Dr. Jeni Hunniecutt shares her journey as a cheerleader in Virginia, to enlisting in the Army National Guard, to earning her PhD in Communication Studies from the University of Denver in Colorado. Dr. Hunniecutt, an advocate for veteran identity, is currently the assistant director of research engagement and educational programming at the Chez Veterans Center, and research assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health in the College of Applied Health Sciences, both at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne.