By Matt Browning
Growing up in a military family has shaped nearly every part of Addison Potter’s life, from her independence to her understanding of discipline and respect.
Potter’s father has served in the U.S. Air Force for nearly three decades, a commitment that has required sacrifice not only from him, but from his family as well.
“My dad is in the Air Force,” Potter said. “He has been in for 28 years.”
That long-standing service has influenced Potter, who is a junior at Rose Hill, in ways she believes set her apart from many of her peers. Living under stricter expectations and adapting to the demands of military life helped her mature quickly.
“My dad being in the military has affected me by making me more independent, and with a greater knowledge of how to do things than most,” Potter said. “My life has been different than others because I was raised with a stricter set of rules, which has left me with a better understanding of respect than most.”
Like many military families, Potter and her family have faced difficult stretches, particularly during deployments. One moment that stands out came during her childhood, when her father was away during an important milestone.
“There were times in my life that were hard, like when my dad was deployed for six months for my tenth birthday,” Potter said.
Beyond the distance, deployments also brought emotional challenges, as her father was unable to be present during stressful moments at home.
“My dad had to deal with stressful situations when he was deployed because he couldn’t help us with stressful life events,” Potter said.
Despite those hardships, Potter has developed a perspective rooted in resilience and empathy—qualities she now hopes to share with others experiencing similar situations.
“My advice for kids who have an absentee parent because they are in the military is to make life easier for the other parent,” Potter said. “Don’t start acting out because you only have one parent, try to make their lives easier.”
