德文·卡斯蒂略著
卡丽莎·拉莫斯(Karissa Ramos)在整个童年时期都感受到坚定不移的爱国主义. As the daughter of a Retired Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, 她把父亲视为一个榜样，他体现了对自己的事业充满激情和对他发誓要保护的国家的尊重. 对她来说，他对美国的重视.S. military and his role within it was undeniable.
Being a military child comes with unique challenges, though. 卡丽莎高中一年级中期从亚利桑那州搬到圣安东尼奥就是其中之一. 虽然她喜欢她的新学校. 安东尼天主教高中(萨克斯), she worried that because she transferred in the middle of the year, 她会努力寻找联系, as most other students 有 already established 朋友hips and community.
她又惊又喜——同时也松了一口气——她遇到的第一个人不仅会成为她新开始的第一个朋友, but also the person she’d ultimately choose to spend a lifetime with as her husband.
Karissa met Joshua (Josh) Ramos in her first-period class. In a room full of unknown faces, Josh spoke up and offered her the seat next to him. 一个善意的举动让Karissa感到受欢迎，并播下了他们关系开始成长的种子.
During the next four years, the pair remained good 朋友. 他们有相似的朋友群, 献身于信仰和服务, a military family background and a mutual admiration for one another. 随着毕业的临近, the makings of a romantic connection laid just beneath the surface of their 朋友hip.
In the summer of 2012, after they graduated from SACHS, Josh enlisted in the Navy. He 有 aspired to become a pilot since he was a child. 他的祖父, 越战老兵, 是一个永恒的榜样，激励着乔希去追求他在军队中取得成功的梦想. Enlisting was just the first step in making his dreams of flying a reality. But now his dreams also included the presence of his best friend, Karissa.
“Josh told me he was taking off in January for basic training, and he suggested that we spend time together until then to see where it goes. By that September, we were officially a couple,” recalled Karissa.
乔希在芝加哥的五大湖海军基地完成了基本训练，然后被派驻到弗吉尼亚海滩的丹颈海军基地接受情报专家训练，在那里他被训练成为一名图像分析师.
在此期间, 卡丽莎在圣言大学开始了她的学习，以追求她的传播艺术学士学位. 她对自己的课程感到震惊，并爱上了它的老师和广阔的机会. In addition to having found a community within her degree program, she also found a community within University 使命及事工.
在她本科期间, 她曾在道成肉身的仁爱姐妹会(CCVI)担任学生雇员。, whom she admired for their continued devotion to service. 在老师的指导下. Walter Maher, CCVI, UIW’s vice president of Mission & 部, 这个角色让她培养了长期以来的宗教信仰，并帮助她加强了与上帝的联系.
这对夫妇在2013年底团聚，当时乔希被分配到圣安东尼奥联合情报中心的预备役部队. 在他履行职责的同时，卡里萨继续学业，最终于2016年毕业. 她决定立即继续她的学业，开始研究生学习，攻读传播艺术硕士学位, while serving as a graduate assistant for 使命及事工.
卡丽莎说:“透过宣教和事工，以及我的计划，我得到很多支持. “[It was a] wonderful six years of my life where I just felt so at home. 那些在传播艺术项目的人总是尽他们所能来确保我们, 作为学生, 到达了终点线, 我们正在获取知识, resources and skills that we needed to succeed in the real world.”
"Karissa and Josh are the best examples of how servant leadership, 勤奋的工作和为他人服务的热情不仅会引领他们走向成功，也会引领他人走向成功."
In 2017, 在北卡罗来纳州的布拉格堡工作了一年之后，他在联合特种作战司令部工作, 乔希回到圣安东尼奥，决定继续攻读四年的学位，成为一名海军军官，并立志成为一名海军飞行员. With the University’s top-rate service to active-duty military members and veterans, 当然, the enthusiastic recommendation of Karissa, Josh could think of no better place to earn his degree than UIW.
“在我的教育过程中，威斯康星大学给了我很多帮助, especially the 专业研究学院 (SPS) program,乔希分享道。. “I was active in the military from Monday to Friday. It was a full-time job that spanned morning to afternoon. SPS项目帮助我适应，并给我时间在晚上和网上学习课程.”
In 2018, Karissa and Josh were – some would say, finally – married. By 2019, 两人都获得了学位, 在威斯康星大学找到了一个广泛的社区，并在他们的职业生涯中有所提升. 就在那时，卡丽莎意识到她的使命是像她父亲一样为国家服务, 现在是丈夫, 有. Rather than joining the armed forces herself, 她选择帮助像乔希这样勇敢的军人，他们准备在UIW接受高等教育. Karissa于2019年以退伍军人服务专家的身份开始在威斯康星大学及其军事和退伍军人中心(MVC)工作.
卡丽莎亲身体会到，一个支持性机构能给追求教育的军人的生活带来多大的不同，她很感激有机会在她丈夫的经历中帮助别人. 她觉得她的职位——以及她作为军人女儿和妻子的个人经历——使她能够充满同情心地为威斯康星大学和军事社区服务, 同理心和独特的理解.
“It really is a full circle moment for me,” she reflected. “The military has found a way to be a constant presence in my life. 我可以用我过去的经历来同情学生，并证明我理解他们正在经历的事情. 我的工作是一个巨大的祝福和荣誉.”
2020年9月, 当乔希被海军飞行员航空项目录取时，他长久以来的梦想开始实现. He officially began the program in June 2021. 从那里, 他曾就读军官候补学校(OCS)。, completed a six-week air indoctrination course at Naval Aviation Schools Command, attended primary flight training and progressed towards advanced naval flight training.
Josh completed his naval aviation training to become a P-8 pilot in February 2024. At a special ceremony held in Corpus Christi, 卡丽莎站在最前面和中间，并有幸将“金翅膀”别在她丈夫的制服上. 虽然这是他的荣誉, Josh对Karissa的感激, 朋友, family and the UIW community who supported him throughout this journey was evident. He felt especially proud to have followed in his grandfather’s footsteps, achieving what his role model 有 always hoped for him.
“我们等了很长时间. I've been waiting for this moment for a while and it's finally here. 这有点超现实,乔希分享道。, 骄傲和感激, as he looked back on the long journey to this moment.
Having been part of his journey since high school, 卡丽莎知道她丈夫的荣誉反映了他坚定不移的奉献和承诺. She never doubted that he would one day achieve his dream of becoming a pilot. 她相信他对飞行的热爱, drive to serve his country and the role models, mentors and supporters that he 有 to look up to along the way would guide him. 在军队里, Josh 有 the privilege of working with many officers that helped him develop his skills, modeled a level of pride for service and pushed him forward throughout his training. At UIW, community members including Jonathan Lovejoy, U.S. Navy veteran and senior director for 军人和退伍军人 Affairs, 在他获得学位和成为一名飞行员的整个过程中，指导和指导他. 洛夫乔伊讲述了他自己在海军的经历，并帮助乔希展望了他作为一名飞行员的未来.
“Karissa and Joshua are an inspiration to all,” remarked Lovejoy. 他们对圣. Anthony, UIW and their country is truly impressive. Karissa inspires all with her passion and drive to support UIW’s Mission, her country and military-connected students and their families. 从我第一次见到乔什的那天起, 我可以看到，他通过完成学业目标，为实现报效国家和成为一名海军飞行员的梦想而不懈努力，为自己的成功奠定了基础. Karissa and Josh are the best examples of how servant leadership, 勤奋的工作和为他人服务的热情不仅会引领他们走向成功，也会引领他人走向成功.”
As the couple continues to reach new heights together, they remain grounded by their shared values, 信靠神, 彼此之间, both grateful for the role that the other has played in their lives.
“我为Josh的成长和他所取得的成就感到无比骄傲,卡丽莎说。. “我认为上帝在这一生中给了他很多祝福，他真的没有浪费这种祝福.”
“在我的职业生涯中，她一直是我非常大的支持，我并没有忽视她，”乔希分享道. “我爱她，因为她给了我和我们所有人 ... 我希望我能对她在生活中必须经历的任何事情给予同样的支持和动力.”
While it’s unclear what the future holds for Karissa and Josh, 什么是爱, 信仰, and a passion for serving their nation and others will be ever-present in their lives.
Photo Credit: Blake Purcell, Purcell Images