Today for the Women's History Month project we are celebrating this amazing woman
Kim Kunkel, 52, wife, mother, nurse, dental hygienist and a former Air National Guard Major.
"Try to be a rainbow in someone else's cloud" - Maya Angelou
Kim is a second generation French Canadian (Quebeqoise), born in Lewiston, Maine. She has a very large extended family within the Lewiston-Auburn area. Her early years started in Auburn, then her parents moved to Raymond where she was fortunate to grow-up living lakeside swimming, boating, waterskiing and ice-skating.
Being that Raymond was too small a town to have it's own high school, she went to Windham High School. Kim was the first in her family to graduate from college, graduating from the University of Bridgeport majoring in dental hygiene. She was then married a short while, and after her divorce she reflected on life and decided to return to school and received her Master's degree in business from Husson College, while working full time.
When Kim was in her final semester of graduate school, she met someone who eventually became her husband, almost twenty years ago. After marrying, she returned to school for nursing while working part-time. Upon graduating from nursing school she worked part-time as a hospital nurse and as a dental hygienist in a general practice dental office.
After enjoying married life a few years, Kim and her husband decided to start their family. This was no easy feat, and they persued the Invitro Fertilization route. They were blessed to have had an effective round of fertility treatment on their first attempt. As a result, Kim is the proud mother of one. Becoming a mom was/is her most challenging and rewarding achievement. Kim lost her own mother (friend and biggest cheerleader) when her daughter was only two. Since her loss, she is most appreciative and grateful for her support system of close friends and family.
Kim also commissioned into the Air National Guard as a Medical Service Corp officer (Medical Administration/Logistics). She served for over nine years, achieving the rank of Major. While serving she had many opportunities to travel: numerous field exercises within New England and administrative trainings in San Antonio, readiness training in South Korea. Her most rewarding opportunity was participating in Operation Tropic Care, a Humanitarian Mission on the Big Island of Hawaii, providing medical, dental and vision care to underserved populations. Having traveled to Hawaii prior for vacations, she was disheartened to see the number of impoverished Americans 'living in paradise' without enough money for shoes/sandals. She was honored and grateful to participate in assisting them obtain the services they needed.
Currently, Kim works per-diem as a nurse while fulfilling the roles of mom, wife and daughter. She also enjoys spending time with extended family and friends, baking decorative cakes for them, playing hockey, traveling, walking, reading a good book while enjoying a cup of tea, cooking, and sewing.
With all of the uncertainties of life, her motto has become:
"Whatever will be, will be"
Ray Evans & Jay Livingston (Que Sera, Sera)
*****
Thank you, Kim, for sharing your story with us all!
#whm #womenshistorymonth #womensupportingwomen #womanoftheday #mainephotographer
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