“Wow this is such an honor to even be considered for this award! From as far back as I can remember I had been boating on Lake Erie. Growing up my family and I would go sailing in Sandusky and the Mentor Lagoons. My Dad wanted my brother and I be familiar with boating safety and navigation rules and took us to get our boating license when we were about 12 years old. I started volunteering for Spirit of America in 2002 at the Fairport Harbor location in Lake County, Ohio. Every summer from then on until I graduated high school in 2006 I would volunteer with Spirit of America. After graduation I went to Notre Dame College for one year. During my time there I realized that I wanted something more and that's when I sought out the local Coast Guard recruiting office. I went off to Coast Guard boot camp in October 2007. After graduating the 8 week long boot camp I received orders to be stationed in Virginia Beach on a 87 foot long cutter. I was there for two years and some of my duties that I performed there were, coxswain of the small boat, deck maintenance, boarding team member and crew member of the watch.

In January 2010 I transferred to Yorktown, Virginia to go thru Boatswains Mate" A" school. "A" school is a vigorous 12 week long school where I was taught how to navigate, plot courses on charts, how to calculate sunrise and sunset, navigation rules and spent 2 weeks operating small boats. Once I completed the 12 week course I advanced to Boatswains mate 3rd class and was sent to a search and rescue station in Annapolis, Maryland.

I spent 4 years at the station. During my tour I obtained several qualifications including, coxswain on the 45 foot Response Boat Medium and 29 foot Response Boat small, officer of the day, boarding team member, numerous weapons qualifications, chart petty officer, certified in first aid and CPR and in charge of deck maintenance on the small boats. While stationed in Annapolis I was a part of countless search and rescue cases, escorts of cruise ships and law enforcement boardings on the Chesapeake Bay. The station also played a big part in training the Coast Guard auxiliary and civilians on proper boat handling, understanding rules to navigation and boating safety while on the water.

In 2014 I transferred to Training Center Yorktown in Yorktown, Virginia to become an underway boat instructor on the 45 foot response boat medium and also advanced to boatswains mate 2nd class. My main responsibility at my current duty station is the train and educate future coxswains on how to safety operate the 45 foot RB-M. Junior Coast Guard members travel from all across the nation to come to the 2 week long course. During the course they will be taught proper boat handling skills, how to operate the navigation equipment, policies and procedures, search patterns, and identify engineering casualties. Over the past 3 years I have also volunteered to work with local ROTC and youth groups to educate them on the Coast Guard and boating safety. Teaching has truly become a passion of mine and I can't wait to pass on my love for the water and boating to my children.”

Rosie G.Spirit of America graduate