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 a medic in the U.S. Air Force. During my enlistment, I was stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas, Landstuhl Regional Army Medical Center in Landstuhl Germany, and finally Travis Air Force Base in California. I value a lot from my military service. I developed a knowledge base and skill set that has led me on a path towards Vanderbilt and my program in midwifery. If it weren’t for the Air Force, I wouldn’t have found this calling. The military is also where I met my husband and has given me a sense of community. I have friends who live all over the world that I made during my service and I hope as a Bass Military Scholar I can continue that sense of community with the other military and veteran scholars.
What are your thoughts on mentoring other students while at Vanderbilt? As a role model, what values do you want to share?
I love acting as a mentor. I currently hold the title of Mrs. United States and a large part of holding that title is to act as a mentor and role model. I think a commitment to community involvement and service is a value I would like to share, and considering we are all working towards a degree in something I think as a mentor I can help lift up other students and support them because school can get stressful and having a support system is important.
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 in a nurse midwifery program. I hope to use my degree to make a noticeable change in maternal healthcare in this state and even the country. There’s a lot of improvement to be had in terms of maternal care in the US. I plan to stay in the Nashville area and help to make Tennessee a leader in this field.
What would you tell other veterans about the Bass Military Scholars Program?
I talked one-on-one with a Bass Military Scholarship leader and haven’t felt the same level of involvement and individualized guidance with any other program I’ve ever been involved with. I’ve already been connected with other scholars that have offered advice and guidance. It’s such an excellent resource to have. I’m very happy to be a part of it. It’s a program every veteran should strive to be a part of.