Former Army Sniper and CIA agent Alex Coker visited Collierville High School on Friday, March 24, to the Criminal Justice classes to talk about his life and achievements.

Coker came in energetic, with a booming voice to address the full room and awaiting ears. He started out by advising the students on the choices they make throughout their teenage years: “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” He also mentioned that the choices you make “might not affect you today, tomorrow, or a year from now, they always come back in the end.”

Going back to his early like, he described that although he was just an “average guy who hated schoolwork,” he knew his goals and what he wanted to achieve in his life. He was a part of the ROTC program and thinks that it should be mandatory from kindergarten through high school in order to have a more “trained and disciplined nation.” He went to summer school every year in order to graduate early his junior year and enlist in the army at age 18. He was a M-60 machine gunner for his platoon.

He always knew he wanted to be a sniper in the Marines but ended up training to be an Army Sniper instead. He vividly described the training experience by beating on the desks of audience and yelling at the audience to demonstrate their instructors’ actions. He re-enlisted in the army in the middle of a snake-infested swamp, notably abnormal, explaining “don’t ever tell me what I can’t do.” He was a member of the Presidential Honor Guard and a recruiter.

Once he got married the first time, he decided to have a job where he could be home more while also being active duty as well as armed. He became a police officer, eventually sheriff, as well as spending 5 years as a K-9 unit. He was a police academy instructor, Executive Protection Officer, firearms instructor, and much more throughout his time in law enforcement.

He went on to describe how he ran into an old friend that ended up recommending Coker to the CIA. After months of evaluation and interviewing, Coker became a part of the Global Response Staff and eventually the Director’s Protective Staff.

Coker remarried, going back to law enforcement. During this time, he decided to try his hand at acting, with brief features on a few big-name movies. He shared that the first TV show he shot never aired but he eventually had his own survivor reality show that aired for a few years.

Finally, he started to learn how to be a paratrooper as well as skydiving. He became an instructor, eventually being known as the man with the dog who likes to skydive, featuring on the news as well as having his own YouTube channel. He is currently in the process of writing a children’s book, hoping to have it published in the near future.

Coker finished up by explaining that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you came from, whether you have no arm or no legs, do not let anyone stop you from achieving your goals. He will retire at age 49 and feels satisfied with what he has accomplished.

Throughout the presentation, Coker had a lively audience. He was never met with silence at the end of his questions. He certainly left a mark on the CHS students, whether it was inspiration and motivation, or just intrigue on what he had to say. He was a guest that those students will never forget, always remembering the day Alex Coker visited Collierville High School and left his mark with a simple statement: “What will you do with your 24 hours?”