Legacy.
A legacy is defined as something transmitted or received from an ancestor or predecessor.
Rear Adm. Grace Hopper etched out a historic legacy from her naval service to being the “mother of computer science.”
Her contributions to the world have lasted generations.
As time goes by, we may forget important legacies. However, true legacies like the one Grace Hopper created will not only live forever but will inspire others to keep them alive. One of those women who were inspired by Grace Hopper is Lt. j.g. Amour Wilhelm, an officer assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper (DDG 70).
Wilhelm was raised by her French father and Laotian mother, both naturalized citizens, about 45 minutes northwest of Washington, D.C. in northern Virginia. Their unique cultures shaped her childhood while the struggles they endured on their journey to becoming American citizens shaped her self-imposed expectations and life goals.
Wilhelm was always interested in how things work, including computers. Her father, who works in software development, would draw network topology diagrams for her and her brother on napkins at the kitchen table, to try to explain his latest project.
“I remember him trying to teach us the layers of the OSI model. As we grew up, his “lessons” extended to VOIP and cloud computing,” said Wilhelm. “He wasn’t surprised when I told him I’d taken apart my laptop in high school because it wasn’t booting up and I wanted to troubleshoot the issue.”
As her high school years ended, Wilhelm’s guidance counselor strongly suggested she apply to schools outside of the general state schools she had been considering.
“I knew I had solid grades and scores but had put myself into a box and never really saw myself going to an Ivy (league school). I applied to 11 schools with my parents’ support and Yale was the only Ivy I toured the fall of my senior year,” said Wilhelm. “I remember absolutely falling in love with the people, its campus, the conversations we’d have in the dining halls and on common room couches until 3 a.m., the lectures I got to sit in, and the overall atmosphere.”
She was grateful that Yale's Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program relaunched in 2012 as that played a huge factor in her final decision to attend Yale.
The hallway that separates the Navy versus Air Force ROTC offices is where she first learned about Rear Adm. Grace Hopper. Hopper is prominently featured and was discussed during her first weeks in Introduction to naval science in her freshman year, as a prominent Yale service member. During Wilhelm’s senior year, Yale renamed one of the residential colleges after Hopper, which was a huge deal for not only the university but for those in the ROTC program.
“I’ve always considered her an inspiration. While I was in ROTC I had no idea I’d be serving in the intelligence community and now that I am, I'm proud to be another female service member in the information technology realm,” said Wilhelm.
Upon learning she will be stationed aboard the USS Hopper, she was ecstatic. One of the reasons why she chose the orders was because of Hopper’s legacy.
“As a Yale alumna and pioneer in the computing world, Rear Adm. Hopper has been a role model of mine and I’m honored to be the ship’s first information warfare officer,” said Wilhelm. “I remind myself to ‘make her proud’ on a daily basis.”
When asked about what her advice to others would be, Wilhelm said, “to be your amazing self in all things and to focus on what you can change for the better within the realm of your control. Life is going to surprise and challenge you but, in turn, it's going to provide you with the opportunities to amaze yourself along the way.”
Wilhelm is the first information warfare officer assigned to USS Hopper. The only question that is left is not if, but how many people will follow her legacy? Dare and Do.
| Date Taken: | 04.29.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 05.15.2020 20:40 |
| Story ID: | 368830 |
| Location: | PEARL HARBOR, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 119 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, LEGACY: Two Women, Same School, Same field, Countless inspired., by CPO Adam Congello, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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