1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,256 I'm Captain Melissa Van Art Stalin . 2 00:00:02,256 --> 00:00:04,089 I'm a physician assistant , um , 3 00:00:04,089 --> 00:00:06,000 currently assigned at SOS as an 4 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:08,119 instructor and flight commander . So 5 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:10,452 I've been in the Air Force for 16 years , 6 00:00:10,452 --> 00:00:12,619 um , and my grandfather inspired me to 7 00:00:12,619 --> 00:00:15,359 join . Um , he was suffering from a 8 00:00:15,359 --> 00:00:18,040 rare form of brain cancer . He really 9 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:20,207 inspired me through his stories , um , 10 00:00:20,207 --> 00:00:23,360 of his life experiences . And I thought 11 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:25,582 when I was sitting there talking to him 12 00:00:25,582 --> 00:00:27,749 in his final days that if I am ever in 13 00:00:27,749 --> 00:00:29,749 his shoes one day , I would like to 14 00:00:29,749 --> 00:00:31,916 look back and have made that impact on 15 00:00:31,916 --> 00:00:34,270 others . Over the last 16 years , 16 00:00:34,279 --> 00:00:36,880 Melissa accomplished many things . She 17 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:38,713 has multiple degrees including a 18 00:00:38,713 --> 00:00:40,936 doctorate . She's got a private pilot's 19 00:00:40,936 --> 00:00:43,470 license . She first enlisted and then 20 00:00:43,470 --> 00:00:45,581 commissioned as an officer in the Air 21 00:00:45,581 --> 00:00:47,959 Force , and she married Ryan and 22 00:00:47,959 --> 00:00:49,919 started a family . So we have 2 23 00:00:49,919 --> 00:00:52,369 children , um . Catherine , who's 4 , 24 00:00:52,619 --> 00:00:56,009 and she is energetic , 25 00:00:56,340 --> 00:00:59,830 loves gymnastics and ballet . Art , art . 26 00:01:00,020 --> 00:01:02,610 And then we have , uh , Ethan who's 2 , 27 00:01:02,770 --> 00:01:05,010 and he loves all things , baseball , 28 00:01:05,220 --> 00:01:07,639 football , the sandlot if you can 29 00:01:07,639 --> 00:01:09,861 believe it . He's also a stunt double . 30 00:01:09,861 --> 00:01:11,972 He loves to jump off of everything he 31 00:01:11,972 --> 00:01:14,195 can , but we love that rambunctiousness 32 00:01:14,195 --> 00:01:16,528 because it makes life more fun that way . 33 00:01:16,528 --> 00:01:18,306 It does . Melissa and Ryan have 34 00:01:18,306 --> 00:01:20,919 accomplished so much . And yet through 35 00:01:20,919 --> 00:01:23,559 it all they've experienced hardships 36 00:01:23,559 --> 00:01:26,000 that changed their lives and gave them 37 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,239 added purpose and goals . So Ryan and I 38 00:01:29,239 --> 00:01:32,639 have both been impacted by the loss of 39 00:01:32,639 --> 00:01:36,440 loved ones , um , to suicide , and some 40 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:38,496 of those were airmen . It seems like 41 00:01:38,496 --> 00:01:40,551 almost every assignment I've lost an 42 00:01:40,551 --> 00:01:43,599 airman to their own hand or accidents 43 00:01:43,599 --> 00:01:45,779 or just something tragic . Together , 44 00:01:45,839 --> 00:01:47,728 we just thought there's got to be 45 00:01:47,728 --> 00:01:50,169 something more we can do . They started 46 00:01:50,169 --> 00:01:52,690 a nonprofit focused on suicide 47 00:01:52,690 --> 00:01:55,639 prevention , mental health , resilience , 48 00:01:55,889 --> 00:01:58,529 and encouraging people to invest in 49 00:01:58,529 --> 00:02:01,410 others . Anyone anywhere has the 50 00:02:01,410 --> 00:02:04,519 ability to offer hope to somebody , um , 51 00:02:04,569 --> 00:02:06,458 to hear their story , observe for 52 00:02:06,458 --> 00:02:08,680 warning signs , provide resources , and 53 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:10,720 encourage resiliency . Because hope 54 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:12,720 does have the power to save lives . 55 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:14,942 There will be hard days , there will be 56 00:02:14,942 --> 00:02:16,998 challenges just like in anything you 57 00:02:16,998 --> 00:02:19,330 ever do , but life's not worth it if 58 00:02:19,330 --> 00:02:21,274 you don't try to achieve something 59 00:02:21,274 --> 00:02:24,490 great , and I'm proud to say we both 60 00:02:24,490 --> 00:02:26,639 achieved great things in our life and 61 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:28,809 we do it as a team and that through 62 00:02:28,809 --> 00:02:31,031 that being a team with our kids we hope 63 00:02:31,031 --> 00:02:32,809 to be an inspiration for them . 64 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,229 Work-life balance is so important , um , 65 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:38,462 and working together as a team within a 66 00:02:38,462 --> 00:02:40,573 marriage , especially dual military . 67 00:02:40,573 --> 00:02:42,740 It's so important , um , and it really 68 00:02:42,740 --> 00:02:44,684 can be done . It's possible . It's 69 00:02:44,684 --> 00:02:46,962 possible to be a medical provider , um , 70 00:02:46,962 --> 00:02:49,018 an active duty Air Force officer , a 71 00:02:49,018 --> 00:02:51,129 mother , a wife , and do pageants all 72 00:02:51,129 --> 00:02:53,240 at the same time . Um , if you have a 73 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:55,470 good support system , um , you can do 74 00:02:55,470 --> 00:02:57,589 it all . Melissa was invited to 75 00:02:57,589 --> 00:02:59,700 participate in the Miss International 76 00:02:59,700 --> 00:03:01,860 pageant in July of this year in 77 00:03:01,860 --> 00:03:04,250 Kingsport , Tennessee . This is her 78 00:03:04,250 --> 00:03:06,429 first pageant , and she hopes that her 79 00:03:06,429 --> 00:03:09,860 involvement will inspire others . I was 80 00:03:09,860 --> 00:03:12,100 called by the national director and 81 00:03:12,100 --> 00:03:14,289 asked if if I would be interested in 82 00:03:14,289 --> 00:03:16,511 that . I , I met all the qualifications 83 00:03:16,511 --> 00:03:18,899 and um they would love to have me . So 84 00:03:18,899 --> 00:03:20,621 I thought , wow , what a great 85 00:03:20,621 --> 00:03:22,732 opportunity to spread our message and 86 00:03:22,820 --> 00:03:25,139 um do something new and challenging 87 00:03:25,139 --> 00:03:27,220 that I've never done before . Helps 88 00:03:27,220 --> 00:03:28,831 that she's beautiful too and 89 00:03:28,831 --> 00:03:31,419 intelligent and all the amazing things 90 00:03:31,419 --> 00:03:34,419 from boots to heels and stethoscopes to 91 00:03:34,419 --> 00:03:37,139 crowns and you got it all . It's been 92 00:03:37,139 --> 00:03:39,429 fun . It's a new phase of life . I'm 93 00:03:39,429 --> 00:03:40,539 just cherishing every moment .