Hayden Griffith

Prior to graduating with my BA in Spanish in 2017, I was a full-time Night Manager at a local fast food restaurant, a Spanish tutor for Eastern Washington University as part of their work-study program, and a security worker for a large company that provided security for various events around the Pacific Northwest. Having three jobs did not stop me from succeeding however, I achieved a 4.0 GPA for my Spanish Major and an overall GPA of 3.89. When I graduated Magna Cum Laude, I simultaneously received the Frances B. Huston award for the Modern Languages category, an award that is only granted to one person per study category in the entire state of Washington. At the Defense Language Institute I learned Mandarin in one of the most demanding learning environments in the world, while simultaneously participating in various clubs and military training programs. I sang Chinese songs in the DLIFLC Chinese Choir, volunteered on behalf of the DLIFLC Chinese Department at local cultural festivals, and even spearheaded a D&D group utilizing Mandarin to enrich the learning of myself and my classmates. On the non-academic side of the coin, I was part of a 12-person team of Student Mentors that are personally hand-picked by the Commanding Officer. Additionally, I was the leader of the Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Navy Choir, where the chorus and I performed Navy heritage songs at numerous Navy events in Monterey, and also volunteered to sing at retirement centers to bring joy to the elderly. My contributions to my fellow students and shipmates resulted in me graduating from DLIFLC with honors and also being the Commandant’s Award recipient, the highest honor a student can achieve on the Presidio of Monterey. While I was at DLIFLC I also participated in the CLEP program and was able to earn my Associate’s Degree in Mandarin Chinese as a result. After moving to Hawaii, I joined my cryptologic team and earned my Information Warfare Designator Pin in just 6 out of the 30 provided months, and subsequently was meritoriously promoted to Petty Officer Second Class. I am excited to see what the future holds for me, as I have no intention of slowing down. I still have a few years left in my Navy contract but I am open to exploring opportunities that I could take upon completion of my service.