She has a family tradition of military service and participated in Navy Jr Reserve Officer Training Corps in high school. After graduating from college, she decided to join the Navy through the Officer Candidate Program. She got pushed into becoming a flight officer which wasn’t something she was passionate about and was able to transfer to Public Affairs after her first assignment. She decided to leave active duty and transition into the Reserves and move back home. There she got married and had her son and also graduated with her Masters. After graduating she found a job as a civilian in a government job while also working in the Reserves.

She decided that job wasn’t a good fit and took the opportunity to go back on orders for an extended period of time. She and her husband separated and she decided to go back to active duty. Unfortunately, there were not any PA opening so she applied to switch to Human Resources. And went back to active duty as a Human Resources Officer.

She is a single mom of two kids and has her mom living with her to help take care of the kids while she works full time, pursues her PhD and live her life. Having that built in support has really helped her as she occasionally travels and has other commitments to the military.

She encourages women to join the military and would like to see the percentage of women serving in the military go to 50%. 

Related Episodes:

Episode 15: From the Navy to the Air Force

Episode 27: From the Navy to Entrepreneurship

Episode 9: Seeing the World with the Navy

Resources:

Women of the Military Mentorship Program

Girl's Guide to Military Service available where books are sold. 

Signed copies of A Girl's Guide to Military Service

Girl's Guide to the Military Series