Q: What factors helped in your decision to attend the U.S. Military Academy?
A: The quality of education, ability to play D1 softball, level of adventure and service in the military and post-graduate opportunities.

Q: What was your proudest on-the-field accomplishment?
A: Army-Navy, freshman year. We were definitely considered the underdog and ended up losing the game; however, we put up a much greater fight than anyone ever expected out of us and if I remember correctly, it was one of the better games of my career. .

Q: Q: Who were your sports idols growing up and why?
A: My idols were always those closest to me - my coaches in junior high and high school. Shari Manikowski and Denise Schlepp, my two high school softball coaches, had a huge impact on me and I always looked up to them. They both really shaped my decision-making as a teenager and since.

Q: What was your proudest academic accomplishment?
A: Receiving the Marshall Scholarship out of West Point and having the opportunity to pursue two Masters degrees in England after graduation.

Q: What was your proudest on-the-field/court accomplishment?
A: My junior year we were down by one in the sixth inning against Lehigh in the first game of the finals in the Patriot League Tournament. After striking out a couple times in the game previous to that inning, I expected the coach to put in a pinch hitter for me. But, he let me hit, and I hit a two-run homerun over the fence to pull ahead! I will never forget it.

Q: How did your experience as a student-athlete prepare you for life after college?
A: The softball team at West Point was a very supportive group. The rigors and demands unique to the military environment can be stressful, but having the other players to talk to and compare stories with made a huge difference. The mentorship provided by the more senior players was invaluable and definitely taught me how to effectively manage interpersonal relationships in a group-work high stress environment.

Q: How did your experience as a student-athlete prepare you for life after college?
A: West Point is a very structured environment. Every cadet is an athlete and the daily schedule is structured as such. The tough part was the travels and missed classes, but we were blessed with having officer representatives (ORs) who helped us stay on track academically. In fact, my sophomore year, I took two finals in the press box at Husky Stadium at the University of Washington when we were there playing the NCAA tournament. The instructors at West Point are 100% dedicated to all of the students, and would come in on weekends and late at night after we returned from road trips to help catch us up.

Q: What was life in the military like after graduation?
A: Busy! I have moved 10 times in nine years, lived in two countries and four states, owned two homes and rented seven others, and it has been a blast!

Q: How did it feel to be play on two Army squads that advanced to the NCAA Tournament (2000, 2002)?
A: Those were some of the greatest memories I had! Playing at the University of Washington in 2000 was especially neat because I am from that area of the country and my family and friends did not get to see me play very much on the East Coast. It was also a good experience for us cadets to get away from West Point and relax a little with "normal" college kids!

Q: If you could go back to college and compete one more time, where would it be and against whom?
A: Against Lehigh, any location! But preferably in the Patriot League Championship.

Q: If you had to offer current student-athletes some words of wisdom what would they be?
A: You will not remember your stats, your record, or your performance nearly as much as you will remember the people around you. So, do not be so hard on yourself, and take the time to appreciate and get to know the people around you. There will be a day when you would give anything to go back and be surrounded by them again, even if it meant sitting on the bench!

Q: Can you talk about your military career as well as pursuing a career as an astronaut?
A: My career has been a high-speed roller coaster going in so many directions I am just holding on for the ride! I have been lucky enough to be set up for success by my education at West Point, and by some incredible mentors there, and I am consistently amazed by each new experience. I was able to attend graduate school right after West Point, which took me to England. After two masters degrees (Aerospace Engineering and International Security), I returned to the U.S. for flight school. I also had the opportunity to play rugby in the English Premiership during grad school, which landed me a spot on the USA National Team (2004-2005). Unfortunately I had to discontinue my rugby career for flight school (they do not take too kindly to broken bones and black eyes!). After flight school, where I was qualified in the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, the Army's scout-recon helicopter, I moved to Hawaii and joined 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment just before they headed out to Iraq. I deployed in July of 2006 for a 15-month tour, where I served as a maintenance commander as the Squadron Intelligence Officer. Additionally, I logged 850 combat flight hours and earned the Air Medal with Valor, two Air Medals, and a Bronze Star. I returned to Hawaii in the fall of 2007 and continued to serve as the intelligence officer until returning to Fort Rucker, Alabama in 2009 for a six-month professional development course. After that, I returned to the flightline and became qualified as an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior Instructor Pilot. Today, I am the Commander of C Troop, 1st Battalion, 14th Aviation Regiment, which conducts all undergraduate and graduate flight training for the OH-58D. I oversee more than 60 instructors and multiple courses, including initial training, instructor pilot, and maintenance test pilot courses.

Next summer I will move to Houston, Texas and take a position at Johnson Space Center (JSC) in the Astronaut Office. The Army is blessed to have a few positions at JSC for top former astronaut applicants to gain exposure and experience at NASA (I applied and was not selected to the astronaut class of 2010, looking forward to the next selection in 2012!). Most candidates do not get selected the first time around, so I am eagerly waiting for my next opportunity!

Q: Do you still follow Army athletics?
A: Yes, in the Army you cannot get away from hearing all the football results! It is very exciting to hear the team doing better this year. And of course, I always check in on my softballers and get a twang of jealousy as I read about their endeavors every year. .

Q: Looking back, what does it mean to you to have been a Patriot League student-athlete?
A: Being a student-athlete did SO MUCH for my self-confidence and ability to multi-task and manage multiple requirements. In high school, I never dreamed of playing Division 1 softball (well, I dreamed about it, but certainly did not see it being a reality!). So just being part of the program, being recognized as a scholar-athlete, and spending hours on the softball field with my friends in college really meant the world to me!