Angela Kiker
Biography:
Military Branch: Army Dependent (Spouse)
Hometown: Forest City, Pennsylvania
Institution of Higher Learning: Texas A&M University (College Station, TX)
Degree Sought: PhD, Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences
Angela Kiker grew up in a small town and has always had a desire to get out and explore other destinations, cultures and customs. Her desire became a reality after meeting and marrying her husband, Justin Kiker, an Army officer. Together they have traveled and moved to new countries every few years.
Although the new destinations are exciting, it is often difficult spending so much time apart. So during her husband’s last deployment to Iraq, Angela volunteered to join a team of civilians and work and live in Iraq to open the first ever USO center in that country. This experience opened her eyes to the good our soldiers do in war torn countries and allowed her to give back to those who give so much for us each day.
Angela always knew she wanted a career in the tourism field, and having had the great fortune to teach at Troy University for one year, decided to pursue a teaching career combined with her love of travel. Having successfully completed her Master’s degree in communications, she is now pursuing a PhD in travel marketing at Texas A&M University.
Angela hopes to bring her passion for exploring and her experience of travel to over 35 countries in the past 8 years to her future students and clients. She understands the apprehension many people have before traveling to new countries and, based on experiences like that of her time in Iraq, hopes to study ways to ease those fears and make transitions, including military moves, easier on all travelers.
