Christine Kalafut

My parents inspired my most recent tattoo. I lost both of my parents at a young age. I got my mother's and father's birth flowers, my identical twin, and my birth flowers. I also added my great-aunt's birth flowers, as she was my second mother growing up, since I lost my mother at a young age.

It would say that each one is a part of who I am, what I lived through, what I have conquered, what I have become, and what brings joy to my life. My military service for the past 21 years has been a huge part of my life. I'm an emergency medicine physician assistant, both on the civilian and military side, completing multiple combat overseas deployments. My military tattoos tell a story of my time overseas. All of my tattoos tell a story of my life and are a reminder of what matters most.

If I won the $25,000, I would use it to put a down payment on a house so I can finally have a home of my own. It will allow me to start the next chapter of my life, making new memories in a place I can call my own and giving my pets the yard they deserve.