Herriman native graduates top of US Navy recruit training class, earns Military Excellence Award

HERRIMAN — A Herriman local and recent graduate of Herriman High School, Keiana Yardley, has now graduated from the U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command as the top sailor of her class.

According to the Department of Defense media, Yardley, 18, received the Military Excellence Award on Nov. 14 for her “enthusiasm, devotion to duty, military bearing and teamwork” in the 10-week boot camp program.

“When I found out that I’d won the award, I thought they’d made a mistake,” Yardley said in an interview with DOD media representative Marc Lindsay. “All the other recruits I was around are great people, so I was really shocked.”

Yardley was a member of the Navy Junior ROTC during her time at Herriman High, and also a member of the varsity drill team. The DOD said she was a peer mentor to students in physics and loves rock climbing in her spare time.

“The award places her at the pinnacle of today’s newest sailors,” Lindsay said. “Yardley is awarded a flag letter of commendation as part of her recognition.”

The accomplishment wasn’t a breeze, Yardley said, and it took counseling and guidance from her Recruit Division Commanders to help get her where she is now.

“At the start of training, I tried to lay low and just get through it. But as time went by, I started to try to push myself more to get the most out of my experience … ” she said. “It’s easy to think that your (Recruit Division Commanders) are just there looking for things you’re doing wrong. In reality, they are there to help you become a better person and mold you into a sailor (who’s) ready for the fleet.”

In addition to learning how to take commands from leadership in stride, Yardley said there was also self-doubt to overcome, and it helped her to consult with the command chaplain.

“There were times when I struggled and had a lot of self-doubt, and I went to (Chaplain Barry) during counseling hours for advice,” she said. “He was able to keep my mind centered on the present moment and remind me that the hard work I did today would pay off in the future. There are times when you can only rely on yourself, and things won’t necessarily get easier. He helped me to realize this and find the internal motivation that I needed to succeed.”

Even bigger than the voices in her head though, Yardley said the most challenging part she faced was being separated from her support system at home, in Herriman.

“Sundays were always tough for me,” she said. “We’d get a phone call sometimes and have a part of the day to ourselves. When you get a chance to think about things and talk to your family, sometimes you start to miss your old life. I realized I couldn’t be there for people like I used to be. To stay in the present, I tried to get to know more people in my division and talked to them about whatever I was struggling with. We were all going through the same things together, and talking with them helped to keep me calm and not feel as alone.”

Now, Yardley’s next career step awaits her in Monterey, California, where she’ll undergo comprehensive language instruction at Cryptologic Technician Interpretive.

“Winning an award like this builds the foundation for the rest of my career,” she said. “I want to strive to not just do the bare minimum, but to be the best I can possibly be and help those I work with do their best as well.”