Today we’d like to introduce you to Dominique Velazquez.
Hi Dominique, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Gladly,
Hello, my name is Dominique Velazquez. I’m 34 and married with a 16 month old daughter.
I was born in Germany while my father was in the Army. Afterwards he worked for the government. We moved around a lot.
I found my passion in dance while I lived in Virginia. This was an outlet for me to express myself when I couldn’t speak up (being very introverted) and inspired others to go after their dreams.
I was set to join the Air Force in 2009. On August 22nd, two days before I was to go to boot camp, I was involved in a traumatic car accident. My car had stalled out on a bridge not far from my house. I was on the phone with my father, waiting for him to pick me up as I waiting for the tow truck. An older model Ford truck was speeding and crashed into me. My dad was the first in the scene and had to pull me out. I suffered multiple fractures in my skull on the left side and my right hand as well as a subdural hematoma (brain injury). The providers told my parents that I would either be brain dead or blind. I do not remember any pain and other events that happened prior to the accident as far to my childhood. I was in the hospital for a month and rehabilitation for a month. The first thing I remember is getting out of a wheelchair and learning to walk again. I had to relearn how to do basic tasks such as writing and talking.
One thing I did not forget though, was how to dance. It helped me persevere through the frustrations and difficulties of relearning how to be myself again. It was still my outlet.
I moved to California in 2010, where I would end up deciding to join the Navy. I graduated boot camp in Great Lakes, went to “A” School to become a Hospital Corpsman (Medical) in San Antonio, TX.
My first job as a Corpsman was working in the psychiatric ward in Portsmouth, VA. Here I found my second passion of helping others. Being able to be a part of people’s growth gave me so much joy. I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. I was able to help people physically and mentally with my skill set, and help people emotionally with my craft of dance!
I was then stationed in Lemoore, CA where I worked in the General Surgery, Orthopedic, and OB/GYN departments.
I then was stationed on a ship, USS Antietam, in Yokosuka, Japan. Here I would find my love for medical programs and increase my knowledge and passion in dance. I would travel all over Tokyo networking with dancers from around the world!
I then went to instructor school and was stationed at Walter Reed in Bethesda, Maryland. I found my passion in teaching and building the next generation of Sailors. I worked in the only military Organ Transplant facility in the world, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, and became the Basic Life Support and Tactical Combat Casualty Care program manager for the national capital region. I also found a dance crew that truly uplifted my love for dance!
Now I am stationed in San Diego, where I currently work in the Directorate for Professional Education at Naval Medical Center San Diego.
My experiences have given me new insight and a drive to want to see everyone I come in contact with to grow. I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and to focus on being better today than I was yesterday. Being better tomorrow than I am today! This experience have build my resilience and allowed me to help others push through there roadblocks.
From being told I was going to be Brian dead, forgetting most of my past, learning to walk again, to keeping my passion for dance and inspiring others in and out of the military through my love of dance and my work experiences. I am thankful for the life I have and I hope I can help others push through their struggles and inspire them to continue to grow so we can build up the next generations!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Life is never smooth, but that is ok. These challenges help us become better people. I am very introverted, but in my line of work, I need to speak up. As a leader, I need to advocate for my subordinates. To grow, I need to put myself in positions that I am uncomfortable with. That’s ok. I don’t know what I don’t know until I experience it.
My car accident kept me from joining the Air Force. I had to go to MEPS 6 times before I could even got the chance to go to boot camp for the Navy. A lot of people would give up, but I was taught that it doesn’t matter how many times you fall, what matters is that you get back up.
In the Navy, I have faced many challenges, but I face them head on. I still struggle with processing information at times, but I don’t let that hinder me. I find ways to help me persevere.
Same with my dance. I have faced road blocks, times where I wanted to give up, and many losses in battles. These are all experiences I needed to better myself. I’m thankful for every obstacle that comes my way. It challenges my way of thinking, can give me a new perspective, and allows me to help others around me that will face similar issues.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a Hospital Corpsman in the United States Navy. I have my instructor and Lean Six Sigma Black belt qualifications. I am currently the leading Petty Officer for the Directorate of Professional Education where we train our Naval Forces in Tactical Combat Casualty Care, Basic and Advanced Life Support, as well as various Provider and Nursing courses.
I have a passion in process improvement and building the next generation Sailors. I enjoy inspiring my leadership, peers, and Junior Sailors by telling my story, lessons learned, and about gaining new perspectives. I don’t know everything, but know people who know what I do not. I love to teach about networking and facilitating those experiences for others.
I don’t like saying I’m set apart from others, as this is a team effort. I learn so much from every person I come in contact with. I take what I learn and apply it to my life so I can continue to help those around me. I’m willing to put myself in uncomfortable positions to help the team move forward. I am a leader. I need to be comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. To continue to challenge the status quo, and to set a standard that I want to see.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I have always been the wallflower growing up. Due to moving around so often, I never connected with others. This made me stick to myself.
Dance was my outlet to express myself and allowed me to build bonds and brotherhoods with my crew members. To this day we will drop whatever to support each other. I have been able to travel the world and inspire others with my dance!
The same happened with my peers in the Navy. We have struggled together and those experiences truly build relationships that are unbreakable with people you would never expect. I’m the introvert going out on liberty with my southern, country coworker who had never seen a city, a coworker who is from the Philippines, and a coworker who is from one of the roughest hoods in the US. We all are together and enjoy each others company because we have struggled together. We experienced life together. That is so beautiful to see! I’m so thankful the Navy has provided me that opportunity and experience that I doubt people outside of the military can experience.
Art is a passion of mine. Film, photography, dance, and music are my outlets! You will see me waking down North Park, in Balboa Park, or even the malls listening to music and dancing or making videos.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @domvelaz
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@lildcalifornia?si=ARGuSDacqtQvOrpm
Image Credits
Faces of the Fleet, Navy Recruiting Command
