As a Doctoral student at Capella University, I am pursuing my passion for serving disabled veterans and their families through social service program design and research. As a military veteran and Doctorate student, my educational experience has been a journey of overcoming challenges and barriers, especially as a disabled Marine Corps veteran with PTSD. After the loss of my brother due to suicide in 2014 and being honorably discharged from the military, I felt lost. With the help of the VA, I sought a career path that would allow me to use my experiences to help others who have endured similar challenges. This is where the pursuit of my master's degree in human services began. After graduating with my MS in Human Services in 2022, I felt led to pursue the Doctor of Human Services program. I have maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout my year in the program, and my challenges as a non-traditional disabled veteran student were a blessing in disguise and set me up for success! The skills I learned as a Marine I still hold close to this day include honor, courage, commitment, attention to detail, and serving a purpose bigger than ourselves. Being a disabled military veteran, it was a challenge at times to integrate back into the civilian world. The challenges I faced have pushed me to pursue the purpose and calling of helping others who have been through trauma and are impacted by disabilities. I am also highly engaged with community services and volunteering as I have done advocacy work for suicide prevention and work with disabled veterans and children with disabilities at a 501c3 therapy organization called Bravehearts Therapeutic Riding. My future goals include working to help change the way that trauma, disabilities, and PTSD are treated in our military veteran population by enhancing the quality of care through social service program design and research. I have over six years of experience in the human services field, with a master's degree in health and human services from Capella University and a certificate in health and wellness from Cornell University. I also hold certifications in small business management from Loyola University and nonprofit management from Northern Illinois University. I am also a certified American Council on Exercise personal trainer and nutrition coach. The transformative effect I witnessed on my healing journey fueled this passion for health and wellness. I am passionate about bringing together physical, mental, and spiritual wellness as a catalyst for healing and improving the quality of life of those impacted by trauma and disabilities. My background as a Marine Corps veteran and an unmanned aerial vehicle operator gives me a unique perspective and insight into the needs and challenges of the veteran community. I piloted the RQ-7B "Shadow" drone for surveillance and reconnaissance missions, earning an associate's degree in unmanned aviation and an FAA private pilot's license. I also performed various administrative duties, such as flight jacket management and documenting flight hours and certifications for pilots in my unit. I am proud of my honorable service and grateful for the skills and values I acquired as a Marine. This funding will allow me to pay for the portion of tuition I am currently paying out of pocket, as the VA education benefits I have earned pay for 70% of my tuition. Upon completion of my Doctorate in Human Services, I will be equipped to give back to the community and make an impact on a national level through grant writing, program development, scientific research, program evaluation, advocacy, activism, and lobbying for political change, funding allocation, and human rights.

As a military veteran and full time Doctorate student, my educational experience has been far from traditional! It has been a journey of overcoming challenges and barriers, especially as a disabled Marine Corps veteran with PTSD. After the loss of my brother due to suicide in 2014 and being honorably discharged from the military, I felt lost. With the help of the VA, I sought out to seek a career path that would bring healing to others who have went through similar challenges. This is where the pursuit of my masters degree in human services began. I am so passionate about helping others that I am now a year into my doctor of human services program. I have maintained a 4.0 GPA, the challenges faced as a non-traditional student actually set me up for success! The skills I learned as a marine I still hold close to this day such as honor, courage, commitment, attention to detail, and serving a purpose bigger than ourselves. Being a disabled military veteran, it was a challenge at times to integrate back into the civilian world, especially as an adult learner. The challenges I faced have pushed me to pursue the purpose and calling of helping others who have been through trauma. I am also extremely engaged with community services and volunteering as I have done advocacy work for suicide prevention and work with disabled veterans and children with disabilities at therapy organization called Bravehearts therapeutic riding. My future goals include working to help change the way that trauma and PTSD is treated in our military veteran population by enhancing the quality of care through social service program design and research. As a Doctoral student at Capella University, I am pursuing my passion for serving veterans and their families through social service program design and research. I have over six years of experience in the human services field, with a master's degree in health and human services from Capella University and a certificate in health and wellness from Cornell University. I also hold certifications in small business management from Loyola University and in nonprofit management from Northern Illinois University. I am also an American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer and nutrition coach. My background as a Marine Corps veteran and an unmanned aerial vehicle operator gives me a unique perspective and insight into the needs and challenges of the veteran community. I piloted the RQ-7B "Shadow" drone for surveillance and reconnaissance missions, earning an associate's degree in unmanned aviation and an FAA private pilot's license. I also performed various administrative duties, such as flight jacket management and documenting flight hours and certifications for pilots in my unit. I am proud of my honorable service and grateful for the skills and values I acquired as a Marine.

As a military veteran and full time Doctorate student, my educational experience has been far from traditional! It has been a journey of overcoming challenges and barriers, especially as a disabled Marine Corps veteran with PTSD. After the loss of my brother due to suicide in 2014 and being honorably discharged from the military, I felt lost. With the help of the VA, I sought out to seek a career path that would bring healing to others who have went through similar challenges. This is where the pursuit of my masters degree in human services began. I am so passionate about helping others that I am now a year into my doctor of human services program. I have maintained a 4.0 GPA, the challenges faced as a non-traditional student actually set me up for success! The skills I learned as a marine I still hold close to this day such as honor, courage, commitment, attention to detail, and serving a purpose bigger than ourselves. Being a disabled military veteran, it was a challenge at times to integrate back into the civilian world, especially as an adult learner. The challenges I faced have pushed me to pursue the purpose and calling of helping others who have been through trauma. I am also extremely engaged with community services and volunteering as I have done advocacy work for suicide prevention and work with disabled veterans and children with disabilities at therapy organization called Bravehearts therapeutic riding. My future goals include working to help change the way that trauma and PTSD is treated in our military veteran population by enhancing the quality of care through social service program design and research. As a Doctoral student at Capella University, I am pursuing my passion for serving veterans and their families through social service program design and research. I have over six years of experience in the human services field, with a master's degree in health and human services from Capella University and a certificate in health and wellness from Cornell University. I also hold certifications in small business management from Loyola University and in nonprofit management from Northern Illinois University. I am also an American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer and nutrition coach. My background as a Marine Corps veteran and an unmanned aerial vehicle operator gives me a unique perspective and insight into the needs and challenges of the veteran community. I piloted the RQ-7B "Shadow" drone for surveillance and reconnaissance missions, earning an associate's degree in unmanned aviation and an FAA private pilot's license. I also performed various administrative duties, such as flight jacket management and documenting flight hours and certifications for pilots in my unit. I am proud of my honorable service and grateful for the skills and values I acquired as a Marine.

As a military veteran and full time Doctorate student, my educational experience has been far from traditional! It has been a journey of overcoming challenges and barriers, especially as a disabled Marine Corps veteran with PTSD. After the loss of my brother due to suicide in 2014 and being honorably discharged from the military, I felt lost. With the help of the VA, I sought out to seek a career path that would bring healing to others who have went through similar challenges. This is where the pursuit of my masters degree in human services began. I am so passionate about helping others that I am now a year into my doctor of human services program. I have maintained a 4.0 GPA, the challenges faced as a non-traditional student actually set me up for success! The skills I learned as a marine I still hold close to this day such as honor, courage, commitment, attention to detail, and serving a purpose bigger than ourselves. Being a disabled military veteran, it was a challenge at times to integrate back into the civilian world, especially as an adult learner. The challenges I faced have pushed me to pursue the purpose and calling of helping others who have been through trauma. I am also extremely engaged with community services and volunteering as I have done advocacy work for suicide prevention and work with disabled veterans and children with disabilities at therapy organization called Bravehearts therapeutic riding. My future goals include working to help change the way that trauma and PTSD is treated in our military veteran population by enhancing the quality of care through social service program design and research. As a Doctoral student at Capella University, I am pursuing my passion for serving veterans and their families through social service program design and research. I have over six years of experience in the human services field, with a master's degree in health and human services from Capella University and a certificate in health and wellness from Cornell University. I also hold certifications in small business management from Loyola University and in nonprofit management from Northern Illinois University. I am also an American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer and nutrition coach. My background as a Marine Corps veteran and an unmanned aerial vehicle operator gives me a unique perspective and insight into the needs and challenges of the veteran community. I piloted the RQ-7B "Shadow" drone for surveillance and reconnaissance missions, earning an associate's degree in unmanned aviation and an FAA private pilot's license. I also performed various administrative duties, such as flight jacket management and documenting flight hours and certifications for pilots in my unit. I am proud of my honorable service and grateful for the skills and values I acquired as a Marine.

As a military veteran and full time Doctorate student, my educational experience has been far from traditional! It has been a journey of overcoming challenges and barriers, especially as a disabled Marine Corps veteran with PTSD. After the loss of my brother due to suicide in 2014 and being honorably discharged from the military, I felt lost. With the help of the VA, I sought out to seek a career path that would bring healing to others who have went through similar challenges. This is where the pursuit of my masters degree in human services began. I am so passionate about helping others that I am now a year into my doctor of human services program. I have maintained a 4.0 GPA, the challenges faced as a non-traditional student actually set me up for success! The skills I learned as a marine I still hold close to this day such as honor, courage, commitment, attention to detail, and serving a purpose bigger than ourselves. Being a disabled military veteran, it was a challenge at times to integrate back into the civilian world, especially as an adult learner. The challenges I faced have pushed me to pursue the purpose and calling of helping others who have been through trauma. I am also extremely engaged with community services and volunteering as I have done advocacy work for suicide prevention and work with disabled veterans and children with disabilities at therapy organization called Bravehearts therapeutic riding. My future goals include working to help change the way that trauma and PTSD is treated in our military veteran population by enhancing the quality of care through social service program design and research. As a Doctoral student at Capella University, I am pursuing my passion for serving veterans and their families through social service program design and research. I have over six years of experience in the human services field, with a master's degree in health and human services from Capella University and a certificate in health and wellness from Cornell University. I also hold certifications in small business management from Loyola University and in nonprofit management from Northern Illinois University. I am also an American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer and nutrition coach. My background as a Marine Corps veteran and an unmanned aerial vehicle operator gives me a unique perspective and insight into the needs and challenges of the veteran community. I piloted the RQ-7B "Shadow" drone for surveillance and reconnaissance missions, earning an associate's degree in unmanned aviation and an FAA private pilot's license. I also performed various administrative duties, such as flight jacket management and documenting flight hours and certifications for pilots in my unit. I am proud of my honorable service and grateful for the skills and values I acquired as a Marine.

As a military veteran and full time Doctorate student, my educational experience has been far from traditional! It has been a journey of overcoming challenges and barriers, especially as a disabled Marine Corps veteran with PTSD. After the loss of my brother due to suicide in 2014 and being honorably discharged from the military, I felt lost. With the help of the VA, I sought out to seek a career path that would bring healing to others who have went through similar challenges. This is where the pursuit of my masters degree in human services began. I am so passionate about helping others that I am now a year into my doctor of human services program. I have maintained a 4.0 GPA, the challenges faced as a non-traditional student actually set me up for success! The skills I learned as a marine I still hold close to this day such as honor, courage, commitment, attention to detail, and serving a purpose bigger than ourselves. Being a disabled military veteran, it was a challenge at times to integrate back into the civilian world, especially as an adult learner. The challenges I faced have pushed me to pursue the purpose and calling of helping others who have been through trauma. I am also extremely engaged with community services and volunteering as I have done advocacy work for suicide prevention and work with disabled veterans and children with disabilities at therapy organization called Bravehearts therapeutic riding. My future goals include working to help change the way that trauma and PTSD is treated in our military veteran population by enhancing the quality of care through social service program design and research. As a Doctoral student at Capella University, I am pursuing my passion for serving veterans and their families through social service program design and research. I have over six years of experience in the human services field, with a master's degree in health and human services from Capella University and a certificate in health and wellness from Cornell University. I also hold certifications in small business management from Loyola University and in nonprofit management from Northern Illinois University. I am also an American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer and nutrition coach. My background as a Marine Corps veteran and an unmanned aerial vehicle operator gives me a unique perspective and insight into the needs and challenges of the veteran community. I piloted the RQ-7B "Shadow" drone for surveillance and reconnaissance missions, earning an associate's degree in unmanned aviation and an FAA private pilot's license. I also performed various administrative duties, such as flight jacket management and documenting flight hours and certifications for pilots in my unit. I am proud of my honorable service and grateful for the skills and values I acquired as a Marine.

As a military veteran and full time Doctorate student, my educational experience has been far from traditional! It has been a journey of overcoming challenges and barriers, especially as a disabled Marine Corps veteran with PTSD. After the loss of my brother due to suicide in 2014 and being honorably discharged from the military, I felt lost. With the help of the VA, I sought out to seek a career path that would bring healing to others who have went through similar challenges. This is where the pursuit of my masters degree in human services began. I am so passionate about helping others that I am now a year into my doctor of human services program. I have maintained a 4.0 GPA, the challenges faced as a non-traditional student actually set me up for success! The skills I learned as a marine I still hold close to this day such as honor, courage, commitment, attention to detail, and serving a purpose bigger than ourselves. Being a disabled military veteran, it was a challenge at times to integrate back into the civilian world, especially as an adult learner. The challenges I faced have pushed me to pursue the purpose and calling of helping others who have been through trauma. I am also extremely engaged with community services and volunteering as I have done advocacy work for suicide prevention and work with disabled veterans and children with disabilities at therapy organization called Bravehearts therapeutic riding. My future goals include working to help change the way that trauma and PTSD is treated in our military veteran population by enhancing the quality of care through social service program design and research. As a Doctoral student at Capella University, I am pursuing my passion for serving veterans and their families through social service program design and research. I have over six years of experience in the human services field, with a master's degree in health and human services from Capella University and a certificate in health and wellness from Cornell University. I also hold certifications in small business management from Loyola University and in nonprofit management from Northern Illinois University. I am also an American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer and nutrition coach. My background as a Marine Corps veteran and an unmanned aerial vehicle operator gives me a unique perspective and insight into the needs and challenges of the veteran community. I piloted the RQ-7B "Shadow" drone for surveillance and reconnaissance missions, earning an associate's degree in unmanned aviation and an FAA private pilot's license. I also performed various administrative duties, such as flight jacket management and documenting flight hours and certifications for pilots in my unit. I am proud of my honorable service and grateful for the skills and values I acquired as a Marine.