All About Me By: Ariana Roussey 1

Tell me about yourself… Hello, my name is Ari! I am 24 years old and I was born and raised in La Verne, California. At the age of 18, I joined the U.S. Navy. I met my husband while serving on active duty. We got married at the courthouse on October 13, 2012 (the Navy’s birthday) and also had a big ceremony in front of family and friends on August 2, 2014. We both ended our time in the Navy and decided to move to Catonsville, Maryland, where he is originally from. I am currently using my GI Bill to be a full time student. Dave and I purchased our first home in April! We are expecting our first child this September, a little girl who we will name Kathryn Jo, after my nana. 2

What are your weaknesses? Huge Procrastinator!! Impatient Public speaking/ presenting in front of a big group Stubborn 3

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Finished with Ultrasound Tech School Owning and operating my own 3D/4D Ultrasound office for expectant mothers With 2 children, possibly working on our 3rd In the process of looking for a bigger house 4

If you could choose one superhero power, what would it be and why? Teleportation. Since my family is in California, teleportation would come in handy for when I want to visit them. Also, I would want to be able to bring people along with me, so this would cut down on flight costs and save a lot of time. I wouldn’t have to miss out on things going on in California, and I could bring relatives back to Maryland with me. It would also be neat to use this power for personal travel for vacations. 5

Are you a team player? Yes! While I do mostly enjoy working on tasks alone, I am able to work as a team player. I’ve learned that some tasks are easier when completed as a team. Working in the Navy, when we would gear up for our deployments there were too many jobs to be done, so we all had to put our heads together and figure out the best solution to getting it all done. Also, working with the Construction Divers, there were many steps in preparing them for a dive that required us all to work together. It was the safety of the divers that we all had to stay focused on to get the job done. 6

What have you done to develop or change in the last few years? I believe that joining the Navy has helped me develop into the person I am today. Something about the Navy has set me apart from my peers. Before the Navy, I did not like college and now this year I am really able to focus on school and accomplish what I need to. Looking back, I often wonder what my life would be like had I not joined the Navy. I’m proud of myself for joining and because of the Navy I was able to provide for myself and learn huge responsibility. I am definitely not the same person that I was before I joined the Navy; I am a better, wiser person because of the Navy. 7