This is the first in a new series of articles introducing readers to the people who live around them.
Name and occupation:
Sandra Dunn, Maintenance Mechanic, owner of Sandra’s Army Surplus
What brought you to Amarillo:
Daddy was transferred here in 1971
What is a memory you have of the region that is no longer here?
There are several; the air base, downtown, helium plant, Rock Island,
What is an event that occurred during your lifetime that made you who you are today?
That’s a tough one. My first response is being born. Dealing with who I am over the years and trying to fit in as it were to say. There were two things I could do while in high school and that was ROTC and auto mechanics. I did well in those areas and found some balance in my life. They were things I could do that kept people at bay. I enlisted while in high school and was a little concerned about basic training. Turned out it was like living at home, the drill sergeants were just as gripey as my mother.
Not being able to be who I am or at least being able to address the situation when I was younger. This lead to a form of depression which showed up as an aggressive behavior instead of the suicidal behavior many experience. I say that’s what appealed to me about the Army; when I was depressed I could always go to the range and blow something up. With the age of the internet came a ton of information and a way to connect with other people from all over.
The internet helped connect me with others who had very similar experiences to mine and with that information was shared and discovered. I was able to go back to school and get my bachelor degree and later a master’s degree. I credit the masters to several things with one the military G.I. bill, finally being able to be who I am, and the unfortunate demise of Tommy. I felt if I could have been able to learn about Transgender issues at a much younger age I probably would have done better in school and who knows I might have been a doctor.
Where would you spend all of your time if you could?
I’ve heard folks say you either love Amarillo or you don’t and if you don’t you leave as soon as you can otherwise you stay forever. We are a fair ways to anywhere and while some other places seem to have certain advantages there’s just something about living on the plains. Maybe it was my fifth grade teacher; she always talked about when she was growing up in Amarillo. I call Amarillo home. I’ve been back to the area I was born and where several family members live and are buried at; it’s just not home to me.
Do you volunteer on a board?
I sit on the Transgender Education Network of Texas board; I am the founder of the Amarillo Area Transgender Support Group; I am a register Scouter
What are you passionate about?
Transgender rights, water, recycling, renewable energy, my business (Sandra’s Army Surplus sales) to name a few.
What is the strangest thing you have seen in Amarillo?
I don’t see things as strange, interesting for sure.
What is something that you can never seem to finish?
There have been a couple of personal projects that I stopped working on and moved past them. In the last few years I’ve done some things that I didn’t think I’d ever do; get a masters, write a book, become me, run for office and get on national TV (didn’t expect that), sit as a juror on a very public trail, retire, and many more things.
What do you wish Amarillo had?
Wish we still had an air base.
What direction is Amarillo taking?
I’m not sure exactly which route the city is taking; I do feel we are going in a positive direction. A lot of folks ask about the MPEV and I wish there was more private money being utilized. My thoughts are if it’s such a great idea then where’s the investors? We are seeing money being invested in nearby buildings and we are seeing some funding for highways. We are growing.
What else should readers know about you?
That’s a tough one; you’ve asked some pretty direct questions already. When I speak to groups about Transgender issues I talk about finding balance within ourselves. Each of us look for balance on many different areas in our lives and with us it’s a little more complicated. One of the things we deal with is people’s fears. Franklin Roosevelt said it best “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” and this is so true. Why is it we fear the unknown so much? Just because something is different doesn’t make it bad, it’s just different from what we’ve been accustom too.
I am an Army retired Sergeant First Class. My duties included being a contact team chief (maintenance), a senior instructor for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle mechanic course, a senior ammunition handler, and a transportation specialist (trucking). I am a retired Shop Foreman (city Amarillo) and former automotive repair shop owner. I am an Eagle Scout. Best of all I am a Bellydancer.
