Julie Mendez joined the U.S. Army at the age of 17 and had to grow into an adult instantaneously. Deployed to Iraq, Julie soon learned that the local people had varied feelings about the U.S. presence, and that her involvement was not black and white, even though Julie wanted nothing more than to help. Coming back from her service, Julie found it difficult to maintain relationships with those she had felt comfortable with before her enlistment. Viewing the Army’s operations in Iraq with a growing contempt, Julie found it difficult to talk about her service, and decided to try medication to help her open up emotionally. Julie also finds another form of therapy, graphic design. Falling in love with the art form, Julie completes a Masters in Graphic Design, her thesis project focusing on how to facilitate communication between veterans and their loved ones. Through this work, Julie finds a way to communicate her own experiences.