In the author's second edition of her debut memoir, she left the small, all-black community of Camptown in southeastern VA, at 17 years old to attend the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). After waffling at UMBC for four years without declaring a major, she joined the U.S. Army to pay off mounting debt and to complete her bachelor's degree. The Army allowed Tena to travel the world and learn about its people. She worked hard at every leadership position offered and advanced in rank to First Sergeant. As part of the premiere Intelligence Corp, Tena worked in support of the National Security Agency (NSA) for over 10 years as a soldier, to return after retirement, to become a civilian leader.