I grew up in a town of less than 500 people, which often makes others wonder how a small-town girl found herself speechwriting for world leaders, horseback in Afghanistan or as spokesperson for Area 51.I always *knew* I'd go to college despite it being uncommon around me. I had no idea it wasn't in my family’s budget. But, one key college night illuminated a path… With my heart set on a pricey small private school in pursuit of a journalism degree, two voices caught my attention from across the room.Jonathan and Jimmie, classmates who’d recently enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, had my name "on the list" to send to "the Air Force table" where a "gold-bar recruiter" shared about scholarships for schools and degrees nationwide. It was that moment my journey to *here* began. Thinking it was a long shot anyone would consider sending me to TCU for journalism, I applied and made a deal with myself to accept the 4-year commitment if selected.Spoiler alert. I got the scholarship, earned my B.S. in Ad/PR from TCU, and had a job the day I graduated. This set a course for exploring the world and getting paid to write (sometimes just emails), leading and supporting incredible people and missions.I’m grateful for that college night because... Throughout the next several years, I've participated in humanitarian/disaster relief efforts for hurricanes and earthquakes, gone "to war" four times including my horseback adventure in Afghanistan as an operations officer, and for a season, I was the spokesperson for 40% of the USAF’s land… including Area 51.As a young LT fresh out of college, I coached youth soccer, co-led Bible studies, and rallied colleagues for professional development across many states. As I’ve navigated the globe, I’ve enjoyed deployment karaoke nights, 3 a.m. Superbowl watch parties in crazy time zones, and getting cookies from home in places spanning Korea to Afghanistan.I’ve written speeches for senior leaders to deliver at key world events, led teams visually documenting relief efforts and partner building, and been a spokesperson for many different organizations like U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.Alongside military life, I'm a wife, mom to three--including twins--and an advocate. I enjoy a good brunch with my husband, watching my kids conquer new challenges, quiet sunrise walks with my dog, and helping to carry on the legacy of our kids' school supporting military kids.In no way did I imagine I’d have these experiences while riding my bike down dirt roads of my tiny Texas town. But here we are.