PINETOWN — Two Northside High School alumni are getting well-deserved recognition, thanks to one student’s desire to give back.

Cpl. Johnathan Kirk, class of 2000, and Spc. Joel Taylor, class of 2006, were both killed in the line of duty. Senior Aleah Brinn, 18, recently decided to honor them by erecting two memorial markers at Northside to commemorate the veterans’ sacrifices.

On Saturday, a group gathered for the official installation of the markers, during which members of the JROTC performed a color guard routine and a 21-gun salute. Principal Charles Clark and members of the deceased men’s families were also in attendance.

Brinn said joining the school’s Air Force JROTC and gaining exposure to the sacrifices made by military members and their families is what inspired her to pursue the installation of the granite markers.

“It really gave me a different outlook,” Brinn said. “It really just made me want to give back.”

She said the project took more than a year to complete. Raising enough money to purchase the monuments turned out to be the main hurdle to overcome, but the community stepped up to help.

“I had some fundraisers. We would cook food and sell plates at a couple different local places, and we made actually a lot of money by that and just donations,” Brinn said. “It was amazing to see how many people supported the cause and got behind it.”

Joyner’s Memorial in Wilson crafted the markers, which are shaped similar to the school’s sign. Brinn said she had a lot of help from her parents and peers in JROTC to make the project become a reality.

For Brinn, however, coordinating the markers’ installation meant more than simply doing a kind gesture. She said she stayed in contact with Kirk’s and Taylor’s families and believes it helped them cope in a way.

“This memorial is just another example that shows that Northside High School is a community school. The students and alumni of Northside are not just a number, they are people that are cared about long after they graduate. This is a fantastic tribute to both of these young men, and it is a lasting memorial that reminds us that these men may be gone from this earth, but their dedication to their country and to their families will never be forgotten,” Clark wrote in an email.

There were some bumps in the road, but Brinn said she couldn’t imagine a better outcome in the long run. She attributes her inspiration to divine intervention.

“I could not be more satisfied or more happy with how everything turned out,” she said. “I really feel that God put this project on my heart.”