Military branch

United States Army

Years of service and rank

24 years, Major (04)

Awards and decorations

Meritorious Service Medal (5), Army Commendation Medal (2), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army achievement Medal (3), National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, NATO Medal, Basic Aviation Badge, and Parachutists Badge.

How did your service and experiences affect your life?

The military totally shaped who I am today; I was born into a military family in Augsburg, Germany. My dad is retired Army, my mom was a dedicated Army spouse. Fun-loving, adventurous, yet a bit “no-nonsense,” I get stuff done. Service to my nation and my community is at the core of who I am, so yes, the military definitely affected who I am today.

Tell us a little about your journey.

When I left the UO, I was never looking back; I did not have the best undergraduate experience. As an incoming freshman without a stellar GPA coming out of Portland’s Lincoln High School, I was allowed to sign-up for 22 college credits, by the end of my first quarter I was put on academic probation with numerous “Fs”, “Ds”, withdraws and incompletes on my transcripts. Not a glowing start to my college career and it never did get much better, I always felt as if I was floundering, never quite able to catch up, and never knowing who to reach out to for help.

I think the Army helped to turn that attitude and way of thinking around. I went on to earn my Master’s Degree and excelled. I then returned to the UO and the UO’s Department of Military Science (ROTC) as the Assistant Professor of Military Science and Executive Officer. Upon retirement from the Army, I wanted to be nowhere else but Eugene and the University of Oregon.

Working in the Office of Admissions has allowed me to see how far the Army ROTC program has come since I was a student and how far the UO has come in supporting students and their needs. In the end I am super proud of my university and all that it has to offer.