Tina Pollard\u2019s path to serving in the military all began when she crossed paths with a recruiter on senior skip day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The then-teen was cutting class with friends as part of an annual student-organized tradition where high school seniors collectively skip one day of class together. In the midst of \u201cacting silly as teenagers do,\u201d she suddenly needed to use a restroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pollard stumbled into a federal building, where she asked a military recruiter in the hallway to point her to the nearest bathroom. In return, the recruiter had Pollard take an aptitude test to see if she would qualify to enlist in the military.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The words he said about her results stuck in Pollard\u2019s memory.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe says, \u2018You\u2019re going to the Army. I\u2019m going to be your mentor till you graduate and I\u2019m going to get you all the way to entry day,\u2019\u201d Pollard said, recalling the recruiter\u2019s response. \u201cSo that changed my life in a nutshell.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pollard served in the U.S. Army as a 71 Lima, an administrative specialist. She was assigned as a battalion clerk, responsible for transferring orders, special files and award orders.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Today, the Tarrant County resident serves as a commercial flight attendant, a woman of faith and the founder of Wings of Worth, a nonprofit that empowers youth through family-oriented events and workshops.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew that the potential that was inside of me really had to come forward,\u201d Pollard said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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