For Allison Warren, military service runs in the family. As the daughter of a female veteran, she felt confident stepping into Navy boots in 2016 — though she admits her 18-year-old self underestimated the challenges ahead. “My mother tried to warn me it would be hard, but I was convinced I was untouchable.”
Serving eight years total as a Cryptologic Technician, including four years of active duty stationed on an LPD ship out of Norfolk, Virginia, Allison experienced the full spectrum of military life. A 2017 deployment to the Mediterranean with MEU 24 took her to three countries and expanded her worldview in ways she never expected. Yet it was the daily experience of being a woman in the military that perhaps shaped her most profoundly.
“When there are so few of us, everything you do represents all of us,” she explains. “That pressure creates an anxiety that stays with you during service and long after. But it also made me stronger and more well-rounded — qualities that helped me succeed at UNC and beyond.”
Now serving as CVAN’s Admin Officer, Allison channels her experience into supporting fellow veterans navigating their own transitions. She understands firsthand how military skills don’t always translate clearly to civilian contexts, and how everything from professional dress to workplace dynamics requires adjustment. “That transition is hard,” she says, “and I want to do my part in making it easier for veterans at Carolina.” Through her work with CVAN, she’s helping ensure no veteran walks that path alone.
“I am a veteran. I am a Tar Heel.”