Processing Station. While simultaneously raising two young boys, a
teenage boy, she managed to open a successful Argentinean Cuisine
restaurant in St. Louis. YN1 Farina was advanced to her current rank
in March 2017. She is the first in her family to earn a College Degree in
Homeland Security and Emergency Management from Ashford
University in 2014.
“The best part of my job is knowing that I have a close relationship
with those members and units I work with, as well as knowing
that I am a role model for others,” she states. “The hardest part of
my job is maintaining a balance between operating a small business,
customer needs to the service and the needs of my family.”
Colonel Isabel Rivera Smith
United States National Guard Bureau (Army)
“I joined. the U.S. Army immediately
upon graduation from high school
because I felt I was not ready to attend
college and give it my all,” says
Colonel Isabel Rivera Smith. “Now 32
years later, it was the best decision I’ve
ever made.”
Born in Lorain, OH, Rivera Smith
has received her undergraduate degree
in Human Services, graduated from
Officer Candidate School, received her
Masters in Education in Counseling
and Development, and attended U.S.
Army War College where she received
her Masters in Strategic Studies.
A life lesson she has learned is to never underestimate those that
work with you and for you. “It’s fair to say that personalities play a
big part in working with people,” she says. “I have learned over the
years to set those superficial symptoms aside, dig deep within myself
and attempt to solve the issue in a manner that is beneficial for all, not
just satisfy one person or another.”
Master Sergeant Yanira
Gonzalez
United States National Guard
Bureau (Air)
“I joined the military to experience
new circumstances, new challenges,
and to complete College,” shares
MSgt Yanira H. Gonzalez. “I wanted
to do something different from everyone
else in my family and become one of the first females to join the
Armed Forces. I felt like I lived a very sheltered life and escaping
that would help me understand what life had to offer.”
The oldest of three children, raised in a low-income family on
the west side of Chicago she realized she wanted to make the military
a career at age 24.
Early in her life, she served as a Projects Officer in the Army
Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps at Prosser Career Academy.
She then joined the U.S. Air Force in September 2002. Currently serving
as the Medical Readiness Program Manager, Office of the Air Surgeon
General, National Guard Bureau, Joint Base Andrews, MD.
“Being a part of the military, I’ve learned discipline, patience,
and the intricate details of how people work,” she shares.
“Amongst the many life lessons that I’ve learned thus far, there’s
one that’s had a major impact on my life. And that is, knowing
your people. This is important because sometimes we take things
for granted every day.”
Cadet Richelle Radcliff
United States Military Academy
“I joined the military because I
wanted to serve the country,” shares
Cadet Richelle Radcliff. “The U.S.
welcomed my family from Cuba
which then gave me the opportunity to
reach the heights that I have achieved
thus far in life. In return, I felt as if it
were my duty to return the favor to our
great Nation.”
Cadet Radcliff attends the United
States Military Academy where she
studies Kinesiology. She has excelled
in the classroom, earning a 3.6 GPA
in her major, and an overall 3.3 academic GPA. Outside of the
classroom, she pursues her extracurricular activities with intense
dedication and commitment.
Radcliff credits her hardworking mother for giving her the strength
that guides her and pushes her to the finish line. “If it were not for her
and the sacrifices she made I would not be where I am today,” she
says. “She has sacrificed so much for me that the least I can do is give
it my 100 percent to achieve all tasks given to me.”
LATINAStyle Vol. 23, No. 6, 2017 www.latinastyle.com 31