My stepdad, Sergeant First Class Christopher D. Shaw, was the definition of courage, strength, and kindness. He loved chill weekends watching the New Orleans Saints, playing Call of Duty, catching up on “Prison Break,” or just hanging out with the family, often taking us to Cici’s Pizza.
I never really called him my stepdad because he’d been there for me since I was 2 years old. He taught me so much, including how to ride a bike without training wheels. We were living on base at Fort Lewis in Washington at the time, and all the kids on our street were really close. One day, I saw everyone riding bikes without training wheels and decided I wanted to learn too. I told my dad I wanted a “big girl” bike, so he went out and bought one for me that day. He spent the whole day outside with me until I could ride without him holding on. He even tightened the brakes so much that I could only stop slowly. I ended up going so fast that I forgot to brake and flipped over—it was pretty funny.
But then, on September 29, 2009, everything changed. Just as we were about to leave for school, we got the heartbreaking news that my dad had died in the Philippines. He was on his second deployment, working on a school construction project when his vehicle hit an IED on Jolo Island. He earned a lot of medals, including the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
After that, we moved closer to family in Mississippi to help us cope. We were all in shock, but our family’s support helped us get through it. Thanks to that support, I was able to succeed academically. I graduated high school in 2019, went to the University of Alabama for a degree in Public Health with a minor in Management, and then continued my education at Tulane University, where I’m now in my second year of a Master’s in Healthcare Administration.
The Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) has been a huge part of my success. They’ve opened so many doors for me and supported me in so many ways. I truly believe in the saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” and SOWF has been that extra support I needed.
So, on behalf of myself and the other SOWF kids, I want to say a big thank you for all the hard work you do for us and our futures. I’m forever grateful.
