I’ve been in plenty of jobs that I loved, but I once landed in a job I absolutely hated (postal.) My lack of enthusiasm was starting to become apparent and was degrading my work ethic. My supervisor had to have a pretty uncomfortable conversation with me. Up to that point, I was used to excelling and it was hard for me to be in that slump. I learned that people will sometimes need to be re-motivated, and that doesn’t make them bad people. I could have easily remained in that state of mediocrity and some supervisors would have written me off, but I learned that you don’t give up on people. I also learned that even though the job seemed small to me, it mattered so much to other people. I was certainly tired of Amazon and Pampered Chef boxes, but among those were also letters and photos form family.

I’m an introvert by nature. I would never speak up or leave my comfort zone and was very shy. I won’t claim to be an extrovert now but I can say I definitely have no issues speaking my mind. I’m not intimidated by interacting with people and will gladly hold a conversation with anyone of any rank. I’ve been given some great remarks about my public speaking abilities in every Professional Military Education school I’ve attended. The military puts you in these “sink or swim” situations regarding commanding the attention of a room and I don’t know where else I would have to consistently do that.

The military puts you in these “sink or swim” situations regarding commanding the attention of a room and I don’t know where else I would have to consistently do that.

I’ve seen the good and bad of being in the military. Most people support us but there are some who don’t and are very vocal about it. Luckily, the Constitution that I support and defend allows them to express that opinion. I may not support what you say, but I have taken an oath to support your right to say it.

What I would like to impart upon the new generation of leaders that follow me is don’t try to recreate the past. Every generation likes to complain about the new generation and how different they are. Use your differences to be innovative and create new ideas instead of always relying on how the last generation got it done.

I serve because it’s in me. The military is not for everyone and that’s ok. I serve for me, I’m intrinsically motivated by what I do. My family would have been just fine if I never spent a day in the military and there are new people coming in everyday who can do my job. I serve because it’s fulfilling to me, and I love what I do.

What I would want my legacy to be is improvement. I want people to be able to say that I left things better than when I got them.

And I want to be remembered as an effective and personable American Airman.