JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – March is Women’s History Month, a time to commemorate and celebrate the vital role of women in American history. We invited women within the #IAMIMSC team to tell us a little about themselves and their views on the importance of Women’s History Month.
Meet Krystal Garay Rodriguez, she’s a knowledge and data manager at the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Natural Disaster Recovery Division at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Garay Rodriguez, who has been working with the Air Force for about eight months, contributes to the Air Force’s lethality and readiness by “helping the NDR build back bases better, focusing on not only the community but the security of our bases and our Airmen and families.”
Here’s more from Garay Rodriguez:
Why do you feel we need a Women’s History Month?
Women’s History Month is incredible because it not only highlights amazing women throughout history but it brings to light that these achievements are possible for little girls across the country today. I remember when I first saw someone that looked like me in a movie … I was over 18 but I still cried like a baby because that representation was so important to me. Women’s History Month does the same thing.
Tell us about a female coworker or friend you admire?
I have a friend named Jaqueline. She was a mentor of mine back in college and she basically inspired me with determination, her hard working nature and the amount of grace that she handled it all with. She established mentoring programs before she left the university and now works for a biotech firm and is kicking butt every day. She is truly an inspiration, not only in that she is constantly working to make herself better but she’s lifting everybody else up with her.
Who do you see as a good historic female role model and why?
One person from history that I truly admire is Catherine Johnson. She truly is inspiring with not only being the first female to have her name on a published report from NASA back in 1960 but she contributed to Project Mercury, a trip to the Moon and a bunch of important missions that furthered humanity as a whole. She was able to further herself, her country, her entire gender through her actions and amazing accomplishments, even going on to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
What would you say to a little girl in elementary school about what she can achieve as an adult?
The main thing I would have wanted to hear was that I can do much more than I think I can. My imagination can sometimes be limiting in that you may not have the confidence to believe in yourself in those moments, but when others do and others help lift you up, you can prove yourself wrong and do amazing things through hard work, determination and getting back up every time you fall. You can do way more than you think you can. The sky is not the limit, it’s just the beginning.
If you could have a conversation with your 6-year-old self, what would you tell her?
The one main thing that I would let her know is that if you fall down six times, get up seven. Just getting to understand a little sooner that there may be challenges that come your way whether those are put there by others or yourself, or just random strokes of bad luck, you can get through them, you can get past them, just stay the course.