{"id":11735,"date":"2022-09-23T09:38:52","date_gmt":"2022-09-23T13:38:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/?p=11735"},"modified":"2022-09-23T09:38:52","modified_gmt":"2022-09-23T13:38:52","slug":"alumna-plays-featured-role-in-army-advertising-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/2022\/09\/23\/alumna-plays-featured-role-in-army-advertising-campaign\/","title":{"rendered":"Alumna plays featured role in Army advertising campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"

Front and center screen<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>A young woman<\/span>\u00a0in military fatigues<\/span>\u00a0is in charge, giving orders to groups of\u00a0<\/span>service members<\/span>\u00a0in a command center.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>C<\/span>onfident and no-nonsense<\/span>\u00a0\u2014<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>s<\/span>he<\/span>\u00a0is<\/span>\u00a0clearly a leader.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

That leader, one of many featured in\u00a0<\/span>\u201cDecide to Lead<\/span>,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>the U.S. Army\u2019s\u00a0new<\/a><\/span>\u00a0advertising campaign<\/span><\/a>\u00a0is<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>L<\/span>t. Col.<\/span>\u00a0Tanvi\u00a0<\/span>D.\u00a0<\/span>Patel<\/span>\u00a0\u201902.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Patel, a graduate of Detroit Mercy and a Lieutenant<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Colonel in the\u00a0<\/span>U.S.<\/span>\u00a0Army, was asked to take\u00a0<\/span>part<\/span>\u00a0in th<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0marketing<\/span>\u00a0campaign, designed to show what the\u00a0<\/span>A<\/span>rmy\u00a0<\/span>has\u00a0<\/span>to offer to those who may\u00a0<\/span>not have considered a career in the\u00a0<\/span>armed forces<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe army has professional scholarship programs, which is a way to get funding for anything that you want to do in the U.S.,\u201d Patel said. She attended basic training before completing medical school, and started her\u00a0<\/span>military\u00a0<\/span>career<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you graduate medical school as a civilian, you have to apply for a residency which is challenging,\u00a0<\/span>especially<\/span>\u00a0for a foreign graduate applying,\u201d Patel said. \u201cIn the Army, I don\u2019t have to worry about that. The system is pretty incredible. All I have to do is put my best foot forward and do what I need to do.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She graduated as a pediatric physician in 2009, as the U.S. involvement in the conflict in Afghanistan was rising.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Patel\u2019s family came<\/span>\u00a0to the United States from India when she was 14. Her father, a college professor in India, was unable to find work at a university in the United States.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe always told us that education is the way to get ahead,” Patel said. When time came to pick a college, Patel said \u201csomething spiritual<\/span>\u00a0drove me to pick Detroit\u00a0<\/span>Mercy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The<\/span>\u00a0small classrooms are run by gifted and talented professors, who give you one<\/span>–<\/span>on<\/span>–<\/span>one attention<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It was through one of these professors that Patel was able to complete an undergraduate fellowship, while she earned her degree in Biology.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA p<\/span>rofessor\u00a0<\/span>I worked with in a lab<\/span>\u00a0suggested\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0fellowship with Pfizer.<\/span>\u00a0I don\u2019t feel as if I would\u00a0<\/span>have gotten that opportunity at a school where\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019m<\/span>\u00a0one of a thousand in a class.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Five
Tanvi Patel, second from right.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After completing her fellowship, Patel spoke to <\/span>U.S. Armed Forces\u00a0<\/span>recruiters on campus, where she made the decision to\u00a0<\/span>join\u00a0<\/span>the Army.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI count my blessings every day that I was in northern Afghanistan, taking care of 2,000 soldiers on that base, and traveling around the country with a team of medics,\u201d Patel said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

After one year in Afghanistan, Patel decided to stay with the Army past her four-year commitment, and is now in her 16<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0year<\/span>. Patel got involved in the \u201cDecide to Lead\u201d campaign when she was contacted by a Public Affairs Officer she was stationed with.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI deployed with her and her husband, and the\u00a0<\/span>A<\/span>rmy<\/span>\u00a0wanted to recruit leaders from diverse backgrounds. She thought of me and reached out,\u201d Patel said. \u201cIt\u2019s a good opportunity to show what the\u00a0<\/span>A<\/span>rmy<\/span>\u00a0has to offer, especially for people with certain backgrounds who would not think of the\u00a0<\/span>A<\/span>rmy as their first choice to further their achievements after college.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The \u201cDecide to Lead\u201d campaign is<\/span>\u00a0intended to show potential recruits that\u00a0<\/span>o<\/span>fficership<\/span>\u00a0is a viable path toward<\/span>\u00a0a bright career. The advertisements\u00a0<\/span>show recruits from diverse backgrounds in leadership positions, to promote the leadership roles offered by the\u00a0<\/span>A<\/span>rmy. After some coaching on body language and gestures, Patel stepped on set.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was like a movie set. It was pretty incredible how many people were\u00a0<\/span>there<\/span>\u00a0and it was a little intimidating,\u201d Patel said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She was portraying a\u00a0<\/span>b<\/span>attle\u00a0<\/span>c<\/span>aptain in\u00a0<\/span>the advertisement<\/span>, something that was a little foreign to her.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI tend to have a supporting role, so while it\u2019s not exactly what I do every day, for me to be at the front\u00a0<\/span>in a tactical operations center, providing gestures of leading, it was really powerful to see myself in that role,\u201d Patel said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

While she hasn\u2019t told everyone\u00a0<\/span>about<\/span>\u00a0her role<\/span>\u00a0in the commercial<\/span>, Patel said her family and friends \u201care quite amazed at the overall quality of the production, and are thrilled to see the advertisement<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy husband and colleagues know, and they are thrilled just to be able to advertise that the\u00a0<\/span>A<\/span>rmy<\/span>\u00a0is already fairly diverse, and the leadership could definitely be more diverse,\u201d Patel said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She\u00a0<\/span>plans to continue her medical work with the army.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>H<\/span>alf<\/span>\u00a0of<\/span>\u00a0my career has been taking care of soldiers and planning their medical care, either daily here on base<\/span>\u00a0or<\/span>\u00a0overseas\u00a0<\/span>while<\/span>\u00a0in the field,\u201d Patel said. \u201cI\u2019ve enjoyed doing this work, and what I enjoy most<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0apart from making sure that we are prepared and have what we need to go into the field, is working with the\u00a0<\/span>front<\/span>–<\/span>line<\/span>\u00a0providers. That\u2019s the most rewarding work for me.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

U.S. Army’s “Decide to Lead” on YouTube.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014\u202fBy\u00a0Detroit Mercy Marketing & Communications<\/a>.\u00a0Follow Detroit Mercy on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>. Have a story idea? Let us know by\u00a0submitting your idea<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Tanvi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Front and center screen:\u00a0A young woman\u00a0in military fatigues\u00a0is in charge, giving orders to groups of\u00a0service members\u00a0in a command center.\u00a0Confident and no-nonsense\u00a0\u2014\u00a0she\u00a0is\u00a0clearly a leader. That leader, one of many featured in\u00a0\u201cDecide to Lead,\u201d\u00a0the U.S. Army\u2019s\u00a0new\u00a0advertising campaign\u00a0is\u00a0Lt. Col.\u00a0Tanvi\u00a0D.\u00a0Patel\u00a0\u201902.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":224,"featured_media":11737,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[6],"tags":[199,2002,3519,2013,100,2723,2577,552,2012,5658,5659],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/106\/2022\/09\/patel-full-width.jpg?fit=1900%2C900&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbwnTV-33h","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11735"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/224"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11735"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11735\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11738,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11735\/revisions\/11738"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11735"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11735"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11735"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}