Meet The Members Monday - Carrie G.

My name is Carrie Gerhardt. My wonderful husband, Thomas Gerhardt, is a 1^st year medical student in the Air Force. We are from Seattle, WA, which is where I grew up and where Thomas spent the later part of his growing up years. We were first introduced on the first day of class during our freshman year at the University of Washington in Seattle. I had accidently enrolled in a pre-med course that Thomas happened to be taking. I thought the class was going to be a huge mistake, but meeting Thomas made it worthwhile! After that, I got on track to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of Arts in English, while Thomas graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering. We were married in 2012 before I graduated college, and we recently celebrated our second wedding anniversary! After I graduated, I got the opportunity to work as a medical-surgical nurse on a busy hospital floor at the University of Washington Medical Center and loved both growing in my skills and learning how to impact lives for the better. We are new to the military and are both adjusting to the big picture of military life. There is a lot to learn! We are finding the military to be a huge blessing as it allows me to take better care of Thomas without the stress of being the only bread winner in our family. We are so thankful this option allows us to have support from classmates and spouses who are going through this journey with us! It has been hard to move away from family, life-long friends and my dream job in nursing, but it has been wonderful to be on this adventure together as a couple. We love seeking out new places to explore, lavishing in the rich history of the area, and re-establishing our lives as a married couple. Some of my other favorite past-times include reading classic literature, writing, cooking, learning new crafts, and refining my homemaking skills. I am looking forward to continuing to get to know all of you! 

Meet The Members Monday - Rebekah W.

Hi, I’m Rebekah Wright. I’m a first-year spouse, married to Robert Wright, who is an Airman. I hail from Leesburg, VA, and currently, we’re living in the Glen Haven military community in Silver Spring, MD. (Or is it Wheaton; the Post office seems confused.) We’re new to the military life, and love the community and perks thus far. Our son, Alec, is eight months old, and we also have two cats: Bat and Sassy. I’m working for USUHS in the Admissions and Recruitment department. I love learning more about my husband’s military and medical experience firsthand. For instance, besides the obvious debt-free education, proximity to Walter Reed and the NIH, commissioned officer rank and respective benefits, etc., the cadaver donation, leadership courses and ultrasound training are cool differentiators from other med schools. There are other spouses at work, and we go to lunch sometimes. (Maj is the best matchmaker!!) I have a MBA from UGA and BS in Commerce from UVA. I love yoga (Mommy and Baby yoga classes are super fun), marketing, tennis (how my hubby and I met in ATL), and reading fiction/fantasy, social science and philosophy (right now, I’m reading Tibetan Peach Pie by Tom Robbins). Trying new ethnic restaurants in DC is one of my favorite past times. It’s so great being a mother, too! Sorry that I have not attended more Spouse Club meetings, yet. I look forward to hanging out in the future! Photo credit to Nicole Babcock, fellow Spouse Club member, nicolebabcock.com.

Meet the Members Monday: Stephanie P

     Hello!  My name is Stephanie P and my husband, Michael, is a first year student in the Army with no prior service.  We are both from Colorado and are high school sweethearts.  We have been married for 3 years and together for 11 years.  We spent 6 years living in Boulder, CO then moved to Boston for 3 years where my husband completed a masters in Biomedical Engineering.  I have a degree in mathematics and spent the last five years working for a consulting firm as a financial analyst in both Boston and Denver.  I am now pursuing a graduate degree in teaching.  Upon finishing the degree I hope to teach high school math.  

     When we aren't studying we love to travel, mountain climb, rock climb and trail run. In Colorado we also did a lot of skiing, but we haven't tried East Coast skiing yet! We spent the past summer in Peru climbing mountains before embarking on this journey at USU.  We love to travel and next up on our list is Patagonia, New Zealand and Alaska.

     I look forward to getting involved in the SSC through the adult socials and volunteer opportunities.

Meet the Members Monday - Holly P.

     I am Holly Pike, the spouse of Dan Pike, 1st year student. I am a household engineer for my amazing husband & 4 crazy kiddos- Cameron (Cam) 7, Allison (Ally) 5, Andrew (Drew) 3, and Catherine (Katie) 1. I grew up in upstate New York near Rochester and met my husband, who is also from that area on a blind date. I actually had to be bribed to go on the date by my best friend’s boyfriend- after I met him I was super glad I went! We have been married 9 years, moved 7 times, had each of our kids in a different state (Texas (Laughlin, AFB), Ohio (Wright-Patterson, AFB), Wisconsin (UW Madison) & Colorado (USAFA) -in that order) & have loved every minute of our journey together! My husband has been in the Air Force for 8 years, had several different jobs while we have moved all over the country. He began his AF career in pilot training, but after 6 weeks of air sickness, he had to pursue a different path. His last assignment was at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs as an instructor teaching Anatomy, Biology & Physiology.  

     When I'm not chasing kids or tending to the house I love to cook, sew, crochet, scrapbook, run and read. I usually try a new recipe every week, my favorites being desserts! I like to be out and about with my kids exploring the area where we live & making new friends. One of my favorite things to do is scroll through Facebook and see what my friends around the world are up to & catch up on what's happening with our family in NY. We also own a home on Little Sodus Bay, NY near our families and that is where the kids and I spend our summers.

I have loved being a military spouse, I hate the actual “moving” part, but it's so fun getting a new house & scenery every few years! I am so grateful for the benefits, opportunities & experiences that the AF has given my husband & our family. The greatest being able to be home with my children everyday.

     I am excited for this new chapter in our journey & look forward to getting to know the other spouses in our group!

Meet the Members Monday - Stephanie A.

       Hi all! My name is Stephanie Adams and my husband, Jason, is a first year Air Force med student. Phoenix is home for the both of us; we are what you call high school sweethearts. Our story started junior year of high school when a shy and awkward kid in my AP history class quietly asked me to prom. I said “sure” and the rest is history! When we first started dating, unbeknownst to me Jason was feverishly preparing to apply to the service academies. When he was accepted to the Air Force Academy I didn’t quite understand the commitment we both were embarking on.
       I attended the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ majoring in nursing while he journeyed to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs majoring in civil engineering. We survived and even thrived in a 4 year long distance relationship during college. We married over 6 years ago and have been together for over 11.
       We have a very energetic and loving 3 year old little boy named Wyatt and a “sweet as pie” 5 month old little girl Stella Mae.  Right now my priority is holding down the fort while we figure out this whole med school thing. I have found myself amazingly busy with these two little kiddos and have decided to hold off on finding a job anytime soon. I was previously an oncology nurse working on inpatient units in both Tucson and Las Vegas- our first two stops on this military journey.
       I am a desert girl through and through so I am terrified of winter and driving in snow! If you have any helpful hints on how to survive cold weather, feel free to share! So far we are really enjoying the East coast and look forward to being here for the next four years!

Meet The Members Monday - Quinton W.

My name is Quinton Ward and I am the Men’s group Chair. My wife’s name is Chloe Ward and we have been married for 5 years. I am a retired U.S. Army veteran and my wife is an Air force 2^nd year. I am a military brat so I’m not really from anywhere but my wife calls Atlanta home. We have 2 service dogs and a clowder of cats living with us and we do not have any children. Before coming to USU we lived in Baton Rouge LA where my wife attended LSU. I went to school for computer networking and now work at USU in the education reform office. My wife and I love to travel and are huge foodies. We love living here in the D.C. area because of the diversity in cuisine. In the military I was an instructor and a career counselor, I supported soldiers in helping them get to and pay for college. My wife and I just purchased our first home in Kensington and we will soon start renovations while she is away for clerkship rotations.

Meet the Members Mondays: Robyn R

Howdy folks!

I’m Robyn Rowley. My husband Dallin is in the Army and is about done with his first year. We are thriving out here on the east coast and can’t believe we were missing out all these years while living in California and Utah.

We love food, and our grocery budget is probably much higher than it should be. We sacrifice luxuries like cable and keeping the thermostat at 72 degrees so that we can afford to buy ridiculously expensive but ridiculously delicious delicacies, like pine nuts. We are mostly whole food, plant-based, which means that we stuff veggies in the meat and cheese drawer to fit all the produce in our fridge. Our seven month old baby girl likes to eat fresh garlic and caramelized onions, so we’re pretty sure she’s ours.

We love to bike. Last summer I seriously considered getting rid of our car and biking everywhere. Somehow we winded up buying a brand new car in April, so that didn’t pan out, but I still love to bike every day and it is my dream to someday be a car-less family.

I’m aware that at this point I probably sound like a hippie. Rest assured that I’m not.

My dad is a percussion professor, and we had a family steel band growing up. Remember the street musician who starts off “How Does She Know” in the movie Enchanted? That’s what I play. It’s the highest paying job I have ever had, which means I made more money when I was 9 than I do now that I am 27. NBD.

My current job is pretty sweet though. I am raising another human being, and when she’s sleeping, I work for a healthcare IT research firm. I can work as much or as little as I want, whenever I want, and it pays well. I learn a lot and absolutely love it. The raising another human being part of my work doesn’t pay in dollars, but I’m pretty content to be adored by her (I know that won’t last into the teenage years…).

We love being at USUHS. There is a very welcoming, community feel, and I think much of the credit goes to the SSC. So far we are liking the military experience and are excited for the crazy years ahead.

Meet the Members Mondays: Christina M

Hi!  My name is Christina MacGregor and my husband, Rob is an Air Force MS-4.  We are proud parents to Katie (6), Sarah (4), Audrey (3) and Robbie (10 months).  I was born an Indiana Hoosier, but transplanted to South Carolina at age 12.  My parents still live there, so it has been nice having them a bit accessible. 

I graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1999, and I met Rob while I was “awaiting pilot training” at Moody AFB, GA.  He was an A-10 pilot there.  4 months later, we were dating.  Over the next 5.5 years we dated long distance as I moved away to ultimately became an F-16 pilot and he moved away to do an overseas tour with the Army and then back to the A-10.  It was New Years’ Eve Day of 2005, 4 days before I was deploying to Iraq when he asked me to marry him. 

We spent the next 6 years hanging out in NC and Germany, and then separating from active duty at the same time (dual income Majors to dual unemployed is a bit shocking to say the least).  I was blessed to find and begin my lia sophia business and used it to supplement our income while working as a hotel sales manager and doing my AF Reserve duty while Rob attended school for his prerequisites. 

USUHS is exactly what we prayed for as this opportunity allows Rob to retire with 30 years of service by the time the commitment is over!  What a shock it was to me, though…moving to Bethesda with a 3 year old, 20 month old and 7 week old was hard enough.  Add to that becoming a stay-at-home-mom for the first time ever….and a “dependent” spouse.  From then until now, I have finally figured out that I am happiest when I can work a little…so I am doing more AF Reserve duties and running my lia sophia business with the help of a nanny.  I love the flexibility both of those jobs provide! 

So, it was never an option for me to not be involved in the SSC.  I searched it out before PCSing as I will with every base we move to in the future.  In my humble opinion, there is never a reason to NOT get connected.  You never know when you are going to need something OR even better, when someone else is going to need something that you can provide.  “It takes a village” to raise children…most civilians have their families nearby.  We have each other.

Book Club: Sarah K

Do you love to read and explore new books? Are you interested in meeting more great members of the USU Student Spouses’ Club? Book Club might be just the activity for you!

Here are two important things to know about book club:

1.  We are laid-back and welcome all members. Of course we encourage each other to read more, but if you don’t finish reading a book on time, that is no reason to miss a meeting. Share what you have read or feel free to jump in on a topic that comes up in discussion. We understand that life gets hectic, and this club provides a way to relax and catch up with friends while expanding your reading list.

2.  This book club is set up a little differently. Instead of having all members read the same book for the next meeting, we agree upon one topic instead. Everyone is free to choose a book that falls within the selected topic. This gives you a chance to be creative and read books you are interested in. At the same time, the club still has a common theme for discussion. Our meetings tend to be a blend of sharing about the book you read while answering questions from other members. Plus, you can come away with a nice list of book suggestions.

Here are some of the themes/genres we have had over the past months:

*books made into movies

*holiday book swap

*travel writing

*history/nonfiction

*animals as main characters

*your spouse’s favorite

We hope to explore many more exciting topics in our upcoming meetings! Here are some ideas of what might be next: children’s literature, military/medical, plays, set in your hometown/state, chick lit, books by a single author (e.g. Austen or Gaiman), horror, short stories, award winners, mystery, novels from a certain country or time period (e.g. France or 1850-1899), inspirational, books you should have read in high school, biographies, etc.

We are open to suggestions and would love to see you at the next meeting! Our summer topic will most likely be your own summer reading list until school and normal schedules pick back up in August. If you would like to host a book club meeting, please let me know. I always enjoy the clean house and leftover snacks that come with hosting. ;) Regular meetings take place on the 2^nd or 3^rd Thursday of the month (we try to work around holidays and vacation days) at 6:30, and discussion starts around 7:00. Book fairs, author discussions, trips to used book stores, etc. are extra activities the club might pursue outside of regular meetings. If you have ideas for a fun group outing, we would love to hear them. Hope to see you at a meeting real soon!

-Sarah Kelly

https://www.facebook.com/groups/679304542094562/ 


Sarah is an SSC member and involved in book club. She also has her own personal blog at http://recentgradventures.blogspot.com/, where she posts about travel, recipes, crafts, and more.

Meet the Members Mondays: Maj H

I'm Maj and I'm the new membership committee chair. My husband Mitch is a 4th year Army student. I love the color grey, cupcakes, and nail polish. Oh and I always have candy in my purse. You know, in case of emergencies. Home is Huntington Beach. I am a true California girl at heart, born and raised in the happy sunshine of Orange County. I grew up at the beach and I always yearn for my favorite In-n-Out cheeseburger.  My husband and I grew up within 2 miles of one another, but didn't have that fateful meeting until we were both students at the University of California, San Diego.  We tied the knot in May 2011 and moved to attend USUHS soon after.

The past 3 years out here have truly been amazing and filled with plenty of learning experiences and life lessons. So far, we have endured the curriculum change, 7 away rotations and a pregnancy. December 29, 2014 we joined the kids table and welcomed our little girl Talia into the world.  In my free time I enjoy spending hours on pinterest. I love Pinning and browsing through things I know I will never make or do. When I'm not pinning or maintaining all of my wifely and mommy duties, I'm at work. I work part-time at the Graduate Education office at USUHS.

 I really enjoy meeting new people and have met my most dearest friends thanks to the USU Student Spouse Club.  I am excited to be the membership chair and look forward to welcoming the class of 2018 into the club!

Clerkship Survival Tips

Hi, my name is Eva! My husband is in the army and will graduate in 2015. As he starts his "fourth" year (from January of MSIII to graduation), we are really enjoying the post-clerkship period. Third-year rotations were challenging for both of us. He was gone for 4 rotations (or 20 weeks), and even when he was around, he needed to devote most of his non-hospital time to studying for shelf exams and Step 1. Fourth-year rotations have (so far!) been much lighter in terms of hours at work as well as the amount of studying that needs to be done in the evenings.

As I look back over the last year of rotations, I thought it might be helpful to give some tips about how to survive the clerkship year:

Plan! Picking rotations as part of the lottery is challenging. I work full-time and was only able to do short visits for any away rotations, so my husband and I wanted to maximize his local rotations. We factored in what times of year he wanted to be local (summer more than winter!), what other people in his class wanted to do (to avoid wasting points trying to get "expensive" rotations), in what order he wanted to do his rotations (he wanted to do the rotations he was most interested in last), and which bases/programs he wanted to see because he was thinking about them for residency. 
I also highly recommend having both of you attend the lottery info session that the SSC will host. There's a LOT of good information that the SSC has put together over the years.
 
Stay on top of paperwork. My husband did all the travel paperwork himself, but I made sure to send him any government credit card bills immediately so we always paid off the card. The government card is in the student's name so you need to be prepared to pay this off (and it can get expensive if you're gone for multiple rotations) even if there are delays in getting reimbursed. Also, you are eligible for Family Separation Allowance if you are apart for more than 30 days, but you have to file manually for this.
 
Visiting: If you visit, be prepared to entertain yourself. I visited for my husband's rotations in Tacoma, Hawaii, and San Diego (I skipped Fort Hood). These were all great, really fun places to visit, but I was usually only around for a weekend so we were able to see the cities together. When I was there on a weekday, my husband's schedule was not conducive to spending much time together. He had to go to bed fairly early to be ready to go to the hospital in the morning, then he worked all day, and then he had to study at night. 
If you are going to be visiting during the week, make sure you have a plan for how you'll spend your time. Also, most of the hotels he stayed at were on bases and there wasn't much to do within walking distance. You're not allowed to use the students' rental cars, so you also need a plan for how to get to all the fun activities you have planned for yourself to do!
 
Be flexible. This really applies in multiple ways. First, rotations are never final until you're actually doing them! My husband had one additional rotation in San Antonio that was cancelled and moved to Walter Reed. This worked fine for us, but some of the other people who needed to move back had issues with housing in Bethesda or personal commitments in San Antonio. You need to be prepared for a rotation to get moved/cancelled/etc. 

Also, be prepared to be flexible about what specialty your student chooses. My husband had a general interest when he started, then he switched to something else, then back again, then onto a new specialty, and now I think he's finally decided (in March of the next year!) It can be a little frustrating and nerve-wracking, but just remember that they will choose a specialty eventually and that almost everyone goes through this.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask me or anyone else in the SSC - the SSC is an invaluable resource! 

Eva has been elected as Treasurer for the 2014-2015 term. 

Meet the Member Mondays: Katherine R

Hello! We are John, Katherine, Kylan, Daven and Bella (the dog) Richardson. My husband will be graduating in 26 (!) days and will begin a Family Medicine Residency for the US Air Force at Fort Belvoir in June.

He has nine years prior service as an Army Officer and spent 2.5 years in Iraq as a Blackhawk Pilot doing search and rescue missions. We decided to make the switch to Air Force in hopes of shorter deployments and better family support.

We met in Raleigh, NC (where I’m from) while he was stationed at Fort Bragg. I had just graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and was applying to Ph.D. programs when we met. He was about to leave for his second deployment, which left me free to go wherever I wanted for graduate school since no matter where it was it wouldn’t really be any closer to him (one silver lining).

Our nearly eight year marriage has been an absolute whirlwind including lots of separation, seven moves, buying and selling four homes, me completing two Master’s degrees (in Speech-Language Pathology and Music), working as a Speech-Language Pathologist, singing Opera professionally, birthing two amazingly wonderful children who absolutely make my heart sing, and my husband (almost) completing Medical school. We love traveling and all things active, most importantly, playing with our kids! I also enjoy cooking, drinking wine, reading, and music.

I have THOROUGHLY enjoyed two years at home with my kids, but this June I will be headed off to COT for the Air Force and will begin Medical School at USUHS in August. I am terrified and excited all at the same time. It will be a huge transition for our entire family and to top it all off, my husband will be in his intern year so things are about to get a little crazy. We are moving to Arlington, VA in a few weeks to split our commute and have hired an Au Pair from Italy to live with us, who will be arriving in June. Wish us luck, I think we are going to need it!

Meet the Member Mondays- Kristen R.

Hi! My name is Kristen and my fiance is Jeremy (MS1, USAF). We live happily in Rockville with our vicious 3 lb yorkie, Rupert Preston.

Jeremy is from VA and has lived this military life the past 5 years living in Texas, Louisiana, and Italy. I am from NJ (no, not the Jersey shore) and have been in NC until this past year. We moved here this summer from Wilmington, NC where we met our first day at UNCW 10 years ago. After playing 8 years of friendship, and 2 years of dating, we are excited to get married on October 12, 2014!

I have my Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and my Master’s in Reading Education which has landed me a very challenging yet entertaining job as a kindergarten teacher in Germantown. I enjoy reading, cooking, drinking wine, going to pilates, and pinteresting (which I actually follow through with at times!).

This is the first experience I’ve ever had with military life style. I will never understand all the acronyms and I refuse to use military time, but when I didn’t have to personally pack up a U-Haul to move here, I knew good things were in store. The SSC has already introduced me to great friends and I am thankful for that! It’s been fun to help out with the SSC WWR Race and being nominated for Adult Social Chair is exciting as well! I can easily see how difficult this life could be: moving often, continuously making and leaving friends, trying to find a job at each new location; but I think the sacrifice is worth the reward.

I am excited to continue this adventure with my soon-to-be husband and look forward to meeting wonderful people along the way!

Meet the Member Mondays- Emily G.

Hi! I'm Emily Gregory. My husband, Tim, is a first year Army student. He was in the Army National Guard before coming to USUHS. We have an almost two year old son, named Dorian.

I was born and raised in Florida (Sarasota/Bradenton area). Tim is from Pittsburgh, PA.  We met when he was the lead guitarist in a band. They were touring the East Coast and stopped by our house to stay for a few days since my cousins were also in the band. I went to one of their shows, and what can I say, I like a guy who can play guitar! But I like a man in uniform too, so it all worked out ;) 

After a lot of visiting back an forth, I eventually moved to Pittsburgh where we were later engaged. We were married in August, 2010, and the rest was history!
 

I graduated with a BA in Social Sciences from the University of South Florida.  I worked as a Teacher for an out of school time program in Pittsburgh before we moved here. Right now, I'm going to school part-time for Photography. It's super fun and I'm learning a lot. By the way... I need some practice, so if anyone wants some free portraits, let me know ;)  Other than that, I stay at home full-time with our son Dorian who always keeps me on my toes!

The hardest part about being a part of the military is living so far away from my family in Florida. Other than that, it's been a good experience. My favorite part about USUHS is the sense of community and the family-friendly atmosphere. I'm thankful to have made great friends through the SSC.  Right now I'm using tuition assistance (MyCaa) specifically for military spouses, which is a great also a great benefit! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about it.

While Tim is in school, Dorian and I love to get out and explore, so if anyone wants to do something, let me know! I can't wait until it warms up... The FL girl in me is ready for winter to be over so we can get outside and play! ;)

Meet the Member Mondays- Katie B

Hello! My name is Katie Bogenberger. My husband is Ken and he’s an MS2 in the Army. Right now he’s in North Carolina for his second rotation (family medicine).

We are both from California. I’m from Visalia and Ken is from LA.  We recently were married last July after dating for 6 years. Ken is prior service; he served for 6 years as an ambulance platoon leader in the California National Guard before coming to USUHS. He also worked as an officer strength manager, recruiting medical professionals to serve in the national guard.

I am a teacher and choral director. I have taught both music (grades K-12) and general elementary (2^nd grade) and directed church and school choirs. I have a BA in music education from Vanguard University and two teaching credentials. I am currently working on an MA from the University of Maryland in music education.  It is a challenge to be a student again after working full time for a few years. I miss teaching and I hope to start again in the fall. In my free time, I like to knit, read, be outside, and exercise.

Moving to Maryland was a big change for me. I love California (especially the weather) and I loved my job, my church, and being near family and friends. I’ll always miss California, but it’s fun being on this adventure with my husband. I love that Ken's schooling is paid for and it has allowed me to go to school at the same time as him without the huge amount of debt. I’m very lucky to have an incredibly supportive husband who helps me realize my dreams as well as pursue his own. The SSC has been a great way to meet people, make friends, and get answers to any questions about the military or medical school. I really enjoy helping with and attending events. I look forward to meeting more of you at future events!

Meet the Member Mondays- Emma M

Hi there, my name is Emma Matthews. My husband is Phil, he is coming to the end of MS3 (class of 2015) in the Air Force. We have two baby angels; Lily, who is 16 months and Daniel who is 4.5 months. 

I am from Ireland and Phil is from New Jersey. We met in march 2010 in Haiti while volunteering after the earthquake. When we both returned home in the summer, we had a brief long distance romance which involved a couple of extremely expensive transatlantic date weekends, before we decided to go the distance. We got married in London in April 2011 and Phil started school in July. It took me a while to get my visa sorted - I was a legal alien for the first year of medical school, but I finally got my Green Card and work permit in April 2012. 

I am a trained Occupational Therapist however, my qualifications are not recognized in the US so I plan on completing a masters program once the babies are a little older. So right now, I am a stay at home mom with my 2 little ones. I love to run and have a jogging stroller so am very looking forward to springtime when we can get out everyday. I love hiking, picnics, cooking, baking, travelling, going to the pub, concerts, plays, reading, drawing.  I also seem to spend a lot if time on FaceTime and Skype to friends and family in Ireland. Technology really helps the homesickness! 

I joined the spouses club when Phil started school and it has been a lifesaver for me. I felt very lonely and isolated when I first arrived in this country but the club and the wonderful people I met through it really helped me to feel at ease. I have made some wonderful friends through the club and it's marvelous to have people around who understand exactly what it's like to have a partner in medical school!

Things I love about the military are-

- Instant friends through SSC

- Tricare - the babies even have their Tylenol covered!! It's a pretty awesome service.

- Military discounts

- A man in uniform! 

- BHA

- The NEX

 If anyone wants to make a play date or hang out without babies, just give me a shout! We live in Gaithersburg but are happy to travel anywhere.

Meet the Member Mondays- Nana

Tropical forests have been cut down for different kinds of monoculture plantations (where there is only one species of crop in the plantation) such as oil palm, rubber, coffee, cacao, tea. All lovely animals and plants are gone and local people, who rely on the forest, may face lack of water, less food a few years after the forest is gone.

This is the background of my PhD in Ecological Economics. I do spatial analysis and map the economic benefit of the crops. I tell people where and where not to plant and what they are going to lose if they do or don't in the long run.

After my PhD I end up with working in an international agroforestry NGO, called World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), where I met my husband. He was a conference coordinator and a researcher on Eco-health with ICRAF. He was the first guy who gave me the brightest smile in the early morning when I walked in the office.

My name is Zhuangfang Yi, 28. All of my friends, colleagues and family call me Nana. I received my PhD degree from Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in 2012, and am now a scientist at ICRAF and also a researcher at CAS. I am originally from a very remote village, kind of inside of the tropical jungle, on the border of SW China with Laos. My husband, Benjamin Custer, is a 2LT in the Army, and is in his first year of medical school.

We lived together in Kunming, SW China before we moved to the states together. In China we biked 8 miles to the office together every day. Biking through traffic chaos and dust were the most intensively stressful hours I had been through in my life. People would drive, walk, stand, talk and bock the bike lane when we speed up. However, Ben always led the way, I was just shadowing him and kind of enjoying the chaos later. He is also the one who led us when we got lost in a tropical jungle. When we heard that USU accepted him, it was a thrill, we held each other’s hands and jumped around for while, and then we decided to get married. We had been dating 10 months and two months later I followed him to the states.

Moving to the states and being a wife is a big life transition for me, but Ben is always there, very supportive and proud of what I am doing and learning. Life is never easy, however, USU and the SSC have brought joy to our life and we appreciate it. Besides that, what his left for us is ‘to make our life easy together’, which is what we’ve been doing and we are enjoying the teamwork so far.

Meet the Member Modays- Rachel D

Hi everyone, my name is Rachel Darling, and my husband, Nick, is an MS-4 prior service (Submarines) Navy student…graduating in May 2014! We don’t have any children yet, but one beloved cat named Taylor.



I grew up about an hour outside of Philadelphia in Boothwyn, PA, and then my family moved not so far away to West Chester, PA when I was in college. Since then, I’ve lived in Kingsland, GA, then Groton, CT, and now here! Next stop for us is Portsmouth, VA, where my husband will be doing his internship in Internal Medicine. Funny enough, almost ten years ago, I spent many a weekend down at Portsmouth while my husband was stationed there on the USS Florida SSGN 728, as were dating at the time. So the trend for us seems to be moving up and down the east coast, and who knows where we will go next!

I graduated from West Chester University in 2003 with a degree in Elementary Education, but then quickly discovered that was not my calling to be a teacher, at least not in a classroom type setting. So since then I’ve been doing mostly administrative type jobs, working with animals, tutoring, as well as a short stint at a mutual fund company. I currently work at USUHS, and I really love working with the students. It is a lot of fun to know what your husband is going through as he moves through different parts of the curriculum, and it really gives you an appreciation of all the hard work and long hours they put in to learning to be a doctor.

It is sometimes difficult to be a military spouse and finding work at each place you go, as you often feel like you are starting over each time. I’ve been fortunate to find employment each time we have moved relatively quickly, although I always like to try and take a few months off when we first arrive to a new duty station to get used to a new place, get myself settled, and meet some new people. I highly recommend for all working spouses to do that if you can, as it helps you feel more connected to your community.

My husband and I got married in 2007, and he was commissioned in 2003, so we are in the Navy for the long haul. I have enjoyed being a military spouse and getting to move around the country and meet new people, and often run into old friends at previous duty stations all the time! We are very fortunate that my husband has wonderful job security, we have great healthcare, and that the military pays him to go to school…can’t beat that for sure.

I’ve also enjoyed being a member of the SSC, and being in the role of Treasurer for two years. SSC not only provides invaluable information and resources, but it is also a great place to make new friends, and to be amongst people who are going through the same thing you are, and the members are an excellent system of support for me. Although I don’t always make it to meetings as much anymore, when I can come, I always look forward to meeting new people and enjoy catching up with everyone.

It’ll be hard to leave here, but I know that our next duty station will also have great people to get to know and bond with, to help us start the next military chapter of our lives.

Meet the Member Mondays

Hello! My name is Amanda Nogra. My husband, Osmund Nogra, is an MS1 in the Navy. We have a 4 month old son named Noah and two furry (dog) children, Gideon and Gigi.

I am from Southern California and, boy, do I miss that weather! This transition has been a rollercoaster ride-from the humidity of summer to the snow in winter. I have a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Nursing and worked as an emergency room RN for 7 years before moving to Maryland. Now, I am “working” as a stay at home mom. My hobbies include reading, knitting, studying the Bible, and learning French. When I was younger, I loved to dance and participated in musical theater. Prior to getting pregnant, I was very involved in my church’s missionary program; I went Haiti in 2012 and Mexico throughout 2011 and 2012 on medical missions’ trips. My husband and I have been married since April 2011.

My husband was previously a Navy Corpsman. He enlisted at 17 years old, right out of high school. He was attached to a Marine battalion stationed at Camp Pendleton and deployed twice to Japan and Iraq. He was also stationed in southern Spain for 3 years. This was all before I met him; it took some convincing for him to get me onboard with another stint in the military!

So far my experience with the military has been challenging. I put my career on hold and left my home church to move to the East Coast, but I am learning a lot. The other families and spouses I have met have been so kind and welcoming. There have been benefits to the sacrifice as well-my husband’s salary allows me to stay at home and raise my son, as well as great health insurance and multiple educational opportunities. I am proud of my husband and his commitment to support our military and their families.

Meet The Member Mondays- Sarah S

HI there!  My name is Sarah, and my husband Brian is a second year Navy medical student.
Brian graduated from USNA in 2005 and spent 7 years in the USMC, stationed in Camp Lejeune (where he deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan - not fun) and MCRD San Diego (much more fun).  I met Brian the end of our freshman year of college, which seems like eons ago!  We got married 7 years later in 2009, after he returned from Afghanistan, and right before we moved to San Diego.  I'm in sales for a software company in Silver Spring and have been lucky to be working for them since I graduated from UMD College Park in 2005.  They've been very supportive of Brian's military career, even allowing me to continue working for them from home when we were stationed in San Diego.  While we loved San Diego and would love to go back some day, it's nice being back in MD.  I'm lucky to have family close by in Annapolis and Arlington and am so thankful I can lean on them (and the occasional glass of wine) for support when Brian is busy studying or away on clerkships. While I spent most of my childhood in south Florida, Annapolis has been home for the majority of my adult life and I love it there.  I'm pretty busy between working full time, chasing around our 3 year old daughter, and taking care of our little boy, who I had 2 months ago.  While I'm not always able to make it to the SSC meetings or events, I love knowing that the support, friendship, and fun activities are there for us.  When I'm not going crazy with work or taking care of the kiddos, I will binge on TV shows like The Mindy Project, Scandal, and Property Brothers from my DVR.  If I could have any job in the world, I would love to be either a pilates instructor or a travel agent.  Planning vacations, especially Disney vacations, is one of my obsessions.  I live for a good margarita, flip flops, cupcakes, and crab pretzels.  I'm looking forward to meeting more wonderful people from the SSC!