Air Force veteran Lindsay Gargotto used her military benefits to earn a bachelor’s degree in women’s and gender studies from UofL in 2008. In January, she founded , an organization that provides resources and social interaction for active and former military women.
Gargotto’s group started out with three members and now has more than 150.
“I realized I only knew two other women that were in the service,” she said. “I missed the sisterhood from the military. I knew other women would be interested.”
Gargotto also is a mother and mentors young women at the Home of the Innocents and Our Lady of Peace. Besides her UofL undergraduate degree, she has earned two master’s degrees – one in social work and fine arts – from Spalding University.
She received her honor Nov. 10 at a Kentucky Veterans of the Year banquet kicking off Louisville’s Week of Valor, a city-wide celebration built around Veterans Day.
“It’s truly a great honor, overwhelming, really. It was a complete surprise to me. This award isn’t just for me, it’s for all the military women in the state. I get strength from my sisters. I believe in what I do and it makes me a better person.”