Vitaliy Pankov might be hanging up his Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps uniform this year, but he says the lessons and opportunities the program gave him throughout his four years at New Dorp High School will never be forgotten.
“Discipline,” Pankov responds in one word. “It taught me discipline to make sure I’m committed to my goals and accomplishing them. I might not be perfect at it, but [it taught me to] make a schedule. Make it for the morning, afternoon, and evening, and then commit yourself to stick to it.”
It was that discipline that allowed Pankov to participate in JROTC and three varsity high school sports while also balancing a whole load of coursework. In JROTC, Pankov’s teachers constantly stressed the importance of academics, pushing members to go to college first, instead of enlisting immediately following graduation. His various coaches reiterated this same message.
“My coaches were always reminding me, you’re a 'student athlete,' not an 'athlete student.' Academics always come first,” Pankov said. “There were many nights where I just wanted to come home and sleep. I was in sports, so I was tired. But that’s where the discipline comes in. I’d work in time to relax for maybe an hour or two, but then I’d get to work on homework or whatever it was I needed to do.”
Pankov joined the New Dorp track team his freshman year and openly admits he didn’t enjoy the experience.
“The coach thought I looked like a long-distance runner, but I hate long distance. It was the exact opposite of what I wanted to be doing. I only wanted to do sprints,” Pankov remembers.
After a tough season, he quit the team, only to rejoin his sophomore year to give it another try and prove to his coach that he was a natural-born sprinter. It worked, and Pankov went on to run both outdoor and indoor track that season, although not without some challenges.
“I really enjoyed what I was doing, but then I got injured my junior year. You have to be mentally strong to overcome the injury. You have to realize what your body needs but also do those things to keep your mind happy,” Pankov said.
He quickly pivoted to wrestling and lacrosse, sports he said were safer for his knee because they involved less running.
“I loved lacrosse because I could still do everything I loved, but I played a position that allowed me time to rest and make sure I wasn’t injuring myself more. It allowed me to keep being me, but also to take care of my body,” Pankov said.
In these moments, the high school graduate focused on academics. Pankov also gained new skills like drone flying. This inspired him to work towards his pilot license. As a leader in JROTC, he learned compassion and how to encourage others towards success.
“Academics always came first, because I’m an athletic guy, but I don’t think sports will ever really get me anywhere compared to academics,” Pankov commented.
Pankov plans on attending CUNY College of Staten Island next year, where he hopes to become a mechanical engineer. He dreams of one day working with motorcycles. Once again, he adds, academics will be his main focus.
“Academics is the most important thing in my opinion because it gives you opportunities. Without academics, there are no opportunities,” Pankov said.