Being a full-time student is no easy task, especially when also taking on the roles of being a parent and servicemember. However, veteran Kristina Johnson has managed to successfully balance her roles with strength, hard work and determination.

Johnson became pregnant with her first child, Clayton, while she was a Sergeant in the Marine Corps. Her husband, Jeff, was a drill instructor in Parris Island, South Carolina.

When Clayton was born, Johnson said it was like being a single parent because her husband would work from 3:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. everyday.

When her son was just 12 months old, Johnson was deployed to Afghanistan for nearly a year.

“That was one of the hardest times of my life,” said Johnson. Not being able to be with her son was a constant challenge. She returned home when Clayton was 23 months old.

In October 2012, Johnson and her family were stationed in Southern California, where she soon became pregnant with her second child, Noelle.

Once Noelle was born, Johnson worked extremely long hours. Her husband was deployed a year later while she balanced motherhood and five classes.

“Between my school work, my husband’s work demands and the potential chance of being deployed [we] created an interesting family dynamic to say the very least,” she said.

Johnson said that the hardest part about being dual active military and tackling parental roles was managing the long hours their positions required of them.

Even though it was difficult, Johnson recognizes that she and her husband were both blessed to be in units that enabled them to not be deployed at the same time.

“We knew it was hard, but it could have been a lot harder,” said Johnson.

In June 2014, Johnson separated from the Marine Corps, ending her active duty service. In August of the same year, she enrolled at CSUSM and now majors in Psychology.

Johnson says that her decision to separate from the Marine Corps was the right decision for her and her kids who are extremely happy, intelligent and caring children who can brighten up anyone’s day.

Johnson believes that the key to happiness is to not regret anything. She emphasizes the importance of looking forward and focusing on the present and the future in order to be the best you can be.

Johnson’s continued success as a mother, wife, veteran, student and friend is proof that you can do anything under any circumstances if you put your mind to it and are willing to work hard.