My Hidden Curriculum

A Navy Brat’s Rhythm of Life

Abstract

My "hidden curriculum" of a military upbringing provided early cultural capital and an immersive education in diversity that no textbook could replicate. This upbringing normalized the "pivot," inadvertently starting my training to become a tempered radical. Once I entered into administration, my career was defined by the tension between loyalty and autonomy. Choosing a life by design was a necessary course correction to ensure I was not living in a script that was not my own. Navigating the intersections of race and gender to dismantle inequitable structures started to mold facets of my leadership identity. Drowning in a "script" can happen when you lose sight of your ‘Why’ that brings you joy. We must do more than survive, we must thrive. When you curate alignment with your ‘Why’ then you can invest in a legacy.