National Guard
Jennifer De La Cruz
Texas National Guard
My name is Jennifer and I am not only a National Guard spouse, I am also an Air Force “brat.” I graduated high school from Wheatland Union HS, off of Beale AFB, in 2002. However, I was born and raised in Texas and was eager to come back home.
I want to finalize my college readiness program and start my National Guard spouse scholarship program in order to help more National Guard families become financially secure. Read more about Jennifer here!
Jenifer Burris
Alaska National Guard
I would want to highlight the debilitating effect PTSD and substance abuse has on our military members and families and how we can all help. I am working with this specific population in my position with the Chris Kyle Patriots Hospital. Our military members are hurting and they are screaming for help. It is our responsiblity to give them the help they are in need of. It is amazing to have degrees to help with specific coping mechanisms and treatment modality, but there are other ways to help. Some of my most treasured moments from my job at the hospital are when the patients tell me how (even though I am not their “official” therapist) I have been a big factor in their recovery. There are times we are simply having conversations about what is troubling them and they just want someone to listen and talk with them. I want to be that person they tell their family “She really made a difference in our lives.” With the MSOY title, I would hope to bring more awareness to the agencies and people who are devoting their lives to making the lives of struggling military members better. Read more about Jenifer here!
Cara Loken
Nebraska National Guard
The one thing I would like to accomplish with the MSOY title is the ability to reach a wider audience about the onset of Post Traumatic Stress symptoms and other mental health issues sometimes well after deployments and combat. I think even the military programs, such as Yellow Ribbon don’t go far enough in supporting our warriors. I’d like to chance to be a more visible advocate for our service members, their families, friends and community. I would like to have a program like Battle Buddy, in the state of Nebraska to help veterans who struggle from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Battle Buddy is a program that trains service dogs for veterans that suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and it is free to the veteran. Read more about Cara here!
