MIAMI – Ashley N. George is a First Lieutenant in the Florida Army National Guard.
George said that as a New Yorker, September 11 was a great motivator for joining the military. But so was money for college. She is an air defense officer and trains constantly for missions in Washington, D.C.
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After she participated in the Ulchi Freedom Guardian in South Korea -- the biggest U.S.-South Korea war games -- George was awarded the Army Achievement Medal in 2011.
George is ambitious. She was the captain of her school's track and field team and she was in ROTC at the University of Miami, where she earned a degree in criminology in 2012. She was admitted to law school in 2013.
For the last four months, she has been interning at the UM's Health Rights Clinic to help veterans in Hollywood, Homestead and Miami.
"Their stories are heartbreaking," George said.
George's mom died of breast cancer when she was 18. She was a single mom, who taught her about the importance of hard work and dedication, she said. George said she finds helping others gratifying. She hopes to graduate from law school in 2016.
"I hope to go into JAG in the future," George said referring to U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps, the legal branch of the military.
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