"Ms. Chef", 15" x 11", Lino embossing and intaglio, 2020
Natalie, Coast Guard
I joined because I wanted to be a chef. I was going to UCLA right out of high school and I didn't feel like I was getting enough out of it. I wanted to do more. I felt like [joining the Coast Guard] was the best way to achieve my goals in the culinary world as well as give back to my country. Originally I just joined to get the culinary background experience and then usually I go for culinary school, but I ended up loving it so much and being able to achieve similar goals staying within the military.
In the role that I'm in now, I'm able to do a little bit more stuff, and can go to more advanced training because I'm working for an Admiral. I get to do his VIP dinners and all that, like a personal chef. He might have a congressman or senator, or maybe it could be with another branch or other senior leadership. It could be a sit down dinner or a large party, but always for official business.
When I first joined, I was going to get out after my original enlistment, but at this point I'm a past 10 years, I'm in a really amazing job and I love it. I'm going to stay in.
I think that in general, in the workplace, no matter what, there's always a different struggle as a female. I think a big thing is because of family planning. When I have kids, am I going to be deemed as weaker because I can’t commit as much time as my male counterpart? It has impacted me. I feel like I need to work harder to prove myself. I’m not saying that I'm working harder than a man does, but I'm just saying that I definitely feel a need to prove myself to make up for the fact that I went on maternity leave, or when I was pregnant I couldn't do as many physically demanding tasks.
That's actually the biggest reason why senior females in the military in general end up getting out because of the constraints it puts on your family. I'm fortunate to have had really supportive commands and then even currently, the Admiral is very supportive of family life. I had my second child while being here this past year and they have been nothing but supportive with ensuring that I can take care of my family.
I joined because I wanted to be a chef. I was going to UCLA right out of high school and I didn't feel like I was getting enough out of it. I wanted to do more. I felt like [joining the Coast Guard] was the best way to achieve my goals in the culinary world as well as give back to my country. Originally I just joined to get the culinary background experience and then usually I go for culinary school, but I ended up loving it so much and being able to achieve similar goals staying within the military.
In the role that I'm in now, I'm able to do a little bit more stuff, and can go to more advanced training because I'm working for an Admiral. I get to do his VIP dinners and all that, like a personal chef. He might have a congressman or senator, or maybe it could be with another branch or other senior leadership. It could be a sit down dinner or a large party, but always for official business.
When I first joined, I was going to get out after my original enlistment, but at this point I'm a past 10 years, I'm in a really amazing job and I love it. I'm going to stay in.
I think that in general, in the workplace, no matter what, there's always a different struggle as a female. I think a big thing is because of family planning. When I have kids, am I going to be deemed as weaker because I can’t commit as much time as my male counterpart? It has impacted me. I feel like I need to work harder to prove myself. I’m not saying that I'm working harder than a man does, but I'm just saying that I definitely feel a need to prove myself to make up for the fact that I went on maternity leave, or when I was pregnant I couldn't do as many physically demanding tasks.
That's actually the biggest reason why senior females in the military in general end up getting out because of the constraints it puts on your family. I'm fortunate to have had really supportive commands and then even currently, the Admiral is very supportive of family life. I had my second child while being here this past year and they have been nothing but supportive with ensuring that I can take care of my family.