Captain Adrian Kinsella

Although born in Seattle, Adrian’s parents separated when he was four years old, and he spent most of his childhood in Mexico City with his mother and stepfather.  Growing up in poor neighborhoods with sporadic electricity, no running water and bad public schools prevented Adrian from ever taking his own country for granted. When he was 14, he decided to move back to the United States to find his father, whom he had not seen for 10 years.  After six months, he located his father in Seattle and returned to his hometown to attend high school.

Adrian ended up at Cornell University where he graduated magna cum laude with a BA in philosophy and classics. During his junior year there, he made the decision to join the military upon graduation as a way to pay his country back for the opportunities it had given him.

Adrian was inspired by an interpreter named Mohammad he met in Afghanistan. Mohammad grew up in war-torn Kandahar. Wanting something better for his family and his country, he began working as an interpreter for the coalition forces. When he was just 17, the Taliban killed his father, and he became the sole breadwinner for a family of eight. Adrian is helping Mohammad fulfill his dream of coming to the United States to earn a college degree and provide a new life for his family. Adrian says Mohammad will bring a unique perspective to the United States, just as he will bring a new perspective to the field of law.

After law school at Berkeley, Adrian’s career plans are to put his law degree to work as a judge advocate.