SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --
1st Lt. Amanda
Atitya, 82nd Medical Operations Squadron family nurse practitioner, primary
care manager and native of Clovis, California, has been in the Air Force for one
year and seven months and is the Support Airman of the Week at Sheppard
Air Force Base for the week of Apr. 5-11, 2016.
Most significant accomplishments:
-
Helped train her cousin to complete 1st half
marathon.
-
Taught basketball fundamentals to ten 7-9-year-olds.
-
Precept nurse practitioner student from Midwestern
State University.
Airman’s story:
“I was born and raised in Clovis, California,” Atitya said. “I
come from a large family where aunts and uncles served as secondary parental
figures and cousins were like siblings. My father left his family, 12 siblings
in all, at the age of 17 and moved to the United States from Thailand in search
of a better life and to pursue the American dream. Dad was able to learn a new
country, teach himself a new language, and graduate from Stanford University
with his Ph. D in education.”
“My mom is one of seven children, born and raised in
California singlehandedly by my grandmother,” she continued. “When my sisters -
there are 4 of us - and I were still in school, Mom made the choice to go back
to school and purse her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse. There were many
sleepless nights, but Mom saw her dream through to fruition, graduating with
honors and becoming a certified pediatric nurse practitioner. Today, she and my
father both work for the local school district back home.”
“When it came time for me to choose what I wanted to do with
life after high school,” she said, “I knew that I wanted to give back and chase
after a career in which I could help other people while making a difference. I
joined the Air Force and accepted an appointment to United States Air Force
Academy in Colorado. While there, I had the privilege of meeting some of the
most amazing people who challenged and inspired me to be the best I could be so
I could better serve those around me.”
“In 2012, I graduated with a biology degree and was
commissioned by my godfather, who epitomizes the idea of selfless service and
love of country, having served honorably in the U.S. Army for more than 20
years,” Atitya said. “At graduation, I was informed that I would be able to
attend nursing school and chase after my dream of working in the medical field.
I completed my studies in 2014 and reentered Active Duty as a Family Nurse
Practitioner.”
“Since my arrival at Sheppard, I have hit the ground
running, learning a lot about people and my role in taking care of them,” she
said. “Outside of work, I enjoy giving back to the community, whether that is
through sharing my love of sports with local youth or serving at the faith
mission. There’s nowhere I’d rather be than outside enjoying the sun and exploring
some place new. I try to get back home as often as I can and visit with family.
Nothing makes me happier than making someone smile and making their day just a
little bit brighter.”
Commander’s
comments:
“Lieutenant Atitya is a primary
care manager and addresses healthcare needs of 1100 active duty, retirees, and
dependents; ensures mission readiness and maximize deployment availability of
active duty personnel,” said Capt. Andrew Morton,
family physician and primary care flight commander. “She is also Sheppard Air Force Base’s SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse
Examiner) medical responder for victims of sexual assault on base for both the
80th Flying Training Wing and the 82nd Training Wing.”