PROFILES IN LEADERSHIP
Three women, three regions of the country, three different fields. What they have in common is passion to make the world a better place and Lyon College degrees to help achieve their missions. Meet Shannon Vinson, Gretchen Hall and Sarah Oquist – three extraordinary women who have chosen work that contributes to the greater good.
Shannon Vinson What attracted you to this career?
SV: My faith comes first in my life, and I feel serving others is truly my calling. All of my greatest memories involve being helpful to others in some way ... with organizations like Habitat for Humanity. My mom and dad (the late John Vinson, ’73) have always encouraged me to dream big, follow my heart, and never give up. I was hired as a reporter for ABC News in Washington, D.C. when Sept. 11, 2001 happened. Almost 3,000 people were killed during these terrorist attacks, and I felt that talking about that news simply wasn’t enough — I wanted to do something about it. My grandfather flew attack, bomber, trainer and transport aircraft as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps. To honor my family’s history and heritage, I went to the nearest recruiter and said, “I just want to help.” Looking back, this reminds me of Isaiah 6:8 — “Send me.” And I was certainly sent! I deployed five times in support of our nation (Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, and a forward operating location for U.S. AFRICOM) and had the opportunity to fly the mighty C-130, The “Hercules.” The adage of “join the military, see the world” has certainly rung true for me, and I encourage anyone interested in putting on the uniform to please reach out to me or chat with a recruiter.
Shannon Vinson, ’02
the PIPER
Lieutenant Colonel | United States Air Force Director of Logistics | 713th COS Det 1. Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickman, HI
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If you could give advice to your younger self at Lyon College, what would it be?
SV: Focus on really understanding and employing
what you’re learning. The exemplary education Lyon provides will be the rock-solid foundation upon which you build. What this unique college offers simply cannot be found anywhere else. While I now have learned and live the Air Force core values of integrity,
