Senior Cheyanne Adkins dad has been in the military longer than she has been alive. It has caused her to go through many experiences that others have not.

1.What is it like to be an army brat?

“It’s fun, exciting, interesting and hard. You have to have a sense of humor and you have to learn to be really flexible.”

2. What were some of your favorite parts of growing up the way you did?

“Visiting new places, meeting new people the opportunity of doing things that other kids have not had the opportunity to do. Travel, we travel a lot.”

3. What was the hardest part?

“Transitioning, not being able to see dad and leaving people.”

4. How many times have you had to move?

“I was born in North Carolina, from there to Alaska, Alaska to New York, New York to Texas, Texas back to New York, New York to Kansas, Kansas to Alabama, Alabama back to Kansas. So, I have moved eight times.”

5. Where was your favorite place to live? Why?

“Currently Hays is my favorite place to be living. When we moved to Alabama we all wanted to come back to Hays. We came back to Hays because we really loved the community, the people here. We always had a family here in Hays. So, that is why we moved back to Hays.”

6. Do you think having your dad in the army has helped shape you as a person?

“Yes, Dad being in the military has definitely shaped me as a person.”

7. What is your favorite memory about being an army brat?

“I remember his 2006 deployment when he came back and we had all our friends from church come to the welcome home ceremony. We always played this game where we would pick out one guy out of all the soldiers that we thought was our dad. We would pick him out and we would just watch and wait and if it was him we would win and I would always pick out the wrong guy. This time I picked out the right guy and he came over and I just remember bawling like a baby because my dad came home.”

8. If you could change one thing about your life, would you? What would it be?

“I wouldn’t change anything every happened for a reason and it has led to something in my life that if it had not happened everything would have been different.”

9. Do you love the way you grew up?

“I do sometimes. It is hard but I would not change it for anything I love the way I grew up. I admit it was hard but again It made who I am today.”

10. Has it made you consider going into the military?

“No, you can’t really play with kids in the army. For a long time, I did think about joining the military but I probably won’t do it anymore.”

11. Is there anything you want to tell others about your experience?

“You need to have a sense of humor and be flexible.”

12. How has this affected your family?

“We’ve grown closer as a family, especially in the first four years in Kansas we got close we grew close but then when we moved to Alabama we spent a lot more time together we grew close.”

13. Do you think that it will influence your future?

“I will remember everything it has taught me. You are always representing somebody higher than you so you always need to look your best, always be on time and many more things.

20hdannar@usd489.com