Yeoman-Seaman Shontell N. Saunders-Murphy was recognized as the Clayton County Senior Services Department’s Veteran of the Month for November.
She was also honored at a recent Clayton County Board of Commissioners meeting.
She was born and raised in Detroit and joined the U.S. Navy in 1993, receiving an honorable discharge in 1995.
Unfortunately, she was forced to end her military career prematurely when her newborn daughter was diagnosed with Sickle Cell Beta Thalassemia.
Since she was a single mother at the time, she was forced to make the decision to be honorably discharged to educate herself about her daughter’s diagnosis.
Shontell attended boot camp in Orlando, Fla. in 1993 and served as Head Master at Arms while in boot camp and while in Yeoman Training School.
She became the yeoman to the captain and the executive officer of the Recruit Training Command in Orlando — her first duty station.
Shontell holds an associate’s degree from the University of Phoenix in business and a dual bachelor’s in business administration and healthcare management from Central Christian College in Kansas.
This educational experience led her to land an opportunity to work for United Healthcare as a network contract manager negotiating physician contracts for the Veterans Affairs Community Care Network (VACCN).
She has three daughters, two granddaughters, and two grandsons.
She serves as the public relations officer for AMVETS Department of Georgia and AMVETS POST 9-1-1 in southwest Atlanta.
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