Aiming High
Two U.S. Air Force veterans pursuing PhDs share their stories and their commitment to service.
by Kathryn Lecklider
Meet Major Shawnice Shankle (RET), a U.S. Air Force veteran pursuing a PhD in nursing and investigating long-term health outcomes for veterans.
I grew up in Appalachian Ohio and joined the Army right out of high school. I was the class salutatorian and wanted to go to medical school, but had no money and no idea how to get there. No one in my family had ever gone to college.
I served eight years in the Army as a medic. When it was time to go to school, I realized I didn’t really want to be a physician. I was interested in the caring side of nursing. I got my bachelor’s degree and swapped branches to the Air Force where I served as a nurse.
What I loved about being a nurse in the military is that everyone is on the same team and committed to completing the mission – getting the patient well and back to their mission as fast as possible.
I retired from the Air Force after 24 years and began my PhD because I had questions that didn’t seem to have solid answers. Why was my body breaking down faster than that of my non-military friends? What long-term health outcomes are at play for women in the military? What about for military women from Appalachia? I decided it was time to go figure it out myself.
At Ohio State, my mentors and advisors, Dr. Sonia Duffy and Dr. Laureen Smith, as well as my wonderful professors have been amazing. They’re dedicated to you making it – willing to walk with you every step of the way and make time to support you.
And my cohort! We’re like a little raft of ants all supporting each other on top of a big lake – we’re friends. We talk to and learn from each other as much as we do from our professors.
Everyone says once you have a PhD, you’ll never think the same way again. The military is like that, too. And that’s a good thing. Being a veteran and becoming a nurse scientist are accomplishments for which I will always hold my head up high.
Meet Major Laura Segovia, an active duty member of the Air Force and Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) Scholar pursuing a PhD in nursing and investigating maternal mortality and morbidity in African American populations.
I’m from a small town in Minnesota – only about 350 people – and 10 of those were my siblings. I had no idea what I wanted to do post-high school. I worked at Walmart and one of my coworkers was a Marine veteran who suggested I join the Air Force. The rest is history.
I enlisted and was assigned to be an aerospace medical service technician. I worked in women’s health and labor and delivery. I think it was fate. That service experience, paired with growing up seeing my mom’s pregnancies, really catapulted my entire passion for women’s health. I admired the holistic approach to care the nurses I worked with provided. After my enlistment period ended, I joined the Reserves and got my bachelor’s degree in nursing.
When I finished, I transferred from Alaska to the New Mexico Air National Guard and worked in a civilian hospital in labor and delivery and mother-baby units. I enjoyed it, but felt like I was missing out on providing care across the whole lifespan. Then I became a certified nurse midwife and returned to active duty. I’ve since helped more than 200 Air Force babies into the world.
While practicing, I kept encountering issues I wanted to explore. Maternal morbidity rates vary considerably based on race, socioeconomic status and geographic location. Even in the military – where everyone has equal access to care and has insurance – why are African American women still experiencing these health disparities?
When I’m finished with the PhD program, I’ll be a nurse scientist in the Air Force. My research will provide evidence for best patient-care practices on a system-level.
It has been a joy and an honor to serve in the military as a nurse. This PhD program, like the military, expects you to fail forward, learn from your mistakes and keep trying. Both require tremendous strength, drive and devotion in pursuing your passion.
