Her Story
About Gabrielle
I was raised in a Sicilian family that owns a Sicilian restaurant in Buffalo, New York, so I'm not even from the Midwest originally, I'm from the East Coast. Watching how my dad worked all the way growing up, and then channeling that into the military and my work ethic really set me up for success. I did 4 years of ROTC while in college at the University at Buffalo, where I earned my Bachelor's of Sociology in 2019. I then commissioned and went into active duty Army for 4 years as a field artillery officer. After taking a short break and going into manufacturing, I realized I was still working with veterans and I still loved it, so I found my current position as Director of Military and Veteran Services at Missouri Western State University, where I've been since October 2025. I'm currently pursuing my MBA from Missouri Western. In total, I've been in the military and veterans industry for about 9 years. My main areas of expertise are creating community for military members and navigating various situations that veterans face, especially those transitioning out of the military or who have been out for a while and don't know where to go. Being that resource for finding the correct person to link them into is a huge part of my role. I'm very involved in the veteran space, partnering with different veterans organizations locally like VFWs. I work with a lot of hard topics and deal with the VA, but I absolutely love my job and what I'm doing. There's not one day where I don't want to go to work.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Gabrielle
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say it's a combination of how I was raised. I was raised in a Sicilian family that owns a Sicilian restaurant in Buffalo, New York, so I'm not even from the Midwest originally, I'm from the East Coast. Watching how my dad worked all the way growing up, and then channeling that into the military and my work ethic really set me up for success.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
When I was in the military, someone told me that if it was easy, anybody could do it. It really kind of just helped me push through when I was doing something that was really hard, or learning a new topic. Honestly, every single field that I've done, I was just kind of thrown into, because I have the soft skills, but I had to learn a whole new concept. So, it really helped me push through and keep pushing that line.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say that the most important thing that I learned is it's okay to change your mind. And as long as you're pursuing something that you're passionate about, you won't work a day in your life. I do a lot of hard things. I deal with a lot of hard topics. I work with the VA, I mean, that's its own battle, honestly. But I absolutely love my job, and I love what I'm doing, so there's not one day where I'm like, I don't want to go to work. I love it.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I would say that the veteran space, especially the legal aspect of how benefits are changing, and how legislation is impacting military and veteran benefits. Just staying up to date on that, because the veteran space is ever-changing. Whether it's the difficulties that military members face when they're transitioning out, and then on that back side of the education realm, you're trying to help them navigate that, or just figuring out what is the new process for whatever you're doing.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I would say integrity, trust, and work ethic.
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