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 began my Coast Guard career aboard USCGC ACTIVE in Port Angeles, WA, conducting counter-narcotics patrols in the Eastern Pacific. I then served in Juneau, AK, where I led pollution response, disaster management, and search and rescue missions across Southeast Alaska. I concluded my service as Operations Officer at the PAC/D11 Command Center in Alameda, CA, overseeing command and control of law enforcement, homeland security, and search and rescue operations along the West Coast. These diverse roles deepened my commitment to service and shaped the values I now bring to medicine.
What are your thoughts on mentoring other students while at Vanderbilt? As a role model, what values do you want to share?
Transitioning to medicine, I hope to enrich my classmates and the wider Vanderbilt community by sharing the service and leadership lessons I gained in the Coast Guard. Skills developed in the military—calmly operating under pressure, triaging priorities, and making difficult decisions—translate directly into the practice of medicine and are insights I am eager to share with peers. Above all, I want to model the Coast Guard’s leadership ethos: take care of your people. At Vanderbilt, that means supporting classmates, colleagues, and patients with integrity, teamwork, and compassion.
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 aspire to become an emergency medicine physician dedicated to improving care for vulnerable and disadvantaged communities both domestically and abroad. My service in the Coast Guard revealed how geographic isolation and poverty compound barriers to emergency care, shaping my commitment to address these challenges. At Vanderbilt, I plan to focus on developing the clinical expertise and leadership skills needed to serve others at the clinical level in addition to strengthening emergency medical systems in my community.
What would you tell other veterans about the Bass Military Scholars Program?
The Bass Military Scholars Program is an incredible opportunity to celebrate the profound role military service has played in shaping who you are and the degree you now pursue. For me, it has provided immediate connections with others at Vanderbilt who share my background and my aspiration to continue serving society through higher education. Beyond making education financially possible, the Bass community offers a true sense of belonging and a chance to share our experiences and values with the Vanderbilt community around us.
Beyond your role as a Bass Military Scholar and Vanderbilt student, in what ways do you give back, support others, and engage with your community?
- Director of Medical Strategy, SAR Advisory Group, a division of the International Association of Search and Rescue Coordinators (IASARC)