Former Ceres High School student-athlete Dylan Grubeck has enjoyed reuniting with family and friends during holiday break from the U.S. Army.

“It’s been nice seeing everyone,” said Grubeck, a 19-year-old private first class. “I’m trying to take advantage because I don’t know the next time I’ll be home. The last time I was in Ceres was last January.”

Grubeck will fly back to Washington (Seattle) this Saturday.

He spent Christmas Day with his parents, Jamie and Tommy Trevino, and siblings Khloe Trevino and Ryan Ashby.

He visited his grandmother in Modesto Christmas Eve.

“I used to take a lot of things for granted,” Grubeck said. “The Army taught me the importance of family.”

Grubeck has been stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington for the past six months.

“We have four major training events coming up,” he said. “We have to complete simulations of missions.”

Grubeck enlisted in the military in December of 2019. He signed a four-year contract.

Grubeck graduated from the U.S. Army Infantry One Station Unit Training class on July 17 in Georgia.

He survived 22 weeks of intense training at Fort Brenning.

“I’ve had a great time being in the Army,” Grubeck said. “I never left California before I joined. I’m traveling everywhere now. I’ve been to several different states, including Georgia, Louisiana, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and California.”

“I just hit my one-year mark,” he added. “Being in Washington by myself made me grow up quicker. I’m more responsible and mature. My parents always mention that. It’s been different but exciting. You never have the same schedule. You never get bored. It’s not a typical job. You’re always learning something new. There’s not a lot of free time anymore.”

Grubeck has completed multiple Army weapons qualification courses.

“I’m always shooting new stuff,” he said. 

Grubeck could be deployed overseas this spring.

“I don’t know where we’re going because of COVID,” said Grubeck, who is a member of the Alpha Company, 2-54 Infantry Battalion, 198th Infantry Brigade. “I’m excited. It will be nice seeing what life is like in another country.”

Grubeck graduated from Ceres High School in 2019.

He played golf and football during his senior year.

Grubeck was a starter on Ceres High’s Sac-Joaquin Section Division-IV championship boys golf team.

The Bulldogs made history by claiming their first section title.

Ceres High also advanced to the Masters Tournament.

Grubeck’s final season of football was cut short by injury on Senior Night.

The defensive back/receiver missed the Bulldogs’ final two games.

Grubeck dropped out of Modesto Junior College in August of 2019.

He started working at a car dealership soon after.

A visit to a military recruiting office in Modesto changed Grubeck’s life.

“I had no direction,” he said. “I didn’t know what career path I was going to take. I decided one day to talk to a recruiter to see what it was all about. I wanted to challenge myself. When I signed up, my parents were shocked.”