Staff Sergeant Jheran Carter is an example of an inspiring leader who may not always stand under the spotlight. As a faculty member for the Air Force ROTC (AFROTC) Detachment 855, or BYU Air Force, Carter enjoys getting to know the BYU Marriott community while making her mark behind the scenes as she manages the administrative details of the detachment.
Carter, originally from Erie, Pennsylvania, joined the US Air Force at age nineteen in 2016 as an active-duty member, primarily because the of the financial assistance that the military provides and the opportunity to travel around the world. Since joining, she has lived and worked in several states on various administrative assignments; those assignments have included working with munitions, maintenance, and logistics related to air crafts. Utah is the twelfth state Carter has been assigned to. She also had the chance to serve internationally when she deployed to Kuwait for six months as an airman.
Joining the military allowed Carter to better appreciate the importance of hard work and perseverance as well as become a great leader. “Since joining the military, I’ve learned to work extra hard to prove myself and to learn my job. I was able to develop trainings and initiatives to help others learn, completely redesign how training was done, and ensure that all cadets have the opportunity to train,” says Carter. “The military taught me the value of hard work, diligence, and perseverance and helped me to become a more effective leader and mentor.”
In November 2020, Carter moved to Utah for her new assignment as an administrative noncommissioned officer for AFROTC Detachment 855. Carter lives in Taylorsville, Utah, and is enjoying getting to know BYU and its students and faculty. “I miss my home and the beaches of Lake Erie, but I love exploring places such as the Zion and Arches National Parks,” says Carter.
Carter enjoys making her mark in her relatively new assignment through her leadership of several programs in the BYU Air Force ROTC. “I run upwards of thirty programs, which include program eligibility, scholarship entitlements, cadet records, the medical qualification process, cadet standards, field training, job and assignment selection, and more. I also help more than 160 Air and Space Force cadets become commissioned once they are finished with the program,” says Carter. Though she handles logistics and spends most of her time as an administrative officer instead of in the classroom, Carter hopes that she can be an example of the enlisted military members who these student cadets will be serving with in the future.
Carter is also taking every opportunity to influence the students she interacts with and inspire them to become respectable leaders. She sees each BYU Air Force ROTC student as potential future enlisted leaders and supervisors of the Air and Space Forces. “I hope that through my efforts the student cadets can develop an appreciation for the part enlisted members play in daily operations. The best officers appreciate the airmen they serve with and cultivate mutual respect,” says Carter.
Carter’s passion for being a good leader and inspiring other leaders extends beyond her work in the military. After she separates from active-duty military in 2024, she plans to create an organization that provides leadership training to children and young adults who are motivated by public service and an entrepreneurial spirit. “I love working with kids and youth, and I believe in inspiring leaders at an early age,” says Carter. In her free time, she also enjoys painting, hiking, and spending time with her husband and two cats.
Throughout the five years Carter has spent in the US Air Force, she has learned to work diligently, to prove herself, and to excel in her assignments and career. “Education us important to me. I’m grateful for the military, everything the Air Force has taught me, and the opportunities my service has given me to enhance my education as well as help students progress in theirs,” she says.
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Writer: Emily Atwood