Candice Ford of Highland attending Purdue University Calumet was deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. Ford was in the Army for six and a half years working as a signal intelligence analyst.
She was not sure what path she wanted to take after high school since she was a first generation college student.
Ford had an uncle who was in the Marines, but he was not her motivation to join the Army. She wanted to be independent and find out what she wanted to do with her life.
“I have learned a great deal while serving in the army, I became confident in myself and what I was capable of, Candice said “The army taught me how to be a critical thinker and a problem solver.”
At Purdue Calumet Ford is pursuing her career in HDFS, Human Development and Family Services. She plans to go to graduate school and specify in Veteran psychology.
If all else falls she wants to work with troubled youth and provide structure for children.
Ford is heavily involved at the university and is taking on the role of becoming the student government association president in the fall 2015.
Ford is part of several clubs on campus, works in the campus life office and is a coach for her Roller Derby team, the Illiana Derby Dames.
Recently, she visited the Veterans’ Café and Grill in Merrillville and wants to thank them for all the support for Veterans.
The Veterans’ Café and Grill has fifteen percent of the proceeds go to the homeless shelter, Veteran’s Life Changing Services in Gary, Ind.