“This We’ll Defend.” 

This is the United States Army's official motto, as seen on the Army flag and Army emblem. As a 2nd Lieutenant Infantry Officer, TFS Alumna Gerilyn Maselli has committed to serving and defending her country with integrity, honor, and loyalty. 

“By serving in the Army,” shares Gerilyn, "I can contribute towards protecting those I love from the violence of war and ensure that those around the world who would seek to direct it against the U.S. are deterred or rendered unable to do so.” Gerilyn also shares that she joined the infantry specifically because she believes it is the most fundamental level of fighting and the decisive point of our nation’s expectations of itself. “It is an honor I feel every day to be able to lead Infantry Soldiers and Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) who are America’s most motivated, determined, and caring men and women,” she says.

Maselli attended TFS from 2nd grade through 8th grade, graduating in 2015. “TFS was the place of my foundational childhood years,” Maselli states. “It meant navigating friendships, learning new topics, working on my science fair project, and playing sports - all through the lens of childhood wonder.” Maselli felt TFS had so many opportunities for students to get involved, and her extracurricular life was as educating to her young mind as her classes were. Maselli particularly remembers the lessons in time management, experiment design, and science fair presentations. After her time at TFS, she went on to attend Cardinal Gibbons High School, where she felt she could put her foundational lessons of childhood to the test and assert independence while leaning into the guiding Catholic values.

From there, Maselli spent four years at Brown University, majoring in International and Public Affairs, focusing on coercion theory and American diplomatic history. She led the Army ROTC program, played rugby, and became deeply involved in academic research in her department. She also formed lifelong connections with her friends and colleagues. 

Maselli’s passion for being in the military first began while she was in high school and further developed while she was at Brown in the ROTC and through various internships. Some of these internships included time with the National Strategic Research Institute under USSTRATCOM, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, the U.S. Naval War College, and the U.S. European Command. Through these experiences, she understood what being in the Army meant to her and which direction she wanted to focus on. 

As Maselli advances in her Army career, she hopes to work directly with U.S. allies and partners to build stronger relationships and secure peace. This also includes advancing her education through graduate school and contributing to the next generation of Army leaders, spending time as a professor. After her Army career, Maselli will look at opportunities in and out of the government, continuing to help people experiencing violence worldwide.

If asked to speak with current TFS students, Maselli would like to share: 1- Read everything! Reading about topics that you already like will teach you about new things and you will develop more interests. But also seek out new books that challenge you! 2- Just try things. Elementary and middle school is a perfect time for trying new things, helping you become a more well-rounded person in high school and beyond. 3- Don’t worry about popularity. What is much more important for long-term social fulfillment is developing an independent sense of self-worth, seeing value and kindness in other people, and showing genuine interest in the passions and successes of your peers. May we all live by these!

We salute you, Army 2nd Lt. Maselli. Thank you for your service!