For more than two decades, Shawnta DiFalco has answered the same call: go where you’re needed.

That call has taken the Heritage alumna into wildfire zones across Washington state, flood- ravaged communities, and combat deployments in Iraq, Kuwait, and Jordan. It has placed her in command of hundreds of soldiers and millions of dollars in resources. And most recently, it led her to the White House, where she spent more than two years serving as a Military Social Aide, helping presidents and first ladies host some of the world’s most prominent leaders.

Yet despite the global reach of her military service, DiFalco’s motivation remains deeply local. Today, she is back home in Yakima, focused on the role she considers her life’s most meaningful: supporting children and preparing future educators.

DUTY TO COUNTRY AND COMMUNITY

DiFalco’s military career spans 20 years — a commitment marked by constant transitions between civilian life and service, none of which come with guarantees.

Reservists and National Guardsmen go where they are needed. For DiFalco, that has meant responding to natural disasters, providing life- saving aid during flooding, leading an oil spill cleanup in Alaska and leading by serving as a commanding officer. Her responsibilities have extended far beyond the traditional “one weekend a month.”

Her service has also included combat, where she experienced direct fire and the realities of war firsthand.

The return home after deployments can be isolating, she said, a feeling familiar to many service members. DiFalco credits her support systems — what she calls her “teams of women” — for helping her navigate the demands of dual careers.

“My ‘civilian team’ in the school district has always been sensitive to how difficult it is to juggle two very different occupations,” she said. “I could not do this without my staff understanding and supporting me.

“And my daughters, they learned resilience. They had to, and it wasn’t easy, and I’ve always been incredibly grateful for their acceptance of this work.”

A WHITE HOUSE CHAPTER

That sense of teamwork carried into DiFalco’s most unusual assignment yet: White House Military Social Aide. She was serving as an Operations Officer in the Pentagon’s Office of the Secretary of Defense when a supervisor encouraged her to apply for the role. The position requires commissioned officers from all military branches to assist the President and First Lady with protocol, guest engagement, and event logistics at high-profile gatherings.

The selection process was rigorous, including multiple interviews and a year-long “Yankee White” background investigation — one of the highest security clearances granted to personnel working near the First Family. When she was chosen, DiFalco became the first and only Army National Guard member to hold the role.

Beginning her service in 2023, DiFalco entered a world defined less by military operations and more by diplomacy. She helped facilitate visits from global leaders during NATO’s 75th anniversary celebration and assisted with events surrounding the state funeral of President Jimmy Carter, welcoming former presidents and first ladies from across administrations.

But among the many high-profile moments, one stood out most: meeting a group of “Rosie the Riveters,” the women who stepped into industrial roles during World War II.

“They were amazing patriots,” DiFalco said. “They knew what their country needed from them, and they went to work and did it. I relate to that.”

SEEING WOMEN LEAD

Her White House experience also highlighted the evolving role of women in leadership. At several events, including ceremonies focused on women’s health and safety, the military aide team was composed entirely of women — a milestone not lost on DiFalco.

She found a particularly meaningful connection with First Lady Jill Biden, a fellow educator. In one quiet conversation, DiFalco shared that she planned to return to Yakima to teach at Heritage. “Dr. Biden said people back home must be proud,” DiFalco recalled. “She told me that experiences like this put you in a position to impact others — especially young women — by showing them what’s possible.”

BREAKING FREE FROM STATISTICS

Long before the White House or military command, DiFalco’s life began in circumstances that might have predicted a very different outcome. Raised in a chaotic home, she left at age 15 and relied on the support of teachers, coaches, and a special family who took her in. Their belief gave her the stability to succeed academically and planted the seed for her future in education.

“If it wasn’t for the Dunnings (her foster family), Mr. Iverson, Mr. Maurus, Mr. Stewart, and Mrs. Hershaw (teachers at her school), I would be in a nmuch different place.”

After high school, she enlisted in the Army, gaining discipline and direction while earning the GI Bill that would later support her college education. She completed a degree in English, married, and became a mother to two daughters.

Years later, she felt drawn to teaching. She enrolled at Heritage University, earned a Master in Teaching, and began working in Yakima Valley classrooms. Still, she sensed her impact could grow. She pursued a doctoral degree in educational leadership while simultaneously rejoining the military through the National Guard and officer candidacy training.

Balancing parenting, work, academics, and service tested her resilience but also reinforced her purpose.

After earning her doctorate, she became a principal and later Executive Director of Special Programs for the Grandview School District. Along the way, she joined Heritage’s faculty as an adjunct professor, preparing the next generation of educators — a role she has held for a decade.

“HOW CAN I ADD VALUE?”

Through every chapter — soldier, educator, mother, and White House aide — DiFalco has carried the same guiding question.

“How can I add value?”

Her White House service offered a rare glimpse into the humanity of presidents and their families, moments that reinforced her belief in service and connection. Seeing former presidents and first ladies together without political divisions, she said, restored her faith in collaboration and community.

Her own journey, she reflected, is proof of what happens when others step in with support. The teachers who believed in her changed the trajectory of her life, and she now works to provide that same encouragement to students.

“I get to pay that forward in my work in education,” she said. “Just as I healed parts of my childhood by being a good mom for my girls, I get to help young people heal and grow through learning. Life really does come full circle.”

And so, after global travel, military command, and White House service, DiFalco’s focus remains grounded in Yakima — in classrooms, in mentorship, and in the quiet but powerful work of helping children see what is possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shawnta DiFalco’s experiences as a White House Military Social Aide could fill a book. Here are a few highlights.

WHAT SKILLS DID YOU MOST NEED FOR THIS ROLE?

First, I had to study guest lists and memorize names and positions. Then, to create a good experience for those in attendance at White House events — which is your main job — that might require your conversation skills or your ability to dance. You do what’s needed.

I’ve held famous babies, I’ve watched over Paul Simon’s guitar, and I’ve cleaned a spilled beverage off the Secretary of State’s suit jacket.

WERE THERE GUESTS WITH WHOM YOU HAD A PARTICULARLY INTERESTING CONVERSATION?

Many. After spending time with Michael J. Fox, I shared my admiration for him and said I thought he provided a lot of hope to others. He grabbed my hand and told me he wasn’t half as courageous as those who serve in the military. Talking with former Washington State governor Jay Inslee, I showed him a photo of the Washington State National Guard when we were activated to fight wildfires. He asked how someone from Yakima had gotten all the way to the White House. I started to tell him, and then I had to tell him to sit down because the President was coming, which ended up on the news! Later, when I checked my phone, all my friends had sent me screenshots of me telling the governor to have a seat!

Hands down, the best interaction I experienced was with former President George W. Bush before President Carter’s funeral. He walked in to greet the Clinton family in the inner sanctum prior to the event. He walked around the corner, looked at President Clinton, clapped his hands together, and said, “We’re back in the game, baby!” To which President Clinton laughed heartily.

AND YOU MET ROBERT DE NIRO?

Yes. A fellow guest approached him, insisted they knew each other, and cozied up for a selfie. Bob — that’s what he asked to be called— looked at me after the man walked away and said, “I have no idea who the hell that was!”

HOW ABOUT BILL NYE?

He lived up to his reputation as a nice guy. He was super happy to take a ton of selfies with us in the State Dining Room.

AND MARSHAWN LYNCH, THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS’ BELOVED RUNNING BACK?

Charming and personable. At the end of the evening, he asked me to drive him home and tried to hand me his car keys.

HOW ABOUT BONO, U2 FRONTMAN?

I met him at the Presidential Medal of Freedom event. Even at the White House, famous people are asked for autographs, and people want their attention, and it can be physically and emotionally tiring for them. Military social aids are there to protect their privacy. So I assisted Bono, Denzel Washington, Magic Johnson, and the late great Jane Goodall to a quiet area. I felt very protective of them all.

AND LYNDA CARTER, AKA WONDER WOMAN?

That was awesome! I got to see the iconic “Wonder Woman spin” in the China Room! Some Secret Service guys asked, and she delivered!

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO SPEND TIME WITH THE OBAMAS, THE BUSHES, AND THE CLINTONS ALL IN ONE PLACE?

The interaction between the past presidents is so unique — they’ve had a shared experience unlike any other. They’re no longer under the scrutiny and the pressure of the office, so there’s a lightness and a mutual respect and just a lot of smiles. I was really privileged to be able to see them interact in a way that was so lighthearted after all their responsibilities were behind them.