Former “Lizzie McGuire” actress Carly Schroeder has left the glitzy world of Hollywood fame to join the Army.
“I’ve been considering it for a while and it is a big choice, but thankfully my parents and my little brother were very supportive of me,” the 28-year-old told TMZ on Wednesday, March 13. “My dad was actually in the Army, he was a Green Beret medic, and my little brother Hunter, he’s in the Marines now.”
Schroeder’s been in the Hollywood scene since a young age. At 11, she joined the Disney Channel, starring in “Lizzie McGuire” as Melina Bianco. Since she was so young, Hilary Duff and Lalaine acted as her “big sisters” on set.
“[They] gave me candy when no one was looking and tolerated my abundance of energy,” Schroeder wrote in a touching Instagram post. “For years, I rocked hand-me-downs from Hilary [Duff] and couldn’t have been more stoked she made me look fashionable. During a difficult time in my life I had these two gorgeous, intelligent, talented big sisters looking out for me.”
A year later, at age 12, she auditioned for her first feature film and got the role of Millie in the thriller film “Mean Creek.” Recently, she played Laurie in the supernatural thriller “Ouija House” (2018).
She said the decision to enlist in the army wasn’t made lightly. Factors behind her decision to enlist included giving aid to veterans and advocating for human trafficking victims. Schroeder said that for her, the best way to do both was to enlist in the Army.
She’s already begun training and is interested in working in military intelligence after she finishes Officer Candidate School (OCS), she said.
Schroeder originally announced her move to join the Army in a February Instagram post.
View this post on InstagramFor 22 years, I’ve played dress up for a living. As an actress I’ve been kidnapped, gone blind, nearly eaten by lions and murdered on more than one occasion. I tormented Lizzie McGuire’s little brother on the Disney channel, was a dolphin trainer, the first female soccer player on an all boys team and Harrison Ford once rescued me during an intense home invasion. . That’s exciting and all, but in January I decided to raise my right hand and swear into the United States Army. With a college degree from @callutheran in Criminal Justice, an ASVAB score of 92, and qualifying PFTs… I was accepted into Army #OCS (Officer Candidate School). . There are three BIG reasons (among many others) why I am taking a break from Hollywood to #goarmy . 1. College opened my eyes to global injustices. But on a more tangible micro level, there is human trafficking occurring within the United States. I’ve written papers, spread awareness and as an Army Officer I intend to learn skills I can later apply when I’m on a team helping these victims. . 2. Serving my country will give my voice more validity. I can better serve and advocate for veterans once I am a part of their community. The military is a family and family always has each others back. . 3. My brother is a Marine and my Papa was a Green Beret… There is no way I am going to let the boys have all the fun. #hooah #actresstoarmy #startedondisneynowimhere ????????♀️ . Thank you to my big brothers who teach, encourage and support me. I’ll make you proud. ♥️ @hunter_schroede0372 @claskytac @greenlinetactical @longhighwayhome @garand_thumb @tyler_hughes_ss
“For 22 years, I’ve played dress up for a living. As an actress I’ve been kidnapped, gone blind, nearly eaten by lions and murdered on more than one occasion,” she wrote. “I tormented Lizzie McGuire’s little brother on the Disney Channel, was a dolphin trainer, the first female soccer player on an all boys team and Harrison Ford once rescued me during an intense home invasion.”
She added, “That’s exciting and all, but in January I decided to raise my right hand and swear into the United States Army. With a college degree from @callutheran in Criminal Justice, an ASVAB score of 92, and qualifying PFTs… I was accepted into Army #OCS (Officer Candidate School).”
She explained that there were three big reasons for her decision to join the Army.
The first reason she said started back in college.
“College opened my eyes to global injustices. But on a more tangible micro level, there is human trafficking occurring within the United States. I’ve written papers, spread awareness and as an Army Officer I intend to learn skills I can later apply when I’m on a team helping these victims.”
View this post on InstagramThere are a lot of narratives when it comes to “Police Shootings”. Here are the facts I found in an attempt to better understand the topic. . Sources: The Washington Post, FBI Crime Statistics, CFR & CNN: . 284 people have been shot by the police in 2018. . Of the 284 people shot by the police, here is the breakdown by race: . White: 124 Black: 59 Hispanic: 38 Other: 9 Unknown: 54 . Of the 284 people shot by the police, here is the breakdown by weapons: . Guns: 156 Knives: 44 Vehicle: 18 Toy Weapon: 8 Other: 27 Unarmed: 9 Unknown: 22 . 3.1% of police shootings are unarmed individuals. . Of the 9 unarmed individuals shot: White: 4 Black: 4 Hispanic: 1 . “Why do police shoot so many times?” . FBI Special Agent John Huber explains, when lethal use of force is justified, inflicting a single, non-fatal wound is not enough to remove the threat that person represents to the officer or others. One single shot from police is not enough unless an airway or certain parts of the central nervous system, such as the brain stem or upper spinal cord are struck, a person isn’t guaranteed to lose consciousness until they lose about 40-50% of their blood. If a person does not lose enough blood, he or she is “still able to fight,” That’s why officers are trained to fire multiple times when they are justified in doing so. . “Everyone has the right to self defense,” Huber said. “Police officers do, too.” . According to CNN, in 2018, 16 Police officers have been shot and killed in the line of duty. . The current US population is more than 326 million. Of that population, there are 44,000 sworn officers. . If your interested in what is justified lethal force (according to current US Laws) review the (CFR) Code of Federal Regulations § 1047.7 Use of deadly force. . These facts don’t take away from the pain and suffering the loss of each individual has cause their families and communities. Please share your opinions, facts and sources but be RESPECTFUL! ❌ My block game is strong ❌ . Photo Credit: @dynamic_defense_inc
For the second reason, she said serving would enable her to “better serve and advocate for veterans.”
“Serving my country will give my voice more validity. I can better serve and advocate for veterans once I am a part of their community,” she said. “The military is a family and family always has each others back.”
And as for the third reason, she mentioned that with her father having been a Green Beret and her brother in the Marines, “There is no way I am going to let the boys have all the fun.”
She concluded with a personal message of thanks: “Thank you to my big brothers who teach, encourage and support me. I’ll make you proud.”
View this post on InstagramWelcome to the party ???????? #fullautofriday Video: @dynamic_defense_inc
