By Megan Brown, Navy Office of Community Outreach

MILLINGTON, Tenn. – A U.S. Navy lieutenant, and former Miss District of Columbia, recently earned a doctorate in clinical psychology from George Washington University.

"I’ve dreamt a lot of dreams but this one may have been the biggest," said Lt. Andolyn Medina. "It’s wild to be 27 years old and to know that, as I graduate with my doctoral degree, I will have completed nearly all of the dreams my little kid self imagined. It brings to mind the importance of dreaming big, and I’m thankful my parents never limited me."

Medina's additional education includes an undergraduate degree from Hollins University and two master's degrees from George Washington University. Medina's first master's degree in forensic psychology was earned in 2018 and the second in clinical psychology was earned in 2020.

Medina joined the Navy in 2019 and today serves as a Medical Service Corps Officer in the Navy Reserves.

""I was sworn in by my parents and have the honor of following in their footsteps," said Medina. "I watched my parents serve with so much pride and honor. Joining has been one of the best decisions I have ever made!"

In 2021, Medina was crowned Miss District of Columbia and later competed in the Miss America Pageant where she placed in the top 10.

Medina is proud that her hard work and dedication required to earn a doctorate has paid off.

"I look at this moment as not just a moment in time for myself, but for my family," added Medina. "I feel blessed to be a reflection of that and of my ancestors' wildest dreams as the first doctor on both sides of my family. Even more than that, I'm proud to be a psychologist, a healer, to be able to confront generations of ongoing psychological and physical trauma and wounds and provide a voice and space, especially in a field where less than six percent of all psychologists are black and less than that are multiracial."