Anna Lopiccolo

The first time Anna heard a friend describe Navy submarine service and its demanding schedule for both the active duty member and his/her family, she thought, “I could never do that.” Then she met her future husband and submariner, Joe.

In 2010, the Navy moved the couple from Hawaii to Washington D.C. where Anna enrolled in the multi-platform journalism master’s degree program at the University of Maryland, College Park. The goal: to strengthen and update her journalism skills – she has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northwest University – in a rapidly changing field. A graduate assistantship with UMD’s Veteran Student Life office gave Anna the chance to witness and support veterans and military spouses furthering their education.

Anna earned her master’s degree in 2012, and she and Joe have since moved from D.C. to Seattle and now to Hawaii. Her degree directly led to her post-graduate school job as the multimedia editor for Northwest Catholic magazine then her role as associate editor at the Hawaii Catholic Herald newspaper. She also is a regular freelancer for Scripps’ website Simplemost. In summer 2023, Anna accepted the positions of Special Projects Manager & Editor at Semper Fi & America’s Fund, and is excited to work with the nonprofit that supports wounded veterans and their families.

With Joe continuing as an active duty submarine officer and the couple welcoming their first child in May 2015 and second child in Aug. 2017, it can be challenging for Anna to do much beyond juggling a full-time job, kids and Navy commitments. She has snuck in some time for service through their church and is always looking for other opportunities. Anna counts herself lucky to still be working in her chosen career field in jobs that are flexible for Navy and family demands.