By Veronika Hesse ’27
Pine Crest welcomed Michelle Nassar ’84, retired Colonel, U.S. Army, back to campus to speak with Upper School students in recognition of Veterans Day. A decorated officer who spent nearly 25 years in the Army, Nassar’s military career began in the Signal Corps and eventually transitioned to the Acquisition Corps where she managed communications systems.
Nassar served as a platoon leader in South Korea; company commander at Fort Gordon, GA; executive officer for the Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications (Tactical) at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey and; the Pentagon. She was a product manager for a military intelligence radio system and a program manager in charge of leasing commercial satellite services to the Department of Defense and other Federal agencies.
Nassar visited Pine Crest to speak to Upper School students, where she shared her story of discovering her true interests by using her passions to guide her. She said she was pleasantly surprised to have received the invitation to speak with Upper School students and was warmly welcomed by the ambient camaraderie.
In her time as an Upper School student, Nassar explored multiple extracurricular activities including volleyball and the symphonic band, though her favorite was the marching band. Over time, she exemplified leadership skills in the marching band. It was through her dedication and character that she was granted the position of captain of the flag team.
Nassar did not always know she wanted to join the service, but looking back, she feels she may have been predestined for it. Pine Crest conducted aptitude tests for students during her time in Upper School, and it identified her as a good fit for the service. She believes her time with the marching band set her up for success—the discipline, practice, regimen, and order were among the skills that helped most.
As a freshman in college, Nassar opted to replace computer science with a different course and joined the ROTC where she excelled. She spent time abroad her sophomore year where she met members of the U.S. Air Force. It was then she decided to join the service.
In 1991, Nassar was deployed to Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm and returned to the Middle East in 2002 and 2003 to serve in Kuwait and Iraq in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) where she worked closely with the Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC).
During her time in Kuwait, she worked on a tracking system designed to reduce the harm to friendly forces. She described it as “digitizing the battlefield” and said that by placing near-real-time digital maps in allies’ tanks and camps they saved lives. Before new technologies like this were introduced, Nassar described it as “fighting a 21st-century war with 19th and 20th-century tools.”
During the time Nassar was actively serving, she said the notion of fear did not factor into her mind. Instead, her focus remained on the adventurous nature of her missions, which allowed her to enjoy the cultural exposure she received through constant travel and relocation. Moreover, she explained that even being stationed at various locations within the U.S. helped her form a more complete understanding and appreciation of the cultural differences among and within the states.
In her presentation, Nassar shared the timelines of her military assignments and operational missions in the Army. By the end of her 25 years in 2013, she was well-decorated. She shared that before returning home, she had initially anticipated that her life would simply go on after the army. She explained that she quickly recognized an absence in her life, the engagement that for so long had filled her career.
In connection to the plethora of extracurriculars that current students are exploring every day here at Pine Crest, Nassar shared that one of her most cherished memories was participating with the marching band at the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin, Ireland, adding that friends were an integral part of her life as a student. She encourages students to embrace the journey of discovering new passions while allowing the trajectory of their long-lasting passions to unfold.
Leaving words of advice for the Class of 2025, Nassar said “Do not put so much pressure on yourselves. Trust your gut. Trajectories change, and your lives will include many chapters. Embrace each new chapter!”