My name is Mackenzie Baker and I am a US Army Reservist. I served on active duty for seven years and I am currently assigned as a Drill Sergeant supporting Fort Jackson, SC. I am a Veteran Day Student at The Citadel pursing a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Marketing & Business Development and Supply Chain Management with a minor in Spanish. I’m married to a US Army veteran and I’m proud to represent The Army and honored to share my experience in consideration for this scholarship. I decided to enlist in the army while I was in ROTC at my previous university. I was studying nursing and competing for a contract. When asked what I wanted my MOS to be, I wanted it to be something non-medical, something to give me a break from what I was studying at school. I chose 15H: Aircraft Pnuedraulic (army word) Repairer, someone who is qualified to maintain the hydraulic and pneumatic systems and components of all three army helicopter airframes. Nevertheless, I set off for Basic Combat Training (BCT) in Fort Leonard-Wood, MO, and then Advanced Individual Training (AIT) in Fort Eustis, VA in 20216. When I tell you that I had the time of my life, I had found my calling. I enjoyed and excelled in every part of my journey. In BCT, I awarded the highest physical fitness award (female) in my company and a distinguished leadership award. In AIT, I was the first female of my MOS to attend at Fort Eustis and was the distinguished honor graduate of my class. Nothing could stop me. I returned to my university and my reserve unit ready to finish my degree, commission, and work on aircraft. I was wrong about all three. My ROTC program had given my contract to another cadet, I either had to wait another year or change majors. My unit (while I was in AIT) restructured to a flight company, which left all support MOSs out of a job. With no alternate degree in mind, no unit, and a new passion for Army Aviation, I submitted a request to go active-duty and off to Fort Drum, NY I went. I accomplished many achievements in my seven years at Fort Drum. I was good at my job, promoted quickly, and found my true passion for leading and mentoring others. When it was time for my husband and I to start a family, we agreed that stability was the best choice. I chose to become a Drill Sergeant in the Army Reserves and it has been the most fulfilling job I’ve had. Being a trainee’s first impression to The Army and what it means to be an NCO and leader is so important to me. I love being a steward of my profession, and when I graduate, I am on track to bring my skills and experience to lead a team at Boeing. If it had not been for the setbacks that I encountered when I first joined, if I had not persevered when my ROTC contract was denied, there are so many experiences that I would have missed out on. I would have never found my passion in aviation and would most likely be miserable in the nursing field. I would have never met my husband and subsequently be the mother of a wonderful little girl. It is because of the army, and the setbacks that I’ve endured in the army, that I can finally finish my education in a much better state of mind than when I was 18.

My name is Mackenzie Baker and I am a US Army Reservist. I served on active duty for seven years and I am currently assigned as a Drill Sergeant supporting Fort Jackson, SC. I am a Veteran Day Student at The Citadel pursing a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Marketing & Business Development and Supply Chain Management with a minor in Spanish. I’m married to a US Army veteran and I’m proud to represent The Army and honored to share my experience in consideration for this scholarship. I decided to enlist in the army while I was in ROTC at my previous university. I was studying nursing and competing for a contract. When asked what I wanted my MOS to be, I wanted it to be something non-medical, something to give me a break from what I was studying at school. I chose 15H: Aircraft Pnuedraulic (army word) Repairer, someone who is qualified to maintain the hydraulic and pneumatic systems and components of all three army helicopter airframes. Not being very mechanically inclined, this was a big surprise to my family. Nevertheless, I set off for Basic Combat Training (BCT) in Fort Leonard-Wood, MO, and then Advanced Individual Training (AIT) in Fort Eustis, VA in 20216. When I tell you that I had the time of my life, I had found my calling. I enjoyed and excelled in every part of my journey. In BCT, I awarded the highest physical fitness award (female) in my company and a distinguished leadership award. In AIT, I was the first female of my MOS to attend at Fort Eustis and was the distinguished honor graduate of my class. Nothing could stop me. I returned to my university and my reserve unit ready to finish my degree, commission, and work on aircraft. I was wrong about all three. My ROTC program had given my contract to another cadet, I either had to wait another year or change majors. My unit (while I was in AIT) restructured to a flight company, which left all support MOSs out of a job. With no alternate degree in mind, no unit, and a new passion for Army Aviation, I submitted a request to go active-duty and off to Fort Drum, NY I went. I accomplished many achievements in my seven years at Fort Drum. I was good at my job, promoted quickly, and found my true passion for leading and mentoring others. When it was time for my husband and I to start a family, we agreed that stability was the best choice. I chose to become a Drill Sergeant in the Army Reserves and it has been the most fulfilling job I’ve had. Being a trainee’s first impression to The Army and what it means to be an NCO and leader is so important to me. I love being a steward of my profession, and when I graduate, I hope to bring my skills and experience to lead a team at Boeing.

My name is Mackenzie Baker and I am a US Army Reservist. I served on active duty for seven years and I am currently assigned as a Drill Sergeant supporting Fort Jackson, SC. I am a rising junior and Veteran Day Student at The Citadel pursing a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Marketing & Business Development and Supply Chain Management with a minor in Spanish. Mental health is very important to me, but only because I was properly educated by the right people in my own time of crisis. As a leader, mother, and student, I am passionate to tell anyone that will listen about mental health. I’m currently on medication for diagnosed anxiety. I was diagnosed when I was on active duty in 2019. In the military, there is a stigma associated with seeking help for mental illness. I had been told throughout my career that going to Behavioral Health was a career ender. I loved the army (still do) and I loved the job I had as an aviation mechanic. I was at such a low point in my life that when I scheduled an appointment with Behavioral Health, I did not even care if it ended the career that I was most passionate about. Thankfully, I was educated by the professionals at Behavioral Health and received the treatment, therapy, and medication that I needed. When I asked if I was going to be discharged or if I was still going to be allowed to work on aircraft, they assured me that many Soldiers are currently treated through Behavioral Health and maintain their deployable status. It was a huge weight lifted from my shoulders, and a stark difference to my performance and perspective once I started my medication. I am forever thankful for the care I received from the Behavior Health professionals at Fort Drum, NY. As a leader, I knew that I could not just stop with receiving help for myself. I shared my experience and knowledge with my peers and subordinates. I was saddened but not surprised at how many people thought the same as I had. But I was even more disappointed by my own senior leaders who knew and kept that knowledge to themselves; they had no idea that one of their leaders was struggling. I made it my mission to share my experience with every Soldier who would listen about my personal mental health journey. As a Drill Sergeant, I see many trainees who have made the selfless decision to become a part of something bigger than themselves. It is a big change and transition from civilian to Soldier, I share what I know with those that are struggling while still maintaining and enforcing the standards. The most important thing that I tell my trainees is that it’s okay to ask for help, they are not alone in this journey. Fast forward to today, I am the Vice President of Communications and Marketing for The Citadel’s Chapter of Student Veterans of America (SVA). I work alongside an amazing group of veteran students with an outstanding mission to increase awareness of mental health and support each other as we transition from service member to student. I plan to facilitate the SVAs growing presence on campus and continue to educate those around me about the very real stigmas around mental health. Thank you for your consideration for this scholarship. I am honored for the opportunity to write about something that affects me personally and that I am passionate about. I hope that I can make a difference in my college and my community.

My name is Mackenzie Baker and I am a US Army Reservist. After seven years on active duty as a pneumatic/hydraulic and turbine engine mechanic, I'm currently assigned as a Drill Sergeant supporting Fort Jackson, SC. I'm a Veteran Day Student at The Citadel: Military College of South Carolina pursuing a bachelor's degree with a double major in Marketing & Business Development and Supply Chain Management with a minor in Spanish. When I graduate, I plan to stay in the aviation industry by securing a leadership position with Boeing in Charleston, SC. I'm passionate about a career in aviation because it requires a substantial amount of integrity, attention to detail and safety focus. Additionally, the aviation industry only continues to grow and innovate as the demand for air travel increases. As a veteran, reservist, aircraft mechanic, mother, and student, integrity is a core value that I live by. Whether I'm conducting maintenance, supervising mechanics, coaching future Soldiers, taking an exam, or even when I'm raising my daughter, doing the right thing even when no one is watching is a competency strong leaders embody. In the aviation industry, have integrity could save lives and is a skill that everyone in aviation should have. Attention to detail can make or break a mission. If you have time to do something over, you have time to do it right. In aviation, especially army aviation, there is a constant pressure to get aircraft flight-ready as fast as possible. As a leader in aviation, I encourage my mechanics to take their time and work efficiently with safety in the forefront of their maintenance. Efficient maintenance comes from training and repetition supplemented with criticism and feedback. I take this mindset everywhere I go, and plan to one day share it with a team at Boeing. The aviation industry has exponentially expanded since its inception in the 1930s. From air superiority in conflicts, to commercial travel and everything in between, flight has effectively made the world smaller and more accessible to the average person. Air travel has never been safer and the industry continues to improve safety standards. As a business student, there is not an industry that I would rather be a part of. Thank you for your consideration for this scholarship. I'm honored to have had the opportunity to write about an industry that I am so proud and passionate to be a part of.