick Robins.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Derek Chandler graduated from Army bootcamp and was soon helping to protect the hundreds of thousands of visitors who came to Utah for the 2002 Winter Olympics. “I knew Iraq was coming,” he says, “We had already gone into Afghanistan and while I loved being a reservist I knew if I was going to put my life on the line, I wanted to do it with a group of guys who lived, ate, and breathed soldier, so I went active duty.”

While stationed in Germany, Iraq and Kosovo, he began to draw weekly comics, posting them around the base to boost morale. It should come as no surprise Chandler is now using those skills to teach AP art at Brighton High School and taking first-place in Utah’s 2024 Veterans Affairs Creative Arts Competition with a piece entitled “Building America.” Chandler took advantage of the funds provided to military members and veterans to get his degree. “I would never take it back,” he says, “I loved my experience. Especially if you don’t know what you’re doing with your life and you want to grow up and do something outside of yourself, the military is a great opportunity.”

Since its founding days, Canyons District schools have planned assemblies, activities, and learning opportunities to mark the importance of Veterans Day. Last year, Alta High School won a national award for their continuing efforts to honor veterans at an assembly which began 30 years ago. It’s at those assemblies where Perry says he has had the opportunity share the story of his grandfather-in-law, Robert Anderson.  

Anderson’s heroic actions saved some of his fellow crew members lives after his ship was hit with a torpedo during World War II. “We didn’t know anything about it until a couple of years ago when we watched ‘Saving Private Ryan’ with him. At the end, he said ‘I guess we should talk about this.’ A lot of veterans won’t talk about it, so now I have this opportunity to be able to brag a little bit about my grand-father-in-law with these kids and they just sit in awe.”

Chandler, Perry, and Ward, all shared their stories on the most recent episode of Connect Canyons and hope other veterans will do the same, letting the next generation know the importance and sacrifices of our veterans.

“You know, it doesn’t matter what you do. You’re supporting the Constitution,” Ward says. “You’re defending the Constitution, and the freedoms that we enjoy in this United States of America today is a direct result of our military personnel, and that’s what I would like people to realize:  these veterans are heroes.”