Blending two worlds After graduating from college, California native May Fan bought a one-way ticket to New York City to boost her burgeoning career as an architectural designer. Entering the field had been a no-brainer for her; she was drawn to the crossroads of design and physics. In elementary school and high school, she’d always been interested in the creative arts, but as she got older, she also found she loved science. “Architecture blends the two worlds,” said Fan, who attended Pratt Institute and obtained her masters in interior architecture. After graduating, she beat almost a thousand other applicants to obtain one of nine spots as an intern with Gensler, the world’s largest architecture firm. From there, she worked on international projects, from designing hotels in Mumbai, India and London to an exhibit for Alibaba in China. In the U.S., she worked on projects designing a dynamic workplace for Spotify at 4 World Trade Center in New York City, and influencing the company culture for Google, through the design of their corporate workplace. The work was engaging; she was thrilled to be working with companies on a global scale. For Fan, though, something was missing. “I was getting to the point where I was doing interesting work, but I needed a side project that felt purposeful; one that would make a positive impact on the world,” she said. “I had this inner voice to serve; I was taught to pay it forward and to leave the world better than I found it.” Fan had considered ROTC, but prioritized academics; it still called to her, though, having grown up in a family with generations of military service. She researched the services and found the Coast Guard’s values were most aligned with her own; In addition, a good friend in San Francisco, who was a petty officer in the Coast Guard Reserve, had set a good example. Seven months later, Fan found herself at basic training in Cape May, and later, headed to Yeoman A-School in Petaluma, Calif.; there, she said she realized quickly that she was the outlier in the class. “Most of them were in their early 20s,” she said with a laugh. “I was the momma bear among my roommates, and so I would share career, relationship, and financial planning advice.” Fan found that she began to stand out as a leader. Wanting to set a good example, she rallied the class to wash fire trucks at the Coast Guard Petaluma Fire Department. The nature of the service made her feel at home, and she said she enjoyed serving alongside her fellow Coast Guardsmen. A few months later, Fan decided to volunteer for active duty orders. “I realized it was time for me to work on projects that aren’t just creative, but things that serve the community and the country,” she said. As a new yeoman brought on active duty orders last October at Coast Guard Headquarters, Fan was excited to find a way to contribute her skills to the Coast Guard. Within a few months, she found her opening. “I saw in an email they were looking for volunteers to redesign the [Coast Guard] exhibit at the Pentagon,” said Fan. “I immediately put my hand up.” After submitting her resume, Fan was one of a dozen selected out of more than 70 who applied. The project officer noticed her civilian profession and told her about the team designing the National Coast Guard Museum. Fan volunteered for two sets of active duty orders to support the NCGM design team helping align the design direction. She’d found her perfect opportunity to blend her two worlds of architecture and service by helping the Coast Guard tell their story to the public through a positive, educational, and memorable museum experience. “I’m considering a [Reserve Officer Candidate Indoctrination] package, [I’m] looking into what the options are where I can do my best,” said Fan. “If that’s becoming an officer and helping influence policy, then I’ll try that. If I can use my language skills [as a native Mandarin speaker], I’d like to explore that too.” Looking to remain in the D.C. area, she recently applied for a federal job as an architect, but she said she’s thankful for the opportunity to stay on active duty, learning the Coast Guard language and continuing to study the service’s customs, courtesies, and traditions. “There are so many opportunities to get on active duty,” she said. “I am a part of a service that prioritizes training strong, yet compassionate leaders of the future— ones who will continue to do great things both in and out of the Coast Guard.” � Issue 1 • 2021 � RESERVIST 43
