Meet Our Military Veteran

Author: Kimberly V Kay


Our country celebrated Veteran’s Day on Monday and we thought it would be a great time to introduce you to a special employee here at MWS that served in the military. Meet our military veteran and bookkeeper, Patricia Wright.

Meet Our Military Veteran by Manhattan Wardrobe Supply

Meet Our Military Veteran: The Beginning

Where were you born and raised?

I was born and raised in Queens, New York.

What school did you attend?

I attended Newtown High School.

Did you have an idea about what sort of career you wanted to pursue?

In High School, I studied accounting and management. I always loved math above all other subjects, my second favorite subject was science. I knew I wanted to work in the accounting or medical field.

How did you decide to join the military?

While in High School, my best friend and I along with another friend of ours decided we would join the Armed Services together. The three of us went to the recruiting station and started the process to join the Army Reserves after graduation. We were looking to go into the nursing field, which was fine with me at the time.

After graduation, I was the only one that followed through. Most of my family and friends did not believe I was serious until the day I left for basic training. I went into the nursing field and became an Army Medic.

Meet Our Military Veteran: The Military Years

What was the process like?

I did my Basic Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.  It was 8 intense seemingly long weeks of following strict orders, learning discipline and practicing drills. But I passed with flying colors and managed to rack up a few awards. I met lots of new friends in Basic Training with whom I am still good friends today.

How did your family feel about you joining the military?

My family was very proud of me when I joined the Army Reserves and I served for 6 years.

Where where you stationed and what was your job in the Army Reserves?

After Basic Training I did 6 months working as a Medic at Fort Sam, Houston, Texas. Thereafter I worked every weekend and two full weeks out of the year, domestically at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn, New York.

 Did you like your experience in the military?

It was a wonderful experience and I’m so glad I got to do it. WOW, that was 39 years ago, (time sure does fly when you are having fun.)

Patricia Today Meet Our Military Veteran by Manhattan Wardrobe Supply

Meet Our Military Veteran: After The Military

Why did you leave the military?

I did not want to continue in the medical field. Instead, I decided to go after my real true passion and that was in the accounting field. So, I went back to school and got my degree in Accounting and Management.

What was your first job in this new post-military field?

My first job after graduating was with a fabric company where I worked for 27 years.  After leaving there I worked as head bookkeeper at a furniture store. The owner moved the store upstate so I had to look for another job because I was not traveling 4 hours a day to get to and from work and forget about that transit fare. That’s when I came to Manhattan Wardrobe Supply.

How long have you been at MWS and what does your job consist of?

I’ve been working at MWS for two and a half years now. My duties are to balance and maintain accurate ledgers, process credit card payments, tally and enter cash receipts, coordinate bank deposits, track bank account balances and prepare monthly sales tax amongst many other duties.

What is your favorite part of your job at MWS?

My favorite part is mornings when I tally the previous day’s receipts,  when everything matches I  know the rest of my day will go well.

What is the most challenging part?

At the end of the month when I have to reconcile several bank and credit card statements, I must be exact.  If I’m one penny off, my job as a bookkeeper is to find that penny or the books will not balance. I love a challenge

(Editors Note: I filled in for Patricia when she was on vacation and it was an extremely stressful job. She also had to fix all my mistakes when she returned.)

Do you have a favorite product at MWS?

MWS is a very cool place to work, we have lots of wonderful products. My personal favorite is the Cozzette Lip Synergy. The extended wear formula feels comfortable on the lips and I rarely have to touch up during the day.

We are proud of Patricia’s service to our nation and honor all of our Veterans! Thank you for your service.