my mother doing research for different summer camps and trips that my
brother and I could attend, it kept us busy and out of trouble in Chicago.”
After two years in the Coast Guard and now a Third-Class Petty Officer
she feels the Coast Guard has so much to offer.
“I am blessed to say that my family has supported me from day one of
me wanting to join the Coast Guard,” she shares “My uncle, who is a Chicago
Police Investigator, drove me to the Coast Guard recruiting office which was
over an hour and a half away from my residence. I know moving away
from home was very hard for my mother due to the fact that we are very
close, but she was always very supportive of my goals. I am thankful for
technology because I am able to call my mom and communicate with her
for hours even though we are many miles apart.”
Today the best part of her job is seeing shipmates smile when
she makes a homemade meal. “Being a Culinary Specialist is such a
rewarding job and it is a job where I am excited to go to work each
morning,” she shares.
LTC Lesbia
I. Nieves
Army National Guard
LTC Lesbia I. Nieves has been a member
of the Connecticut Army National Guard
since 1987. She is an OIF Veteran and
Past President of the Hispanic-American
Veterans of CT, Inc (HAVOCT, Inc.) and
current Advisor. In May 1994, she enrolled
in the Officer Candidate School with the Connecticut Army National Guard and
graduated in August 1995.
During her years as a commissioned officer, she has held various
leadership positions that have included but not limited to the following:
Platoon Leader; Executive Officer; Company Commander; Staff Officer for BN,
Logistical Officer; Operations Officer (Major Command Group), Operations
and Training Officer for CTARNG Recruiting and Retention, Battalion
Commander, and Executive Officer for the 118th Multifunctional Medical
Battalion. She has also served as the State Partnership Program Director for
the CT National Guard working with the Partner Nation of the Country of
Uruguay. Most recently she completed a one tour at the National Guard
Bureau working in the International Affairs Division State Partnership
program, as one of the US Southern Commands desk officers. She served
as the Battalion Commander for the CTARNG 143rd Combat Service
Support Battalion out of Waterbury, CT and most recently has been assigned
as the State Safety Officer for the Connecticut Army National Guard. She was
the first Hispanic female in the Connecticut Army National Guard to be
promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
LS
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“I felt humbled by this realization and considered I had found a niche at the
Academy where I could thrive as a scholar in an environment that aligned with
my values.”
In this role she prepares cadets to be ambassadors of the different Latinx
cultures, regardless of their own race or ethnicity. Joining the faculty at the
UCGA in 2006, Dr. Rivero also prepares cadets for their future missions by
tutoring them for the DoD Defense Language Proficiency Test. She has been
published numerous times in English and Spanish providing her expertise to
topics ranging from Teaching Global Issues in an Undergraduate Educational
Program to Gender in Hispanic Literature and Visual Arts.
Cadet Second Class
Nayalina Evi Tamariz
U.S. Coast Guard
Academy
“I joined the military to be part of
something greater than myself,” shares
Nayalina Evi Tamariz, Cadet Second Class,
a member of the United States Coast
Guard Academy. “The Coast Guard allows
me to help others and give back.”
Born in Virginia and raised in Coronado, California, Cadet Tamariz
follows her mother (USCGA Class of 1995) and father (graduate of the
Peruvian Naval Academy) into the sea service. Cadet Tamariz studies
Operations Research and Computer Analysis at the Academy, and also
serves as a peer tutor for cadets that require additional assistance on
various subjects. She serves with distinction, always upholding the highest
standards for uniforms and her military bearing. Over her cadet summer
in 2019, she spent five weeks onboard the tall ship EAGLE, representing
the United States Coast Guard at events in Europe such as the 75th
anniversary event for the D-Day invasion, while earning her helm, lookout,
basic damage control, and engine room qualifications.
Third Class Petty
Officer Phyllis
D. Almaraz
U.S. Coast Guard
“I joined the military because I wanted
to challenge myself and step out of
my comfort zone,” shares CS2 Phyllis
D. Almaraz.
“The biggest reason was to one day
be able to take care of my mother. My mother is the strongest woman I know,
the sacrifices she made to raise my brother and I showed me her courage
and focus she possessed as a single parent. In the summer you could find
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