Growing up as a military child, I faced the recurring challenge of frequent moves, each requiring me to leave behind friends, familiar places, and the comfort of stability. One poignant memory from my childhood in Hawaii encapsulates this struggle. A new friend at school asked, “How can we become friends if you’re just going to move away at the end of the year?” That question lingered with me, highlighting the emotional toll of my nomadic lifestyle. Moving every two to three years—seven times across nine schools—meant constant uncertainty about where I’d live, who I’d befriend, or what my school would be like. As a young girl, this instability often created tension with my parents; I questioned why they’d uproot me from places where I felt happy and secure. At the time, I didn’t realize how these challenges were shaping my resilience. One particularly difficult transition came during my sophomore year of high school when my family relocated again. The new school was large, with tight-knit social circles, making it hard to find my place. I grappled with isolation and self-doubt, wondering if I could adapt as I had before. The weight of starting over felt heavier this time, and I feared I’d remain an outsider. However, I drew on the resilience I’d built from past moves and refused to let this setback define me. I joined the Military Ambassadors Club, seeking a community that understood my background. As the Social Media Officer, I created engaging online content to connect members during virtual school, which helped me forge bonds and feel purposeful. I also joined the Varsity Cheer and Track team, pushing myself to build relationships through teamwork, even when it meant stepping far outside my comfort zone. This experience taught me profound lessons about adaptability and perseverance. I learned that change is inevitable, and staying flexible while remaining true to myself is the key to thriving in new environments. Each move forced me to rely on my family for stability but also to embrace fleeting friendships, recognizing their value even if they lasted only a year. The concept of a “comfort zone” became irrelevant; instead, I grew confident in navigating unfamiliar situations. Even now in college, I have taken these lessons with me and applied them with my adjustment of moving away from home. The challenges of my nomadic upbringing, once a source of frustration, became the foundation of my growth. I now see setbacks as opportunities to learn and connect. The confidence I gained from adapting to new schools and communities drives my ambition to pursue a career in advertising and media, where I aim to tell stories that resonate across diverse audiences. I’m grateful for my parents’ choices, which taught me that resilience isn’t just about surviving change, it’s about using it to become a stronger, more empathetic person ready to take on new challenges.

“This is 4 Girls 1 Adventure, and we’re in [insert place], let’s go” was the opening line in videos made in over 13 countries and 29 states. In 2014, on a trip to Korea, I decided to create videos with my three sisters of our traveling adventures for family and friends. I realized that many people I knew did not have the same opportunity to travel like we did and I wanted others to feel like they were vicariously traveling through us. What I didn’t realize at the time was how the military lifestyle of traveling would change me and grow my passion for a career in advertising. I don’t think you can grow up as a military child without being resilient. The nomadic lifestyle gave my family the opportunity to live in different areas that I loved to explore. It also gave us the opportunity to travel away from home in a unique and inexpensive way. We were able to fly on military planes, like a C-17 for the cost of a boxed lunch. Sure it meant not having reclined seats and built-in TV screens like a commercial airplane, but it also meant we could sit in parachute seats lining the plane. To get on these flights, we had to arrive at the terminal, ready to travel, and hope that our names would be called on a space-available basis to a destination that we wanted to go to. Watching videos of this process was the only way people could fully grasp how we traveled. Spontaneity, patience, and flexibility were key to flying this way. I found that with each flight, I became more knowledgeable and self aware. Different locations taught me different lessons. Filming videos in Japan started out nerve wracking to my shy, twelve year old self. I was afraid of people watching me and of making mistakes. After recording multiple shots in one of the busiest crosswalks in Shibuya, Japan, I realized I no longer cared who was watching or how many shots I filmed. I just wanted to show people what it was like to cross the busy street and make them feel as though they were bustling next to everyone else trying to make it to the other side before the crossing light turned red. That day, I not only took steps into the busiest streets of Japan, but also steps outside of my comfort zone. While walking along the quiet beach of Normandy, France, I thought about how we as a family ended up there. We hopped on an Air Force refueling plane to Germany, drove to France in a rental van, and decided to visit Normandy after reading about the 75th anniversary of D-Day at a rest stop. I also thought about how to film in a way that would convey the significance and solemn feeling I felt as I listened to the waves coming on shore and watched the memorial’s flags waving in the breeze. I was not interested in history before this experience, but I became fascinated with learning everything I could. Afterwards, I wanted to share everything I had read and seen with everyone. I found filming and talking on video easy and necessary for me. After eight years of making travel videos, I have reflected on the opportunities and lessons that being a military child has given me. From everyday skills, to the sense of pride I gained from being a part of the chaotic, but beautiful military lifestyle. My goal is to continue to grow in college by using this part of my past to build my future.

I've always been a fan of country music. Mainly because of the stories that are told through creative, metaphorical lyrics. The song "Don't Blink" by Kenny Chesney specifically stands out to me. The song tells a story of an old man telling Chesney that the secret to life is to not blink because your life flies by so fast without realizing it. Listening to this song makes me reflect on my life as it is now involving what I prioritize and what I take for granted. My favorite line is "Best start putting things first. 'Cause when your hourglass runs out of sand, you can't flip it over and start again". This line made me realize the importance of prioritizing the important things and people in life because you only have one shot at it. Just like Chesney says in the song, I want to slow down and take life in because it will be over before I know it.