Kerri attended Greenport High School in NY, and was very involved in her school’s Navy Jr. Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (NJROTC) program. She is currently a Junior at the Naval Academy, majoring in English and playing women’s rugby. She plans on entering the Marine Corps and getting an aviation contract in rotary wing vehicles. “When people discover that my dream is to become a pilot in the United States Marine Corps, I am met with surprise, disbelief, and the query, ‘Why?’ I find it challenging putting my reply into simple terms. Nearly everyone who wishes to become a U.S. Marine will tell you that they are doing it for their country. They wish to serve their great nation with pride, honor, and dignity, and there is no better way to do such than to be a member of America’s finest force. Due to the fact that I cannot be an infantry Marine, I have decided I would like to be as close to combat as the U.S. government will allow. Should I be lucky enough to become a Marine pilot, I will take to the skies and show the military a passion it has never before seen in any aviator, male or female.”