My professional career includes eight years in the U.S. Navy, serving as a Nurse Corps Officer, and thereafter 16 years as an attorney. These two, distinct phases of my career seem unrelated on the surface but are more alike than a casual observer might expect. Indeed, I am not at all surprised that the foundation provided by my military service has helped me immeasurably in my development as an attorney, and particularly as a female attorney.

My military and medical foundation began long before I joined the Navy Nurse Corps. Both of my grandfathers served in the Navy during World War II―my father’s father a gunner’s mate; my mother’s father a Lieutenant surface warfare officer. Their stories of service during the war, their recollections of the camaraderie they shared with their fellows, their lifelong friendships and their innate characters were a subtle yet constant influence on me from before I can remember. Similarly, my mother served as a nurse, as did her mother. In like fashion, they also had countless stories of service, devotion to one another and lifelong friendships. Their characters were defined by perseverance, caring for others and a constant focus on the greater good. When it became my time to select a course of undergraduate study, the opportunity to study nursing at Villanova via a NROTC (Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps) scholarship was the perfect fit.