PO2 Brai Clark, U.S. Navy
March, will make four years that I’ve been in. My first duty station was at a helicopter squadron in San Diego. Before then, was home in Mobile, Al. I guess you could say I was really involved in high school I was part of the Key Club, Pre-med club, Scholar’s bowl team, softball team and tennis.
I originally was supposed to have went to college (University of Alabama at Birmingham, UAB).
I got my acceptance letter in the mail. The summer of 2012 after I graduated I thought I was leaving for college but the issue is my mom couldn’t afford it. I received a partial academic scholarship and applied for FASFA and it still wasn’t enough. I tried to apply for community college but miss the deadline for financial aid. So I decided I was going to apply next year in the spring. The navy came to mind when I received something like junk mail mentioning the Navy. I went to the recruiter office they ask me if I had taken the ASVAB and I so happened took it in high school to get out of class for a few hours and did well. And that’s how I joined the military.
I started of with a few challenges such as my family did not want me to go. They feared the unknown. And being away from home was difficult as well but the only way to succumb to those challenges was time.
A lot the main thing that the military taught was independency. Befor I was very sheltered, I come from a small family and everyone was within a ten mile radius of each other. Expanding my horizon and welcoming change.
I cherish ita lot more. While in I have come across all walks of life and out of those people some came to America fighting for opportunity to make something here.
That to keep pushing and that the pain from the challenges you go through is only temporary. And let the difference you make be something that inspires the generation behind them.
When I first joined it originally was for school. Then it became for the sense of pride I gave my family to say I was in the military, now it’s because I realize that as a woman in the military, even though I work in an administrative job, I would like to think I’m apart of some type of history.
My legacy, I’m not sure yet I’m still currently working on that.
I don’t want to be remembered for much just that I worked hard and that I made at least one change in somebodies life.