Our Fellows
The Center for Citizen Leadership engages the leadership potential of wounded veterans through its flagship initiative, The Mission Continues.  The goal of The Mission Continues (TMC) is to provide service opportunities for wounded veterans who still have the desire to serve their country, but whose disabilities prevent them from continuing to serve in the military.  TMC accomplishes this goal by awarding fellowships for volunteer work to veterans who have suffered traumatic injuries in Iraq or Afghanistan.  Read below to learn about some of our past and present Fellows:

Sonia Meneses
Read Sonia's statement about her experience as a Fellow

Sonia Meneses is a 12-year Army veteran. Originally from Azores, Portugal, she moved to the United States at the age of 13. After completing high school in Reno, Nevada, Sonia enlisted in the Army and began working as a heavy wheeled vehicle operator. She has been stationed at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma; Korea; and Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. Sonia is a graduate of the US Army Air Assault School and a member of the Audie Murphy Club. Sonia deployed on two combat tours to Iraq while assigned to the 541st Transportation Company. During her deployments Sonia regularly drove in ground convoys. On many occasions her convoys were attacked by enemy insurgents. Repeated exposure to weapons fire and explosions caused significant hearing loss. Other symptoms, including loss of consciousness, progressed to the point where Sonia required medical evacuation from Iraq. Eventually, Sonia was diagnosed with Ménière’s Disease1. Sonia is now totally deaf in one ear and has an 80% hearing loss in the other. As of July 2008, she received a medical retirement from the Army. Sonia has been awarded a full-time Fellowship from The Mission Continues. She will be serving as a volunteer and mentor at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Clarksville, Tennessee. Following her Fellowship, Sonia plans to return to school to become a registered nurse. Sonia has a five-year old son named Rodney.

Joe Kashnow grew up in Pikesville, Maryland. He enlisted in the Army in the summer of 2001, at the age of 23, and attended basic training in Ft. Knox, KY. After graduating from the Cavalry Scout Training Program he was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Carson, CO. Joe deployed to Iraq in April 2003 and served there until he was wounded in September of the same year. On a routine convoy escort mission just outside the town of Taji, Iraq, a roadside bomb was detonated beneath SGT Kashnow’s vehicle. Joe’s right leg was badly injured. After the injury, Joe underwent 26 reconstructive and rehabilitative surgeries. After the two years of therapy and surgery it was decided that Joe would need to have his right leg amputated below the knee. Joe was medically retired from the Army in July 2008. Although his military career is over, Joe’s dedication and devotion to his fellow service members remains strong. Joe was awarded a Mission Continues Fellowship in March of 2008. During his Fellowship he has served as the Veterans Outreach Coordinator (VOC) for the Washington, D.C. area, with a focus on Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Joe’s Fellowship also included some work with Therapeutic Adventures—a Virginia based recreational therapy organization—where Joe has coordinated trips for wounded soldiers at Walter Reed. Joe and his wife Sarai have one son, Adam, who was born in October of 2006. Joe plans to finish his undergraduate degree in business and psychology. Joe also plans to continue volunteering for The Mission Continues as a VOC after his fellowship ends. In his own words, Joe is motivated by the opportunity to “work with other wounded soldiers and marines, helping them to find meaningful and fulfilling volunteer opportunities.”

Tim Smith
Read Tim Smith's statement about his experience with the Center

Tim Smith served in the US Army from June 2003 to February 2007. He deployed with a field artillery unit to Iraq in 2004. Upon returning to the United States, Tim was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and severe chronic conjunctivitis in his eyes. As a Mission Continues fellow, Tim will volunteer at the Department of Veterans Affairs as a peer counselor. He wants to help others who suffer from mental health conditions and work with them to achieve a higher quality of life. He is excited to be working with other veterans. Tim graduated from the University of Missouri St. Louis with a Bachelors degree in Social Work, and will be attending Washington University in St. Louis to obtain a MSW with a primary focus on mental health issues. Tim is married to his very supportive wife Terri. They have one son, Timothy, Jr., with another son, Tyler, on the way. The Center for Citizen Leadership has helped Tim to get his foot in the door at the VA. In July 2008, Tim will be hired as a full-time peer counselor at the VA. Tim’s long term goal is to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Readen Clavier

Readen Clavier is a native of Koror, Palau. A 2003 graduate of Palau High School, he moved to Hawai‘i to attend Chaminade University in Honolulu. At Chaminade, Readen studied Criminal Justice, before enlisting in the U.S. Army in November of 2004. Readen was assigned to the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment – one of the most historic and decorate units in the Army. The 100/442 is the only Infantry unit in the U.S. Army Reserve. SPC Clavier deployed with his unit to Operation Iraqi Freedom in January of 2005. On June 29, Readen suffered comprehensive traumatic injuries while on a vehicle patrol. His recovery is ongoing. In the meantime on January 26, 2008, Readen and his wife Hester welcomed a new baby boy named Readen, Jr., "RJ". Through The Mission Continues, Readen will undertake a fellowship at Archinoetics, LLC beginning in February of 2008. Archinoetics is a high-tech research and development firm that, among other things, conducts studies in electronics, robotics, and functional brain imaging. Readen will serve as a subject matter expert at Archinoetics for a federally-funded study on traumatic brain injury.

Michael Paul

Read Michael Paul's article on his work with the Center

Michael Paul served in the Army during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He was later selected to attend Ranger school, and was assigned to an elite Long Range Reconnaissance and Surveillance unit. Michael suffered a spinal chord injury (L1 incomplete) in a parachuting/ skydiving accident, but has since became a competitive wheelchair athlete, excelling in both tennis and downhill skiing. He also has been working on his Masters degree in Human Service and Counseling. As a Mission Continues Fellow, Michael is working on his certification as a professional adaptive alpine skiing instructor and worked with the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) and Wounded Warrior Clinics teaching other wounded veterans to ski. Ultimately, Michael hopes to work as an instructor for the various wounded warriors clinics and be involved with adaptive sports programs or spokes person for disabled sports.

Mathew Trotter

Read Mathew Trotter's article on his work with the Center

Mathew served for eight years as an Aviation Technician in the United States Navy, deploying multiple times during the Global War on Terror. He suffered a serious injury while serving in the line of duty, and has undergone six reconstructive surgeries. As the Travis Manion Mission Continues Fellow, Mathew is working with the Triple H Equitherapy Center in Pipe Creek, Texas. His primary goal is to build an equine therapy program to assist other wounded veterans with their recovery. One of the country’s largest military medical facilities for amputees, Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), is located in nearby San Antonio. Mathew is creating programs that will not only address the therapy needs of these veterans, but also train them to serve as mentors for troubled youth engaged in service programs at Triple H.

To learn more about Travis Manion, click here.

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1Ménière’s Disease is an abnormality of the inner ear that causes dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and pain.  One of the prominent causes is thought to be environmental factors such as noise pollution.  For more information on this Ménière’s Disease please visit The National Institute for Deafness and Other Communication Disorders at www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/balance/meniere.asp.