Community News
USO Okinawa Staff Spotlight: Meet Mina!
USO Okinawa
February 6, 2025
Mina Fisher (Photo by USO Okinawa)
Name: Mina Fisher
Position/Title: Center Operations Specialist
Time worked at USO: 7 months
Center/Office location: USO Futenma
Tell Us About Yourself!
Mina was born here on-island while her family was stationed at Kadena Air Base! She loves all music, seeing new places, and bridging people together across languages, cultures, or anything of the sort. Just before moving back to Okinawa, Mina worked as an Event Marketing Production Coordinator in the global hotspot of the Las Vegas Strip across numerous day clubs and night clubs. She also volunteered for a nonprofit dedicated to preserving arts education, a cause she was deeply passionate about.
Why do you love working at the USO? I love working for the USO because it allows me to pay back the unique experience I had growing up as a military child myself. We are here to serve those who serve by creating a sense of “home away from home” for military members and families who often face major struggles being stationed overseas, away from loved ones. Moreover, it allows me the opportunity to strengthen community connections and help add to the great memories people can make while stationed abroad. I love seeing smiles light up the place as volunteers and patrons become more comfortable in the center and people feel free to be themselves. It’s an honor to be part of an organization with such a vital mission.
What is your favorite memory of working at the USO? It was the day we first met one of our volunteers here who is only 19 years old and on his first duty station. When letting him know about volunteer opportunities, we asked for his preferred name to which he responded, “It feels good to hear my first name again after so long. Thank you for asking.” Ever since that moment, I make sure to intentionally welcome him by his first name loudly each time we see him to remind him how he’s appreciated and should feel at home here at the USO. That interaction moved me, and I find that I now do the same for all prospective volunteers when we first meet and exchange names.
FEATURED PROGRAM:
USO Futenma will be hosting our first Coffee Connection in months here at the end of the month on Wednesday, February 26th from 10:00am to 11:30am. This program is intended to bring spouses and families together across the island who are interested in finding more community with others in similar situations as their own. We’ll be folding origami while enjoying coffee, tea, and light snacks! I hope to continue growing this program at Futenma and expanding on it with cultural layers in the future to create unique memories for the service members while in Okinawa. Follow us on Facebook at USO Futenma for more information!