My Community of Veterans and Survivors Showed Me My Potential

Within the Travis Manion Foundation (TMF) community, I hold many titles: Navy Veteran, Mentor, service project leader, New England Chapter Leader, and graduate of the Spartan Leadership Program (SLP). I now proudly refer to myself as a leader, driven to carry on the legacies of heroes who served before me. But that wasn’t always the case.

The support of my fellow veteran and survivor peers in TMF’s Spartan Leadership Program allowed me to build self-respect, confidence in my abilities, and empowered me to serve as I do today. And a “peer support” organization wasn’t even something I was looking for.

I was searching for local 5Ks to participate in when I stumbled upon TMF’s 9/11 Heroes Run. As a veteran myself (and spouse to a Navy Veteran), I was drawn to the opportunity to honor the fallen heroes lost not only on that tragic day but in service since. I attended the run, connected with the TMF mission, and left that day feeling like I had found my community.

I have served in the U.S. military and would like to learn more about Veteran benefits from the VA: https://rly.pt/3lO6ju4

From there, I submitted an application to TMF’s Spartan Leadership Program--a 7-month course for veterans or family members of the fallen interested in self-development and cultivating leadership skills--not totally believing I’d get in, but looking for another way to connect. When I was accepted, I was truly surprised.

When I first met my fellow cohort members, I was blown away by how thoughtful, motivated, and brave they were. As they shared their stories and reasons for joining the program, I thought, “Do I belong here?”

Our first assignment was to write an intention for the experience. I settled on intending to simply have an open mind and open heart. I was here, I may as well listen and observe.

As I got to know my cohort, I started to see more similarities between our values and opinions. Although we were all from different backgrounds, we had the same aspirations to drive positive change in our communities and to live out TMF’s "If Not Me, Then Who…" ethos.

Our weekly meetings featured esteemed guest speakers who shared unique, inspiring stories. The discussions that followed bonded our cohort. This was where I felt the power of a peer support program and gained the tools needed to make a positive impact on the world.

I figured joining a leadership program would help me be more introspective and give me a new skill set and increased confidence (essentially, things for me). I learned those things plus something far more valuable: it’s impossible to develop your ‘self’ in a vacuum.

Only through the support of the people around you, on the same journey, can you achieve this kind of leadership and character development. I needed the support of my cohort and their experiences and perspectives to help me develop my own. The friendships I developed with fellow veterans and survivors are what gave me the confidence to serve my community and become the leader I didn’t realize I could be.

I can’t recommend this experience and community enough. As a veteran navigating transition or personal struggles, it can be overwhelming to identify all the resources out there and find the one that best suits your needs. The best first step is to find a community. And the rest will follow.

I’m proud to have found that community with Travis Manion Foundation and now serve as the TMF New England chapter leader. I’d encourage anyone missing a community of veterans and supporters to do the same.

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