Veteran Spotlight: Stephany Leonard

Sergeant Stephany Leonard served for six years in the U.S. Army National Guard, voluntarily serving under Title 10 orders for four of her six years. 

“In that role, I helped train soldiers and volunteered to support units preparing for mobilization,” she said. “I spent two years at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, rotating through different roles before ultimately serving as the facility’s budget analyst. I oversaw the full operating budget, and I frequently volunteered during joint-service exercises, supporting training alongside other branches.”

Raised in Valparaiso, Leonard lives there now. She serves as mortgage loan officer at Revolution Mortgage. Leonard completed her contract with the National Guard in 2012 and transitioned into a career in banking and finance.

“I completed eight months of deployment training and was slated to deploy overseas before learning I was expecting my daughter,” she said.

Leonard enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard for several reasons. At the core of these reasons was incorporating more stability in her life.

“What inspired me to serve wasn’t a textbook patriotic moment. It was survival and a decision to change my life,” she said. “I moved out the week before I turned 18 and quickly realized I needed stability, leadership, and a path forward. I wasn’t willing to go backwards or move back home, so I enlisted. I needed consistent income, structure, and opportunity.”

On a related note, she witnessed how enlisting in the armed forces had helped her sister. 

“My older sister had enlisted, and it changed her life. I wanted the same kind of growth,” Leonard said.

Earning a college degree was a consistent goal of Leonard’s at the time of her enlistment, and her service could help her to achieve it.

“The chance to earn college benefits was a major factor in enlisting, too,” she said. “The military gave me direction at a time when I needed it most.”

Her service grew her confidence and helped to further empower her.

“My biggest takeaway from serving is that it shaped me into the strong and capable woman I am today,” she said. “It gave me a level of drive, confidence, and resilience I didn’t know I had and taught me I was capable of far more than I ever imagined.”

Leonard’s service also opened her eyes to the trauma that veterans and service members often battle.

“It gave me an honest look at the unseen costs of service,” she said. “The military can take a toll on mental health, and I think we don’t talk enough about how that follows our veteran’s home.”

Leonard came to further understand this while helping her husband as he struggled with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after his own service in the U.S. Army National Guard.

“I met my husband while serving, and he struggled immensely with service-connected PTSD and ultimately ended up succumbing to the disease,” she said. “Seeing that firsthand opened my eyes to how deeply our veterans carry their service into civilian life, and how much support they need when the uniform comes off.”

Today, Leonard shares her husband’s story through work with local organizations that support veterans and military families to help others struggling with PTSD and those working to support them.

“I’ve seen firsthand how service-connected PTSD affects not only the veteran but the people who love them, and I believe the best way to create change is through honest conversation and education,” Leonard said. “I speak about warning signs, how to be a supportive partner, and what it looks like to navigate trauma and grief as a widow. Our veterans deserve support long after the uniform comes off, and I’m committed to helping make that happen.”

To collaborate with Leonard on support for veterans, you can reach out to her at sleonard@revolutionmortgage.com or on LinkedIn.