“Living a life of service is a core value I grew up around in my family, so it was only natural for me to seek out ways to help others. I never really thought about military service until I toured colleges as a teenager. I saw the Virginia Tech Cadet Corps (VTCC) performing a Pass in Review and thought, 'I could never make it as a cadet'. This thought became a challenge and I committed to VT and VTCC that very day. My freshman year, 32 of my fellow Hokies were senselessly murdered, including one from my VTCC family, who bravely tried to save his peers. Every year I remember them and I reflect on living each day by the VT motto of 'Ut Prosim'… 'That I may serve'. Currently, I’m fortunate to serve in Guam, where I’m supporting the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in the fight against COVID-19.” U.S. Navy Lt. Jessica Schmidt, a native of Reston, Va., is a medical-surgical nurse with 3rd Medical Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group. She is currently assigned to Task Force Medical on Naval Base Guam. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Jordan Gilbert)