Page 93 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2016

Marissa Badenhorst
Col. Michele Edmondson
Badenhorst feels fortunate to work for a company that values diversity, which makes it easier for women to take on senior leadership roles. “The biggest challenge I faced in reaching this position was probably believing in myself,” she says. “This is a role which I had very little technical background for. But it did not require me to be a technical expert, it required me to be a leader, so I had to wrap my head around that.”
She thinks a lot of women can be their own worst enemies in this regard. “We want to know that we can fulfill at least 80 percent of the requirements for a position before we apply, yet statistics say that men will apply if they meet about 50 percent of the criteria,” she said. “So we keep on selling ourselves short.”
Badenhorst’s advice to other women is, “Take some risks. Don’t be afraid to be the first to do something or to do something you have never done before. The worst thing that can happen is that you don’t like it and then you can choose to do something else.”
Col. Michele Edmondson is Commander of the 81st Training Wing at Keesler Air Force Base where she is responsible for 12,000 Airmen and civilian employees, and the 30,000 students who train there each year. It’s not surprising she has a military career. She grew up in a military family with her father and uncle who were Air Force pilots. “I grew up in a household that was really
centered on service to our nation,” she says. “I realized when I was in college that I wanted to become a person who could make a difference in people’s lives. I knew I would find that in the Air Force while also fulfilling my desire to serve my country.”
As a young Lieutenant at age 23, she found herself right at home in the structured lifestyle of the military and thrived in an environment where people trusted her with extremely important jobs and responsibilities. “I think it would have been difficult to find those opportunities at that age in the civilian sector,” she said.
Edmondson’s advice to young woman and men interested in joining the military is the same. “It’s a great way of life, full of awesome opportunities and absolutely amazing rewards. I love facing challenges and truly believe they have molded me into the person I am today,” she said. “As a woman, I have always strived to be the best Airmen and officer I could be, regardless of my gender, but I am very proud of the fact that I have been able to succeed in the
Air Force and reach my professional dreams as well as be a wife and mother of two young children.”
Nicole Faulk is Vice President of Customer Services Organization at Mississippi Power Company. As a teenager, her dream was to become an astronaut. “I was captivated by the mystery of outer space and wanted to be a part of the excitement and problem solving,” she remembers. “My
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net September 2016 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 93