Mike Klooster '10 Alumni Spotlight: An Officer and a Gentleman

What have you been up to since you left Pinecrest?
After graduation, I attended the Georgia Institute of Technology, where I studied Mechanical Engineering, participated in the Atlanta Region NROTC, and was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity.
After graduation from Georgia Tech, I received my commission into the United States Navy and reported to my first ship, USS BATAAN (LHD 5). There I served as the 1st Division Officer and Division Officer in Charge in the Deck Department, and later as the Internal Communications Officer. On board USS BATAAN, I qualified as a Search and Rescue Swimmer and Surface Warfare Officer. Following USS BATAAN, I transferred to join LCS Crew 110, Sioux City Blue Crew. I am currently serving primarily as the Ship’s Navigator, but also as Administrations Officer, Training Officer, Legal Officer, and Safety Officer with Sioux City Blue Crew.
 
As a crew, we sailed the USS SIOUX CITY (LCS 11) on her inaugural sail from the Marinette Marine Shipyard in Marinette, WI, through the Great Lakes to commission at the United States Naval Academy. As a Plankowner of the USS SIOUX CITY, I navigated the ship to be the first War Ship and first Littoral Combat Ship to moor and commission in Annapolis, MD. We recently completed vital testing to help certify the combat effectiveness of the USS SIOUX CITY and the LCS community as a whole.
 
We have now returned to our homeport of Mayport, FL, and where I spend my free time surfing, rock climbing, and trying to hunt down new experiences to make myself even more well rounded.
 
How did Pinecrest prepare you for college and beyond?
Pinecrest prepared me in immeasurable ways after high school graduation and into college and onwards. One way that stands out amongst them was that Pinecrest, through my teachers, coaches, and even fellow students, taught me the importance of discipline and self motivation. The Mechanical Engineering curriculum at Georgia Tech is very extensive and extremely difficult. Pinecrest not only provided me with an excellent education, but taught me how to study and manage my time, to stay disciplined and motivated, so that I could successfully graduate, while still participating in multiple extracurriculars, including NROTC, my fraternity, and club water polo.

How did your years at Pinecrest influence your career path?
One of the biggest things that influenced my military career was playing football. When I started playing football at Pinecrest, I was in 7th grade and was really small and terrible at it. At first, I hated it. Practices were long and hard, and I really wasn’t very good. But my coaches’ dedication to my teammates and me really made me want to stay with it. So I did, and, in doing so, I learned the benefits of hard work and discipline, and was able to start as an offensive lineman my sophomore year and was captain of the football team by junior year. The comradery I felt with my team, the work ethic I gained, and the enjoyment I experienced from leadership -- and the leadership I witnessed while playing for coaches like Coach Charles Wiggins, a former Air Force Tech Sergeant -- were invaluable to me. I knew I wanted to gain further leadership experience I witnessed and also provide a service to something greater than myself.

What is your favorite memory of Pinecrest?
As I’m sure a lot of Pinecrest alumni would say, I loved Friday night home football games. I loved standing side-by-side with my teammates, in front of our teachers and classmates, and going head to head with other teams. And even though we were often physically smaller and had fewer players than the teams we played, we were often victorious with continuous winning records and Regional Championships. Then after the games, everyone would meet at Taco Mac and just talk about the game. I really enjoyed those times with my friends.

Was there a teacher at PA who really influenced you?
Absolutely! Coach Charles Wiggins was a huge influence on me, both as a coach and a mentor. He not only taught me the work ethic and discipline I mentioned previously, but he also showed me the importance of putting people first and about servant leadership. Coach Wiggins was a servant leader who would do anything he could to help his players, not just on the field, but in their classes and personal lives. He was invested in every single player that played for him, and he still is. He was my first salute when I commissioned in the Navy, and I know he would still be there if I ever need him for advice. But the dedication to our students was apparent in so many of Pinecrest’s amazing teachers, such as Mrs. Chwat and Mrs. Hulsebus, who were always there for any student that needed them.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years, I hope to have earned a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and either progressing further with the Navy or to move onwards into a civilian career, hopefully working as an Engineer doing Research and Development to find solutions for Renewable Energy and to improve Ocean Conservation.

What advice would you give a PA high school student?
Life is short, so live it! I learned a lot about hard work and discipline from Pinecrest, and it has helped me be successful in my professional and academic careers, but also, always stopping to “smell the roses”, as they say, has made huge impacts on my life.

Enjoy the times you have now! If there is a chance for you to go overseas, go overseas. If you want to learn to play an instrument and are completely tone deaf (like me), join the band and go for it. If you just want to make friendships that’ll last forever, be there for your friends, your classmates, and your family.

Always put people first, and the experiences you’ll gain from just listening to another person or saying yes to helping someone will benefit you exponentially! So take every chance you can, be there for other people, and enjoy the moment because it’s fleeting!