I feel honored to have served 15 years, 1 month, and 18 days in the United States military as an airborne Ranger, part of the Special Forces. While fighting in Iraq, and other undisclosed places, I received three purple hearts. But each time, I got patched up and returned to fight the next battle. In…
For seventeen years, I have done my best to explain the world to my son, and my son to the world. For the longest time, I would simply shout, “Welcome to Autismland!” as a shorthand to explain his startling behaviors in public. Then, as he got bigger, it just became easier not to go out…
I enlisted in the Army in 2003. In 2004, I left for a 12+ month deployment to Iraq. Typically, we worked seven days a week in a country, where the painted landscape displayed various shades of brown. Triple-digit temperatures made daily life hard. With ordnance exploding all around us, the biggest take away was all…
As a female marine, I learned that the battle within the mind determines one’s overall health. Although I experienced combat duty, the internal battle started years before Iraq. The emotional conflict began in my early childhood. At age 4, my life changed forever when my parents divorced. I struggled growing up, and my brother and…
Early in life, I never envisioned myself as an accomplished artist. During Desert Storm, I served aboard the L. Y. Spear AS-36. My mode of service was precision calibration of the 7th fleet’s fast-attack nuclear-powered submarines. This opened the door to a lifetime of learning. I am honored to have been a part of such…
Through my paintings, I want to convey the people and places of African Culture. I was always interested in ancient history as a child, and I loved doodling. At four years old, I was inspired by my two older brothers, who drew cartoon and comic book characters. I started drawing animals from our giant family…