As we continue to honor the strength and courage of our military children, we want to share the story of another Bryant team member, Michele Lewis, who serves as Director of Student Services and Federal Programs.
With her father's distinguished career in the US Air Force, reaching the prestigious rank of Chief Master Sergeant and serving as the Senior Enlisted Advisor for the Strategic Air Command Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Michele found home wherever the Air Force sent them including the middle of the Mojave Desert and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Their home state was Louisiana (Geaux Tigers!) but they also lived in Georgia, Mississippi, California, and Arkansas. Connections with relatives were easier to maintain when the family lived in neighboring states, as they could drive in on holidays, during the summer, and on leave time. In between visits they checked in with weekly phone calls.
While the family stayed together for many of the moves, her father had two year long remote tours where he was stationed out of the country without the family. Michele remembers this as a very difficult time for her mother and brother. “It would seem like he was gone forever. I remember constantly worrying about him, where he was going, if he was okay,” she said.
Families on the military base were very close, much like a huge extended family. The families, many who were also away from their relatives, relied on each other for support and encouragement.
Michele attended several schools, where her education was enriched with great experiences including a fifth-grade field trip to watch the Space Shuttle land and a behind the scenes tour at Edwards Air Force Base. “Although moving was hard, we always ended up loving the place we were stationed. School provided a stable place where we had the most incredible teachers,” she remembers.
Michele found the most challenging aspect of the moves was constantly having to form new friendships and then saying goodbye to those friends each time the family left. Relocating was especially hard during her high school years when leaving meant saying farewell to clubs and sports where she made strong connections with other students. The move during her sophomore year was particularly hard, marked by tears all the way from Michigan to Arkansas.
But through it all, Michele's message remains one of unwavering resilience and solidarity. To every military child navigating the paths of service life, she extends a message of unity, urging them to embrace their emotions, reach out to their peers, and never shy away from seeking support from teachers and counselors.
As we close the Month of the Military Child, let us not only honor Michele Lewis but also every child who walks in the footsteps of sacrifice and service. Their legacy lives on in every military child who bravely faces the challenges of a life in service to our nation.
