Q. Can you tell us a little about your service?

A. I was in the Army six-and-a-half years. I was a supply specialist, ordering supplies for the unit. My first duty station was in Germany, from 1998 to 2000, and then Fort Hood, Texas, from 2000 to 2004. I entered at the age of 17, and my mom had to give her consent for me to join. She wasn’t happy about it at first.

Q. How do you think your time serving in the military affected your own personal growth or impacted your outlook on life?

A. I met my husband at Fort Hood. Till this day, I joke with him that I replaced him at his job, because he went to Korea and I filled his slot at Fort Hood. He’s retired from the Army now, after 23 years. Through our marriage and his military career, I’ve also experienced the impacts of military life during his deployments and training. There are no words to describe being a military family or an Army wife. Patience is a virtue, and it makes you very strong.

Q. What are some of the lessons, learned during your time in the service, that you still think of regularly in civilian life?

A. It’s a commitment to serve, and it’s important to work as a team. That team becomes like a family to you.

Q. What first drew you to education, and how did you end up working in Spring ISD?

A. Working for a school district, I believe, was a blessing. Since I didn’t make an Army career like my husband, I ventured through many others jobs that were affiliated with the Army (jobs on base, yearly contracts for the Army, etc.). Of course, moving around a lot always meant having to find something new. But finally, when he retired and we moved to Spring, I started working for Spring ISD, and now it’s my turn to retire!

Q. Do you have any favorite ways to commemorate Veterans Day each year, or any special traditions you’d like to share?

A. We don’t have any traditions we do every year, but we do enjoy looking through our pictures, keeping in touch with friends that we were stationed with, and talking to our children to see how much they remember about going through it all. It’s amazing to hear what they remember.

Q. At this point in your own life and career, what does Veterans Day mean to you?

A. Remembering.