My father wakes up at 6:30 sharp and wakes up our dogs, Kobe and Nico. He has to make sure he makes his coffee before he heads to work. Now that he is retired from the army, he works with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. What he does there is, and I quote, “provides comprehensive services and benefits to eligible military veterans and their families, including healthcare, disability compensation, and education and training benefits like the G.I. Bill.” He helps families that have to deal with that same hardship and things he had to go through.

The tools he uses at the VA are phone calls and emails. He needs to write emails to be able to communicate with patients and make calls to set up meetings. When he comes home, he goes on the couch and watches basketball or football, depending on who’s playing. His favorite teams are the Ravens and the Lakers. He was born in Maryland, so he has been a Ravens fan his whole life. His dad, Aubrey, was a Lakers fan, so he, being a Lakers and Ravens fan, made my dad one.