Agnes M. Trione, Audubon Teacher, Community Activist, GCHS Alumus

Agnes M. Trione (nee Austin), of Marlton, previously of Audubon, passed away February 3, 2020. Age 74. Beloved wife of Michael Trione. Loving mother of Nicole Trione (Michael Williams). Caring sister of Margaret Garris (Michael), Patricia Nallen (Edward) and the late John Austin. Agnes is also survived by many nieces,

olive-wolverine-471793.hostingersite.com graphic

nephews, and other family and friends.

Agnes was a teacher in the Audubon School District for 34 years and was a member of many teacher associations including the NEA, NJEA, CCCEA, and AEA. She was also very involved in her community as part of the Evesham Township Planning Board, School Board, Historical Society and Twinning Association. She was graduate of Gloucester Catholic, Class of ‘63.

Relatives and friends are invited to the visitation

on Thursday, February 6, from 9:00 AM to 11:00AM

at St Joan of Arc Church,

100 Willow Bend Road, Marlton, NJ.

The funeral mass will be held

at 11:00 AM

at the church. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Agnes to the American Cancer Society,

1851 Old Cuthbert Road, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034

Gloucester Township Police Alert: It\’s Tax Time- Avoid The Scams

Thousands of people have lost millions of dollars and their personal information to tax scams. Scammers use the reg

ular mail, telephone, or email to set up individuals, businesses, payroll and tax professionals.

The IRS

doesn\’t

initiate

contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information.

Note that the IRS does not:

Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. Generally, the IRS will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes.

Demand that you pay taxes without the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe. You should also be advised of

your rights as a taxpayer

Threaten to bring in local police, immigration officers or other law-enforcement to have you arrested for not paying. The IRS also cannot revoke your driver’s license, business licenses, or immigration status. Threats like these are common tactics scam artists use to trick victims into buying into their schemes.

Here is what the IRS will do:

If an IRS representative visits you, he or she will always provide two forms of official credentials called a pocket commission and a

HSPD-12

card. HSPD-12 is a government-wide standard for secure and reliable forms of identification for federal employees and contractors. You have the right to see these credentials. And if you would like to verify information on the representative’s HSPD-12 card, the representative will provide you with a dedicated IRS telephone number for verifying the information and confirming their identity.

Collection

IRS collection employees may call or come to a home or business unannounced to collect a tax debt. They will not demand that you make an immediate payment to a source other than the U.S. Treasury.

Learn more about the

IRS revenue officers’ collection work

The IRS can assign certain cases to private debt collectors but only after giving the taxpayer and his or her representative, if one is appointed, written notice. Private collection agencies will not ask for payment on a prepaid debit card or gift card. Taxpayers can learn about the IRS payment options on

IRS.gov/payments

. Payment by check should be payable to the U.S. Treasury and sent directly to the IRS, not the private collection agency.

Learn more about how to know if it’s really an IRS

Private Debt Collector

Beware of Impersonations

Scams take many shapes and forms, such as phone calls, letters and emails. Many IRS impersonators use threats to intimidate and bully people into paying a fabricated tax bill. They may even threaten to arrest or deport their would-be victim if the victim doesn’t comply.

For a comprehensive listing of recent tax scams and consumer alerts, visit

Tax Scams/Consumer Alerts

Know Who to Contact

Contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to report a phone scam. Use their “

IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting

” web page. You can also call 800-366-4484.

Report phone scams to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “

FTC Complaint Assistant

” on FTC.gov. Please add \”IRS Telephone Scam\” in the notes.

Report an unsolicited email claiming to be from the IRS, or an IRS-related component like the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System, to the IRS at

phishing@irs.gov

For more information on Tax Fraud Visit:

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/how-to-know-its-really-the-irs-calling-or-knocking-on-your-door

Address/Location

Gloucester Township Police Department

1261 Chews Landing Rd

Gloucester Township, NJ 08021

Contact

Emergency: 9-1-1

Non-emergencies: 856-228-4500

Different Instagram Apps To Grow Your Followers:

olive-wolverine-471793.hostingersite.com (February 4, 2020)–Instagram has become one of the best-known platforms in history, so it is also said, which is one of the most extraordinary applications today.

Taking into account that the numbers never fail, this social network has reached more than 700 million active users. A study conducted by Social Media Marketing says that Instagram is the second most used network.

image unsplash.com

Also, it is called as a network where you get more customers since Instagram works with interactions and with the audience.

This does not mean that you can upload anything, if you want to stand out in the middle of the entire audience, you must generate quality content. Now We have created a list of the best apps to get more followers on Instagram.

Real Followers:

This application is not found in the Play Store since it is an APK (a package for the Android operating system). It is beneficial to gain followers on Instagram, extremely important.

Real Followers offers the option of “follow me and I follow you”, it also gives you input to see the posts that other people publish and that they can also see yours and finally, likerforlike you can like the publications of users and that they like you back.

Do not think that followers are bots, this is an app to get more followers on Instagram, and they are totally real.

In order to get real followers you need to post content consistently. You can post viral videos, photos and stories of other instagram influencers and give them credits. In this way you can give benefit to your account as well as the other influencers. You can easily

download videos

and photos of any instagram profile by simple using

instadownloaderpro

for absolutely free.

Instafollowfor Instagram:

This is also one of the apps to get followers on Instagram, it is one of the most used applications, since she shows you who are the people who have stopped following you or the followers you have obtained.

In order for you to have followers, you must hire the paid version (Premium) and know who has blocked you on this network.

It is very effective at the time of interacting and to show multimedia content, making these videos more viewed and win more likes.

GetFollowersBoost:

It is very simple and you can find it in the Play Store, it is very effective for creating hashtags and you can publish videos and photos on Instagram very easily and quickly.

Its only function is to position labels to generate likes and followers.

Later:

It is one of the many ways to generate followers and makes you known on Instagram through the original content publications, while the publications are constant, the more attraction you generate to users.

This application was called Latergramme, but today it is known as Later, the best completely free tool that allows you to always be connected with followers and also gain new ones.

With Later you can plan when you want to publish your posts, photos and videos, you can also manage several accounts, this application will also present you with a report with all the most outstanding searches.

Royal Likes for Instagram:

Royal is also one of the apps to get more followers on Instagram, what happens is that, if they fulfill what they promise but in one way, this means that they help to gain followers but those followers are not real.

Although not all people want followers to be bots or followers with fake names, or would you like it to be so? If your answer is Yes, then you are not clear what social networks are used for.

The idea of all this is that people are influences and can gain Followers, that they are people who really want to be part of what you publish.

But, if you don\’t mind if your followers are bots we present this application that is free. This application also shows you which are the fake accounts or followers.

The application is available in Play Store especially for Android versions from 4.1 onwards, you can start earning followers from now on.

Mega Millions Jackpot Now $168,000,000

One $1,000,000 and Two $10,000 Tickets Sold

TRENTON (Feb. 3, 2020) – The Mega Millions jackpot has rolled to $168 million! James Carey, New Jersey Lottery acting executive director,

announced that there was one second-tier prizewinning ticket sold for the Friday, Jan. 31, drawing that matched five of the five white balls drawn winning the $1,000,000 prize. That ticket was purchased at Quick Chek #039, 195 Main Ave., Passaic in Passaic County. There were two third-tier prizewinning tickets sold that matched four of the five white balls and the gold ball winning $10,000. Those ticket was sold at the following locations:

Middlesex County: Wawa #781, 40 Washington Rd., Sayreville; and

Passaic County: Bolla 1440 Rt. 23 C-Store, 1440 Route 23 North, Wayne.

In addition, 12 players matched four of the five white balls drawn making each ticket worth $500. Two of those tickets were purchased with Megaplier, multiplying the prize to $1,000. Moreover 30,115 other New Jersey players took home $114,282 in prizes ranging from $2 to $400, according to Carey. The winning numbers for the Friday, Jan. 31, drawing were: 28, 31, 33, 57, and 62. The Gold Mega Ball was 19, and the Megaplier Multiplier was 02.

“Congratulations to the lottery winners and to the retailers that sold the winning tickets,” said Carey. “For selling the winning tickets, the retailers have become many more Lottery ‘lucky locations’ overnight.”

The next drawing will be held Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 11:00 pm. All New Jersey Lottery Mega Millions tickets must be purchased before 10:45 pm to participate in the drawing. Mega Millions tickets cost just two dollars; by adding the Megaplier option for an extra dollar per play, players can increase their non- jackpot winnings up to five times. Mega Millions tickets are sold in 46 participating jurisdictions. Drawings are held on Tuesdays and Fridays.

How to Prepare a Car for Sale

olive-wolverine-471793.hostingersite.com (February 4, 2020)–Every driver has at least once experienced the necessity to sell his/her means of transport. When this happens, the price at which it will be sold is crucially important. There is the possibility to refer to an agency and let an experienced vendor sell it. However, in this case, the amount of money one will get is considerably lower than in the event of selling on one’s own.

Hence, if you are looking for ways to sell your automobile and get as much money as possible, it makes sense to fulfill this by oneself. There are several hints that may help you out with this process.

The first step one should make is to carry out his/her Toyota or

Lexus VIN check

so that to make sure that the info available on VIN lookup services is true. In general, a car report contains valuable information on servicing, maintenance, repairs, accidents, etc. However, it may happen that something is missing, like important maintenance that has been carried out on time. In such a case, it is necessary to find corresponding documentation that may confirm this.

Tips for Getting Ready to Sell

Let your automobile look attractive. In other words, let it shine like a new coin – wash it inside and outside and clean seats, ceiling, and floors. If necessary, you can also polish it. Besides, it is necessary to check if there are any corroded parts. It is better to get rid of this and repaint these parts. The cost of this work is lower than the discount you will have to make when a potential purchaser finds this corroded element.

Take good pictures to post them with the announcement on the sale. Check the web and see which pictures are uploaded on such platforms. To increase the chances that a potential buyer will want to acquire your vehicle, it is recommended to upload as many pics as possible. In such a way, people will be able to decide if they like an automobile or not before seeing it. You will at least save time instead of meeting those who won’t purchase it.

Remember about a reasonable margin. Undoubtedly, a purchaser will bargain. Make sure that you can provide a discount. However, it is essential to remember that the price cannot be overestimated so that not to frighten potential buyers.

Be honest and answer all the questions. People who acquire pre-owned vehicles understand that the condition cannot be perfect. If there is a defect or trouble, it is better to honestly reply to this question. The truth will be revealed, and this deal will not happen.

It is not so easy to sell an automobile unless you are a professional vendor. However, selling own vehicle provides a great advantage as buyers are more prone to trust owners than vendors. Having this benefit, it is crucial to present your machine in the best possible way so that to increase the chances to sell it at the desired rate.

Happy Birthday Cruiser Olympia! Wednesday

February 5 | 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

It\’s been a big year for birthdays for our ships. We celebrated Submarine

Becuna

\’s 75th birthday last May, and now we\’re celebrating Cruiser

Olympia

\’s 125th this week and all spring long!

Join us on Wednesday, February 5 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. to kick off the celebration with free admission in the Museum and aboard the ships, hourly guided tours starting at 11 a.m., a special bell ringing aboard

Olympia

at 1:25 p.m. (you can even have a chance to ring the bell!), and much more on board and in the Museum.

More information on upcoming events celebrating the 125th can be found below!

Cruiser

Olympia

has been docked in Philadelphia for nearly 100 years and served in various capacities, starting with exhibiting as part of the Philadelphia Navy Yard’s annual public Navy Day events, officiating the construction celebrations of the Delaware River Bridge (later renamed the Benjamin Franklin Bridge), and most notably as a Museum ship starting in 1957.

Over her years in the city,

Olympia

has welcomed visitors of all ages, from school students who marvel at her sheer size, adults who want to see a part of history, and even descendants tracing the steps of a family member’s service on-board. We are excited to celebrate her commissioning in the city she’s called home for so many years!

FAQs for the Crew:

What are we celebrating?

Cruiser

Olympia

’s 125th commissioning anniversary! It’s basically a ship’s birthday.

What is a commissioning?

A ship’s

commissioning

is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service. A commissioning is different from a launch, which is when a ship is named and placed in the water.

Olympia

, the oldest steel warship afloat in the world, was launched in 1892 and commissioned for service in 1895.

What did

Olympia

do?

In addition to serving as the flagship of the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish- American War under the direction of Admiral George Dewey,

Olympia

has played a pivotal role in several major historical events. Her final mission was transporting the Unknown Soldier of World War I from Le Havre, France to the United States where he is now entombed at Arlington National Cemetery. Learn more about

Olympia

’s history and significance

here

How are we celebrating?

So glad you asked! February 5 is

Olympia

’s actual commissioning date, so we are marking the occasion with plenty of fun activities (scroll down for a full list). Can’t make it to celebrate on February 5? We hope you can join us but we get it, it’s a Wednesday in February. Don’t worry, we are having a bigger birthday bash on Saturday, May 9!

Be sure to tag us in your photos and use #Olympia125

Schedule of Events:

Olympia

’s Commissioning Celebration

Wednesday, February 5 | 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Celebrate

Olympia

’s commissioning anniversary with

free admission

Olympia

as well as Submarine

Becuna

and the Museum. Climb aboard for guided tours every hour starting at 11 a.m. plus have a chance to ring

Olympia

’s bell at 1:25 p.m. Warm up with free hot chocolate (while supplies last). Imagine the life of a sailor by testing your knot-tying skills, lie in a hammock similar to those the crew slept in, and try to fit all of your belongings in a ditty box while you’re aboard.

Free RSVP here.

Inside the Museum, be sure to explore

Olympia

\’s role in World War I in our

exhibit

World War I: USS Olympia

and check out the Curatorial Corner in the lobby with rotating thematic displays of artifacts and photos through the ship\’s history.

Youth and Opportunities in Society: 1890s to Today

Saturday, February 15 | 1 p.m.

Explore the challenges and opportunities facing youth today with guest speakers Juwan Z. Bennett of Temple University and Dr. Uade Da Silva, Lieutenant, USN, Retired. Bennett will discuss the challenges of equal opportunity for youth in today\’s workforce, while Da Silva will speak about contemporary race relations in the Navy. Explore the different opportunities and roles open to seamen during Cruiser

Olympia

\’s service time in the 1890s.

20th Century to Present: The Changing Role of Women in the Navy

Saturday, March 14

Join the Cruiser

Olympia

Living History Crew to explore the roles of women on board ships and in the Navy during

Olympia

’s time period.

Cruiser

Olympia

Hard Hat Tours

Bi-monthly, starting March 28

Hard Hat Tours return this spring for

Olympia

’s 125th! Explore more than 12 areas of the warship normally only reserved for staff. Learn about

Olympia

\’s technical details (did you know she was one of the first ships to have a radio communications system installed?), what life was like aboard for her crew, and more! Ticket information available soon.

Philadelphia Science Festival: Citywide Star Party

Friday, April 17 | 7 p.m.

Climb aboard and learn all about the stars from astronomers as part of the

Philadelphia Science Festival

Battle of Manila Bay Commemoration

Saturday, May 2

Step on board with the

Olympia

Living History Crew (pictured right) as they explore the history of the American Navy and highlight society at the height of the Victorian age. Visitors will experience what life was like aboard the vessel in 1898 through demonstrations of ship-to-ship signaling, artillery drills, and more.

Olympia

’s Waterfront Splash!

Saturday, May 9

Join us for

Olympia

’s official 125th birthday party! A special ceremony featuring guest speakers and the unveiling of a gift for

Olympia

will take place in the morning. Stay tuned for more information.

Join the Living History Crew for activities aboard the ship and learn more about what life was like for her crew. Stick around for the season opening of

Admiral’s Tavern

, our pop-up beer garden on

Olympia

’s fantail open all summer long! Sign a birthday card for

Olympia

and of course, enjoy some cake.

2020 Waterfront Gala

Saturday, May 9

Join us for a delightful evening as we celebrate the 125th anniversary of Cruiser Olympia’s commissioning and honor Burchenal Green, President and Executive Director of the National Maritime Historical Society, who will receive the 2020 Independence Seaport Museum Award for Maritime Preservation in honor of her commitment to protecting America’s historic ships and promoting our maritime heritage. Tickets and more information about the gala available

here

Interested in volunteering to help out with any of the above events? Contact Greg Williams, Submarine Becuna Manager, Shipboard Educator, and Volunteer Coordinator, at

gwilliams@phillyseaport.org

or 215-413-8679.

This celebration would not be possible without the generous support of our community! Interested in making a gift in support of Cruiser Olympia? Click

here

South Florida Federal Case Reveals Illegal Immigrants Buy, Rent Kids for Easier U.S. Entry

SOUTH FLORIDA–A federal case out of south Florida illustrates the perils of a U.S. policy that facilitates the entry of illegal immigrants with children over those traveling alone. The matter involves a Guatemalan national who obtained false documents in his impoverished Central American country to claim a 12-year-old boy as his son. The 35-year-old illegal alien, Walfre Eliseo Camposeco-Montejo, and his fake son were released by federal authorities as a family unit and remained free until the boy escaped. Camposeco-Montejo eventually pled guilty to providing and obtaining forced labor, alien smuggling and unlawfully transporting aliens. This month he was sentenced to

eight years in prison

for labor trafficking a minor.

Camposeco-Montego and the minor illegally entered the U.S. by crossing the Rio Grande in November 2016, according to the feds. Not coincidentally, there was a huge spike in family units entering the country via the southern border that year. In fact, Judicial Watch

reported

it after obtaining Department of Homeland Security (DHS) figures showing that, in the first 11 months of fiscal year 2016, the number of family units apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol nearly doubled from the previous year. The majority of the illegal border crossers remained in the country under former President Barack Obama’s special refugee and family reunification programs. The Rio Grande Border Patrol sector used by Camposeco-Montego saw an astounding 91% increase in family units the year he crossed it with the boy, according to the government figures.

“Upon their arrest by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, when crossing the border, Camposeco-Montejo lied about being the boy’s father,” according to a Department of Justice (DOJ)

statement

issued this month. “Based upon Camposeco-Montejo’s false representations, he and the boy were released as a family unit and subsequently made their way to Florida.” The Guatemalan illegal alien obtained false identification documents for the boy and forced him to work in south Florida farms for months to repay a debt from the human smuggling operation, according to federal prosecutors. The scheme was exposed because the boy was eventually able to escape and report his smuggler. Authorities say the smuggler promised the boy’s mother he would provide him with an education upon arriving in the U.S.

In the last few years federal agents along the Mexican border have uncovered thousands of similar cases in which illegal immigrants use children to practically assure entry into the U.S. Family units also avoid long-term federal custody. They are known as “fake families.” During

congressional testimony

over the summer, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) explained the situation: “By requiring the release of family units before the conclusion of immigration proceedings, seemingly well-intentioned court rulings and legislation are being exploited by transnational criminal organizations and human smugglers,” Matthew Albence told lawmakers during the July hearing. “These despicable smugglers have created an entire illicit industry with untold millions of dollars being made through the sale, rental, and recycling of children—utilized by unscrupulous adults to pose as family units.”

The word that kids are a ticket into the U.S. has spread like wildfire throughout Central America. The nation’s largest Spanish-language news network, also viewed throughout Latin America, even aired a segment titled

“Children as Passport”

that points out “arriving at the U.S. border with a child in hand has become the best passport for tens of thousands of Central American migrants.” Another major Spanish news conglomerate recently reported that immigrants

buy children for $130

to create fake families that facilitate crossing the border. One Spanish news story reveals that a Guatemalan man

rented

an 8-year-old boy to cross the Lukeville port of entry in Arizona. Throughout Central America and Mexico, a multitude of news reports and social media postings reiterate similar stories.

As a result, there has been a huge—and unprecedented—rise in family units at the southern border. In 2019 there were 473,682 apprehensions of family units, an increase of more than quadruple from the previous year, according to a

report

issued by the Pew Research Center. The nonpartisan think tank describes it as a “big shift from the recent past” in which individual adults far outnumbered family units or unaccompanied children. Family units also represented more than half of all apprehensions in 2019. “The changing profile of those being apprehended has strained the Border Patrol, which follows different legal protocols for detaining family members and single adults,” the Pew report states.

SOURCE

https://www.judicialwatch.org/

Tonight Twin Poets Kick-Off Atlantic Cape Community College Black History Month Events 2020

MAYS LANDING, NJ–(February 4, 2020)–Atlantic Cape Community College will be celebrating Black History Month with various events throughout February, featuring guests that will inspire, empower, and inform. The following events are free and open to the public:

On Tuesday, February 4, 2020, at 6:00 pm in the Student Center, Atlantic Cape is pleased to welcome back The Twin Poets. They will be performing “Our Voices Matter”. Both men are master level social workers who utilize their art as a tool for community engagement, empowerment, and development. Their \”Our Work, Our Words\”, 2nd edition publication will be given to the first 50 Atlantic Cape students who attend.

At our Worthington Atlantic City Campus on Thursday, February 20, 2020, at 12:30 pm – Room 204 we welcome the Atlantic City Professional Panel to discuss the topic “Our Journey Becoming Leaders”. This year we will recognize featured professionals

Natalie Devonish

, Dean of the Worthington Campus & Workforce Development,

Michael Epps, Esq.

Executive Director, Atlantic City Initiatives Project Office,

Yolanda Melville,

Attorney, Cooper Levenson, P.A. and President, National NAACP NextGen Alumni Leadership Council and

Marty Small

, Mayor of Atlantic City, NJ. The panel will identify their inspirations and discuss what Black History means to them by sharing their professional journey and how they overcame obstacles along the way.

Throughout the month there will be a variety of events specifically for students including movies, art and historical and interactive displays at each campus. For more information, contact Lisa Givens, 609-343-5010 or

lgivens@atlantic.edu

Powerball Jackpot Hits $50,000,000

TRENTON (Feb. 3, 2020) – The Powerball jackpot has rolled to $50 million! Although no one won the jackpot in the Feb. 1, drawing, 21,831 New Jersey players took home an estimated $137,955 in prizes ranging from $4 to $400, according to Lottery Acting Executive Director James Carey.

The winning numbers for the Saturday, Feb. 1, drawing were: 12, 33, 54, 57 and 60. The Red Power Ball number was 13. The Multiplier number was 04. The Powerball jackpot rolls to $50,000,000 for the next drawing to be held Wednesday Feb. 5, at 10:59 pm.

Face of Defense: To the Moon … And Beyond!

FACE OF DEFENSE

AMERICAN HERO

Marine Corps Maj. Jasmin Moghbeli Job Title: NASA Astronaut Hometown: Baldwin, New York Unit: NASA Astronaut Group 22, \’\’The Turtles\’\’ Stationed: Johnson Space Center, Houston

JAN. 16, 2020 |

KATIE LANGE

, DOD NEWS

What was the process of getting into the astronaut candidate program?

I just submitted a resume on USAJobs.gov. It sounds almost underwhelming, right? Then, I came back here [to Johnson Space Center] for two rounds of interviews and got accepted to the program.

Tell me about the training you went through.

The training was really exciting and diverse. You have to be able to do a little bit of everything as an astronaut because, up in space, you\’re the doctor; you\’re the maintainer; you\’re the scientist and the spacewalker; and, so, the variety of things we\’ve learned over these two years has been incredible. Some of the major courses we learned were robotics, learning to speak Russian, learning about the International Space Station and its systems, and learning how to do spacewalks. Then, there\’s flying the T-38 jets!

What did you struggle with most?

The hardest part, for me, was the training in the neutral buoyancy lab. That’s where we trained for spacewalks. I’ve watched astronauts do spacewalks before, and you think, \’Wow, they make it look so easy and so smooth,\’ and that the suit is just an extension of their body. But then I got in there for the first time, and it’s just completely different than you\’d imagined. You now have to walk with your hands, and anytime you squeeze your hands to do anything, you’re fighting the pressure in the suit. It was just really tricky learning how to move within that suit. It\’s your own personal spacecraft at that point, and [you\’re] learning how to work with it by fighting against it.

What did you do best during training?

Something that I thought would be a challenge that I did well at was learning Russian. I\’ve really enjoyed learning another language, learning about their culture. We have one-on-one instruction, and my instructor is absolutely incredible. That was something I knew would be a real challenge, but I feel like I really progressed in it.

How did you feel when they announced that you were officially an astronaut?

I felt honored to be joining the company of so many amazing women and men.

Was this a dream of yours growing up?

I was actually born in Germany, but I grew up in Baldwin, New York, on Long Island. I went through kindergarten and high school there, and I dreamed of being exactly where I am today, which is really exciting for me. I wanted to be an astronaut since I was a kid, and when you say in sixth grade, \’I want to become an astronaut\’ nobody thinks you\’re actually going to become an astronaut. While it wasn\’t always the main focus of what I was doing at each point in my life, it\’s always been there in the background, driving the general path of where I\’ve been going.

Was the Marine Corps an asset to your success?

Being in the Marine Corps was a huge asset. It’s a testament to all those people and the mentorship. The Marine Corps played a very important part in shaping me and giving me a lot of the skills I needed – not just the hard skills but a lot of the soft skills, like how to communicate and how to take my entire team into consideration and not just my personal needs. It\’s hard to teach those things, but we do it very well in the Marine Corps. And my test piloting background — the operational experience and the engineering side of that — both tie in perfectly here.

As an official astronaut, what\’s next on your agenda?

It\’s a super exciting time to be in human space exploration. We\’ve been on the International Space Station for almost 20 years continuously now, and we\’ve got several new vehicles on the horizon. There\’s Boeing and Space X, both with their commercial crew vehicles. NASA is developing Orion and the Space Launch System to go onto the moon, and there\’s Mars with the [Lunar] Gateway program. So, there are a lot of exciting things. Right now, in my day to day, I\’m focused on the human lander system and getting us to the moon.

Do you think you could be the first female astronaut to get to the moon?

There is a chance, but at this point I’m just excited that I’ll know the first woman to be on the moon!

In 2015, Marine Corps Lt. Col. Nicole Mann became the first female Marine to graduate from the astronaut program and she mentored you. What would you say to her for that?

You\’ve been an inspiration to me. She was my mentor right from the beginning — called me before I ever showed up here and made sure I had what I needed. Watching you and knowing you\’re going to be the first person on the launch of a new spacecraft is such an inspiration.

What drives you to do better?

I think the same thing that pushes people in the military every day — your sisters and brothers to your left and right. We\’re in a similar job here where your failures … there are life or death situations here. What we do inherently is risky because we\’re constantly pushing the boundaries and just thinking, \’I need to focus because my buddy could be on that vehicle I was working on.\’ And I think that motivates me a lot.

What advice would you give to future generations of Marines?

Whatever you\’re interested in, have that vision of what you want to do, but also don\’t forget to focus on what you\’re doing in the moment. I wasn’t always assigned to the job I wanted to be assigned to, but I put my effort into that to the best of my ability and tried to do the best I could at that job. So, whether you\’re sweeping floors or doing something really cool, just do the best you can do.

Also, I think something that gets lost sometimes is being kind to others. When you\’re in the position to mentor someone, think back to when you were in their position and first learning something. Just remember we\’re all on the same team.

FACE OF DEFENSE

AMERICAN HERO