This week's MilTeen Spotlight is Brianna C., a 12th grade Air Force brat currently located in Bossier City, Louisiana! Read on to find out more about Brianna's volunteerism and activism!
Where have you lived? Which location was your favorite and why?
I have lived in Alabama, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana. I really try to embrace each community. I love the food and Mardi Gras in LA!!
Describe your involvement with Student 2 Student. What inspired you to get involved in it, and what are you doing to make a difference?
I hopped into leadership with S2S my freshman year. It has been a struggle through COVID and getting new students together in person has been difficult with social distancing, so we have gotten creative teaming up with Student Council to do Social Media inclusion campaigns and really working organically to “see the new student” and get them plugged in. While we haven’t had large groups we have thrived at relationship building in small groups and individually.
Tell us about your involvement with EveryWarrior. What inspired you to get involved in it, and what are you doing to make a difference?
We had a suicide epidemic at our base in 2019 and I started working with them to encourage kindness in kids as a suicide deterrent. As COVID hit and continued to affect us, I dug deeper into using community service and volunteering as a way to get out of the house and keep from being isolated. I feel in my core that as we serve others we discover our passions and purpose on this earth… what can be a better suicide deterrent than truly knowing your place in this world and feeling you are making a difference?!? Now I volunteer daily helping youth here and around the world find ways to give back, show kindness, and develop projects to help their community do the same.
What are some highlights of your time with these organizations (e.g. memorable experiences, accomplishments, etc.)?
There have been so many cool things we have accomplished. Really, for me it has been the people I have met along the way. Last summer I was able to visit with brand new airmen to our base and brief them on Every Warrior and the importance of getting off base and getting involved in volunteering in their community. Not only did I get to meet a lot of new people, I was able to get them out of their dorm rooms and socializing. Isolation is a real problem with first term airmen, I truly hope my words left a mark.
Are there any other hobbies, organizations, or clubs that you are passionate about? Tell us more!
I love volunteering with Giving Tuesday Military to encourage one million acts of kindness each Giving Tuesday. I love doing project in collaboration with Inspire UP Foundation. Dick’s Sporting Goods launched a Girls Power Panel this year to focus on the importance of female athletics! Almost everything I do revolves around the Military, so serving with Dicks Sporting Goods is awesome because I take of my military kid hat for a minute and represent all my female athlete advocates.
What’s next for you personally and for your various projects? Any particular goals or exciting plans?
I am always encouraging others to do Positive Post Its!! In fact, I got a grant to purchase post its, markers, and even gift cards for groups wanting to get together and do Positive PostIt notes as a service project. I’d love to get some more groups around the world doing it! I am forming some ideas on how to bring milkids champions together to cross pollinate service project ideas and collab around the world. I am graduating a year earlier than expected so I am spending a lot of time focusing on sustainability on some of my local projects and shifting to ideas on how to bring military kids together at my college. It is small and doesn’t have a big military presence, but I know I will find some great milkids there.
What’s something that you wish others understood about military life?
Military Kid life is tough, but it is so rewarding. I wish others knew how hard it is to find your place in a new community, find your champions, and them find ways to make a difference. I encourage everyone to really see the new kid and welcome them, share your networks, and let get them involved. It is so exhausting to start over a third, or fourth, or fifth time. I really want kids in our military communities to help us transition easier.
What words of wisdom do you have for other current or future military teens?
KEEP your EYES open!! Keep your eyes open for new possibilities when you get somewhere new. Then, when you have been there a while and you are settled in, Keep your eyes open for the new kid and help make their transition better than yours. It is our job as military kids to make sure that others feel seen, heard, and loved.
Where can our readers follow you or your organizations and possibly get involved?
I love to connect with people on socials! I love to collab on ideas and help where I can!
FB: brianna.cooley.376
Instagram: briannagracecooley/
LinkedIN: in/briannagracecooley/
Check out Everywarrior.org and email me at Brianna@everywarrior.org
Anything else you want to share with us?
Remember #kindisCool and #influenceyourworld
Y’all are awesome! I love everything you are doing!