Since Travis was young, his mother raised him to be hardworking, dedicated and independent. Bringing up Travis on her own was tough for Kay, but she never complained; she just wanted to make sure he was raised right, which sometimes meant working three jobs.

Of the many things Travis learned from his mother, one of the most important was to follow his heart. That's what inspired him to enroll in Army ROTC.

It had always been Travis' dream to go to college, as well as Kay's dream for him. But Travis wanted something more than the normal college experience; he wanted to be a leader. Army ROTC is one of the only college courses that teach leadership. When Travis enrolled in ROTC, he found just what he was looking for. Through ROTC classes, he was able to gain hands-on field work and leadership experience without those interfering with his other classes or social life.