PORT CHARLOTTE — Port Charlotte native Samantha Smay has learned a lot during her 22 years in the military as she rose through the ranks to lieutenant colonel. She continues to grow, learn and mentor those around her.
Eight ways Smay embodies FIERCE:
1.Excellence: Smay was given a congressional nomination and was selected for one spot out of six for a military preparatory school before being accepted into The U.S. Military Academy at West Point. “To be able to get the congressional nomination, to be able to get people to see the holistic view of you and not just what’s on paper, I feel really blessed and honored to be able to have that opportunity,” Smay said.
2. Being enough: During her initial years in the U.S. Army, Smay said she worked more than necessary to prove her worth among her male counterparts. “It’s taken me many years to kind of realize that, no, I don’t have to do what they do,” Smay said. “I can be the friendly, jovial, supportive, optimistic, happy-go-lucky officer, and I can still succeed. I can still be me and succeed in a very male-dominated culture.”