A Lover of our Country: Maya Zollman

……. Maya wrote this recently for a "futuristic article" assignment.

Maya S. Zollman was born on November 19, 1999, the second child but first daughter of Kevin and Shelly Zollman, and was raised in Coeur d’Alene Idaho. She graduated from the  Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy in 2018 and from the United States Military Academy (West Point) with a Bachelor of Science in 2022.

A U.S. army veteran, Mrs. Zollman served in Afghanistan and won the Medal of Honor, an award so special; it is given by the president, which made her very proud. She served twenty years on active duty, returning home with the rank of first lieutenant. When she was injured during her service, she refused to go home, and instead chose to stay at her base until she recovered. After she recovered, she then went back to the battlefield to continue to serve her country. She hopes her twenty years in the service made a difference in America.

For recreation, she plays senior softball team and swims to stay fit. She enjoys doing juggling and saxophone performances at fairs and street fairs. She also loves arts and crafts and is an amateur artist.

Maya Zollman is married to Steve Stevey, who was also in the army. They met at West Point, started dating, and then got married after two years in the service. When they got married, Mrs. Zollman decided to keep her last name because she says it is unique. They and their chickens, three horses, two cows, four cats, and two dogs, live in Hayden, Idaho, where they plan to live for the rest of their lives.