“Why wouldn’t you wanna be the best?”

It’s a great question. When achieving the best is possible, why would one settle for anything less?

In 2011, senior Haris Gargovic made the decision to be the best.

“I have respect for everybody in the military, but the Marine Corps is the smallest, and to me it’s the most elite. It takes a lot more to be a part of it than any other branch,” he said.

Once this semester is over, Gargovic will be graduating early to officially embark on the journey of becoming a United States Marine. He has been preparing for this day since May 2011, when friend and Niles West alumni John Purdiman influenced Gargovic’s decision.

“He as really big on it, and at first I was kinda saying stuff to him about it. Like, ‘oh that’s so stupid,'” Gargovic said.

Despite Gargovic’s resistance to the idea of joining the Marines, Purdiman continued to push it.

“As a Marine, I only want the best to join my Marine Corps, and when I look into Haris Gargovic’s eyes I seen a fire within,” Purdiman said.

Purdiman asked Gargovic to come to the training to see how he would like it, and Gargovic agreed.

“From the first time it kinda just stuck with me, so I’ve been going [to train in Mount Prospect every week] since then.”

“Since then his work ethic he has showcased has been remarkable. He shows tremendous amount of ability to lead others as if he was born to be a Marine,” Purdiman said. “With a ridiculous work ethic , leadership skills and the selflessness to service this proud nation I’d be honored to fight along side him any giving day. OORAH!”

Gargovic’s training in Mount Prospect resulted in him meeting one of his now best friends — Niles West alum Lois Villaseran. 

“When I saw him there for the first time I never thought that he would be interested in becoming a Marine, because he seems more of a football kind of guy that would rather go to college and play like most teenagers who plays sports. [Later], I realized that Haris is the most motivated person I know to enlist in the Marine Corps,” Villaseran said. “It’s just amazing how hard he works everyday to improve physically and mentally. His motivation is outstanding and it’s the most important thing in the Marine Corps. I guess that’s why he became my best friend.”

Villaseran’s first impression of Gargovic — that he seemed like a football guy who would rather go to college and play — is exactly the stereotype that Gargovic was trying to avoid when he fully decided on becoming a Marine.

“One of the biggest things was just not wanting to do what the majority of teenagers do, and that’s going to a big university. Everybody has their own choices, but I feel like that wouldn’t be for me,” Gargovic said.

Instead of going to a big university, Gargovic is going into the Marines for combat engineering.

“I like engineering because I like doing stuff with my hands. I’m also really into physical fitness. I do crossfit, which is a type of workout that’s starting to get really big. I think if I’m still really into that then I could open my own gym, or just be a trainer.”

The tuition assistance program that the Marines provides will help Gargovic achieve both his dreams of being a Marine, and also having a degree in something that he loves.

Gargovic’s aspirations prove that although a huge part of being a Marine is physical, mental strength is also a requirement.

“We also have a knowledge part of it. We have our rank structure and general orders that we have to memorize, and they test us on that as well as our physical standards,” he said.

Gargovic’s girlfriend of two and a half years, Jessie Neuhaus, a senior at Niles North, is testimony to the fact that Gargovic lacks neither the drive to succeed physically or mentally.

“Watching Haris work inspires me. When he wants something, he will do anything in his power to attain it; I have never seen him fail at that,” she said. “He will spend hours working on a homework assignment in order to graduate early, hours at work so that he has money for gas to get him out to Mt. Prospect, and hours at the gym so that this body will be in the shape that he needs it to be in for bootcamp. Haris is setting himself up to be a successful marine, and a successful person when he is finished with his service.”

Not only does Gargovic inspire Neuhaus, but he has also made an impact on his social studies Matt Weatherington.

“Having had Haris in three social studies courses, I’d like to think I’ve taught him a thing or two, but what has truly impacted me is what Haris has taught me.  You see, while I spent many hours worrying about Haris’ performance in my classes, he has shown me time and time again that his grades do not reflect a sense of indifference about school or a lack of understanding about the material at hand.  Haris cares deeply about many of the topics we discuss in the social sciences, and he has a way of relating to class material that may not always fit neatly into my grade book,” he said. “Haris has a plan for himself, he is guided by his own ideas and beliefs, and he is a compassionate young man — what more could we ask of a young person leaving high school?”

Now that he is leaving high school and moving onto the next chapter in his life, the thing that Gargovic is most looking forward to is the brotherhood that the Marines has to offer.

“[It’s] a huge thing that I’m excited for. We get a little taste of that where we do the training because everyone there is working for a common goal, but once you actually get in, and you’ve earned that title, and everyone around you has earned that title, it’s a lot bigger. It’s something bigger than yourself, so I think that’s awesome [to] always have someone next to you who will literally someday maybe have to take a bullet for you,” Gargovic said.

His career as a Marine has only just begun, but Gargovic already has tentative plans for the future.

“Once [I’m] retired, or once I start slowing down with work, it’d be nice to go somewhere with a farm or start a farm. I’ve always wanted to do that.”

One of the people he discussed this idea with was Weatherington.

“I had the chance to take Haris and a group of his class mates on a field trip to an organic farm in early October.  At one point during the day, the two of us were walking along a row of crops, the rest of the group well ahead of us, and Haris commented that the Marines had a program to provide loans to folks who completed their commitment, and that he thought about using the funds to start a small farm — in his mind it would provide an opportunity to live closer to the land and engage in the hard, labor-intensive work that characterizes organic farming,” Weatherington said. “I wish Haris the best, hope that he is safe during his time in the Marines, and want him to know that he has helped me grow as a teacher by reminding me that all of my students have a story to tell, each one as valuable as the next.”

Gargovic’s determination to make his story valuable has served as an inspiration to many. While working hard to become the best Marine he can be, Gargovic has gained an extremely solid support system.