Last year’s all-school theme at Loomis Chaffee was storytelling. This year’s theme is “What does it mean to be human?” Juniors Ria An and Katie Pham have captured both themes in a book — Unspoken Valor: Voices of Women Veterans.

The project started last winter and continued through the summer when Ria was back home in South Korea and Katie in Vietnam. They shared much of the writing and editing, with Ria providing artwork, and they had assistance from other members of the club they co-founded last year, ArtSOAR.

Ria said the idea for the book came about for a few reasons, including last year’s theme of storytelling, her interest in the mentality of veterans, and the fact that she had rarely encountered stories of women veterans.

The SOAR part of the club name, writes Ria in the book, was inspired by the school’s Pelican mascot and “reflects our mission to turn stories into works of art that lift, educate, and inspire. Our work is not just for aesthetics; it’s a symbol of unity, spirit, and social responsibility. That very energy is what gave this book its wings.”

The book contains 10 stories of women veterans with Connecticut connections, including Lindsay Gabow ’12. Writes Ria in the book, “I expected to hear mostly stories of hardship, trauma, and pain. And yes, those stories were there, layered with raw truth. But what surprised me was what stood alongside them. The laughter, the warmth. The sturdiness. Again and again, these women described their challenges not as burdens but as fuel.”

Growing up in Vietnam, writes Katie in the book, her family members who lived through the Vietnam War avoided talking about that part of their past. “I always thought their experiences — whatever little memory they’d let slip to me, like my aunt telling me about wearing handmade protective helmets out of scraps of metal to school — were valid and valuable. Especially as women whose stories are often overlooked, their stories deserve to be records, shared, and celebrated. This unfortunate fate also applies to American female veterans whose service doesn’t always get the recognition they deserve. This project is my way of listening, appreciating, and preserving women’s voices as someone who deeply values the cost of human conflict. The complexity of identity, and the power of storytelling to heal and connect. “

Katie and Ria, who have been friends since freshman year, both have been active participants in campus life. They enjoy writing, each contributing to school publications. Katie is the student leader of The Hourglass & World Bulletin, a Shultz Fellow, a debate team co-captain, and a Model United Nations leader. “I really care about international affairs and human relations, getting to know people and the humanity side of things,” Katie said in a recent interview. Ria writes for The Loom and is involved in multiple Community Engagement programs, leading a few. “I love doing community engagement because I feel [that] the joy that comes from that is different from any other joy we can have,” Ria said.

Ria used her artistic skills to add illustrations and what she called “visual interpretations” to “help bring the veterans’ stories to life” in the book.

The front cover is a collage intended, she said, “to show the human side of the women … rather than just framing them as women veterans.” The back cover has a reflective material that serves as a mirror for the women veterans and for readers. “Anyone who reads the book can look at themselves as someone who can be as brave and courageous as [the veterans in the book],” Ria said.

The book starts with this dedication: “To all women who served with strength and bravery. To all whose hearts burn with unyielding courage. And to all still seeking the valor that waits within.”

Ria said she wrote the dedication because “I think we all have valor. Some discovered it early, and some have not yet.” She also said that the book “at its heart is about listening to voices that are often overlooked, and realizing that what makes us human is not just the struggles we carry, but the resilience, humor, and pride that can grow alongside them.”

Said Katie, “I think being human is a collage of different experiences, kind of like the front cover, being made up of triumphs, sadnesses, struggles, courage. ... These women are more than veterans, but that shaped them and their character and helped them push through other aspects of their life while not letting being a veteran define their entire life. To be human is to be shaped by your experiences, but a mix of experiences defines you rather than just one.”

Lindsay Gabow’s story now continues at Harvard Law School, where she is a juris doctor candidate in the Class of 2027. She is a 2016 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and was a military intelligence officer for seven years, including six months in Qatar, according to a profile in Harvard Law Today.

At Loomis, Lindsay was Student Council president and captained the girls track and field team as a senior. She also was a resident assistant in Ammidon Hall and ran cross country for the Pelicans. She went on to have an outstanding career in track & field and cross country at Army. She also won the Armed Forces Marathon women’s title while serving in the military.

Unspoken Valor closes with this tribute from Ria and Katie: “Thank you to those who let these stories breathe within. May Unspoken Valor find its reflection in you, the silent flame of courage that needs no audience, only your own light.”

Ria said the proceeds from the independently published book will be donated to non-profit veteran organizations.