PACIFIC REGION – For many military‑connected students, Department of War Education Activity (DoWEA) schools are more than classrooms – they are places of stability between PCS moves, where lifelong relationships are formed across continents and cultures. DoWEA schools prepare students for success; for some, that success is found in returning to the schools that defined their K-12 educational experience.
This Month of the Military Child, we not only celebrate our military-connected students today, but also those who passed through our schools as military children and returned to DoWEA as professionals, bringing a deep understanding of military life and a passion for giving back to the community that helped raise them. Michelle Morales, a teacher at Yokosuka Middle School and the 2027 Pacific East District Teacher of the Year, credits her own experience as a DoWEA student with shaping how she teaches today.
“Being a military‑connected student in DoWEA schools shaped me in ways I did not fully understand until I became a teacher,” Morales said. “I know what it feels like to be the new kid, to adapt quickly, and to say goodbye more often than you would like.”
Those memories are central to her classroom approach. Morales is intentional about creating consistency and structure – elements she knows are essential for students whose lives often include frequent moves and transitions.
“I understand how important it is to be a steady presence for students, and I never take that role lightly,” she said. “I try to be the teacher I needed when I was younger: someone who listens, notices, and cares.” For Morales, teaching military‑connected students is deeply personal.
“My ‘why’ is personal,” she said. “Military‑connected students are incredibly resilient, but that resilience often comes from navigating challenges most adults would struggle with. I serve these students because I understand their world.”
Ryukyu Middle School Principal Deborah Connolly’s DoWEA story spans decades and continents. She attended Ramstein Elementary School in Germany, Yokota West Elementary School, and graduated from Yokota High School in 1994.
“The years of middle school and high school were life changing,” Connolly said. “They established relationships that made it possible to be successful in my adult life.”
She vividly remembers moments when the military community came together — especially following the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo.
“It was amazing to see how quickly a community came together,” she said.
Those connections lasted beyond graduation. Connolly describes lifelong friendships that started overseas, including one that began unexpectedly when she ran into a fellow Yokota High School classmate on her first day of college stateside – in a state she’d never even visited – years before social media made such reunions commonplace.
“I am connected to people all over the world and have found that even though I don’t need to talk to them every day, the support is there forever,” she said.
Connolly returned to DoWEA in 2003 and has served students in Germany, Okinawa, and Yokosuka—as a teacher, reading specialist, assistant principal, and now principal.
Walking back into a DoWEA school as a professional felt surprisingly natural.
“It felt familiar – checking in, hearing the language and lingo,” she recalled. “Even after 20 years, it just felt right.”
As a school administrator today, Connolly draws daily from her experience as a military child.
“I remember what it felt like to be a student at a base school,” she said, noting the limitations and unique experiences that come with overseas life. “Technology might be different, but their experiences really aren’t.”
For Connolly, working for DoWEA is both service and gratitude.
“Working for this organization is an opportunity to give back,” she said. “It is serving those who serve us.”
Jacqueline Supnet, an administrative assistant at Kinnick High School, supports students staff, and parents in her role. As a former DoWEA student, she brings a personal connection to her work.
Like many military children, she remembers constant change – and the resilience it built.
“Moving and starting over wasn’t always easy, but it taught me how to adapt quickly, connect with new people, and stay open to different experiences and cultures,” Supnet said.
Returning to a DoWEA school as a professional was a powerful moment.
“It was a full‑circle experience – both nostalgic and rewarding,” Supnet said. “I went from being a student in that environment to becoming someone who now supports and contributes to it.”
Her experiences guide how she approaches her work each day, especially when interacting with students and families.
“Being a former student helps me relate to what students are going through,” she said. “It reminds me to approach my work with empathy, understanding, and care.”
Now a parent herself, Supnet finds added meaning in serving military‑connected students.
“It’s meaningful to now be part of the support system that helps students feel seen, understood, and supported,” she said.
| Date Taken: | 04.20.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.21.2026 19:35 |
| Story ID: | 563297 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 30 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Grown up and giving back: Former DoWEA students now serving in DoWEA, by Miranda Ferguson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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