Tell us about your military service. What did you do? Where did you serve? What do you value the most about your military service?
I was blessed to have served eight years as an active duty Army Engineer Officer in the US Army. I served at Fort Carson, CO, and Fort Bragg, NC, with short stays at Fort Leonard Wood, MO and Fort Benning, GA. I deployed twice, once in support of Operation United Assistance to Liberia, and the other in support of Operation Spartan Shield to Kuwait. Among my many duties as an Engineer Officer, I was a Horizontal Construction Platoon Leader, and -most memorably – a Route Clearance Company Commander in an Airborne Engineer Battalion at Fort Bragg (getting paid to jump out of perfectly good airplanes and mold and detonate C-4 was quite possibly the highlight of my career!). I learned the true meaning of leadership and service through my time in the military. Leadership is an art that deserves to be studied, and a skill that needs to be honed. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to grow into myself as a leader in my community through my military service.
What are your thoughts on mentoring other students while at Vanderbilt? As a role model, what values do you want to share?
I am very passionate about service and mentoring. As a Company Commander, I oversaw the implementation of my Battalion’s first female focused mentorship program, which was a huge success. I think as a mentor and a role model, it is my duty as a Veteran to bridge the gap between veterans and civilians at Vanderbilt, to best enhance our community of learning. I hope to show and share the grit and hard work the military taught me, while also sharing resilience tactics, leadership values, and the ability to create a team out of a diverse group of individuals.
While at Vanderbilt, what will be the focus of your studies and how do you plan to use this knowledge in your future career?
I am blessed to have been accepted into Vanderbilt’s MSN Program, with a Specialty of Midwifery. I am thrilled to study this brand-new-to-me field, and also thrilled to be able to serve my community in a very practical way. Women’s health is near and dear to my heart – after spending months in Liberia through my Army service, my heart and soul were set on fire to serve under-privileged communities and to be a voice to those who feel they may not have one. It is important to me to provide the best, most educated and compassionate care while supporting women through the lifechanging experience of child birth.
What would you tell other veterans about the Bass Military Scholars Program?
I believe that the Bass Military Scholars Program has the opportunity to shape the military community within Vanderbilt – but also within the greater Nashville area. The connections and experiences we share can positively impact veterans and civilians, in order to bridge the gap between the two. Additionally, though our active duty military service may have ended, our involvement with Vanderbilt ROTC affords us the opportunity to continue to impact future generations of the military, which is something that is near and dear to all leader’s hearts. I am absolutely looking forward to the opportunity to be a positive role model for my community and to create long-lasting bonds with fellow veterans and educators.