These days, Joselin has no reason to hide any part of who she is.
It was a different story during her 10 years serving the country in the United States military.
"I didn't want to be the butt of everyone's jokes. I didn't want to be part of everyone’s whispers and the side eyes and pointed fingers," she said.
Joselin enlisted at age 18, serving four years as a lance corporal in the Marine Corp and six years as a tech sergeant in the Air Force.
In 2008, the Northeast Ohio native left to make the transition from male to female, a process that was banned at the time.
Thursday, nearly a year of research later, Carter said the ban was lifted immediately.
"Because it's the right thing to do, and it's another step in ensuring that we continue to recruit and retain the most qualified people," Carter said.
Under the new policy, by Oct. 1, transgender troops already serving should be able to receive medical care and begin formally changing their gender identifications in the Pentagon's personnel system.
But would it have made a difference for Joselin? Would she have stayed in the military?
She hesitated only for a second before answering.
"No. The culture has to change. And the culture has to change a lot and now it’s being forced on everyone," she said.
But her hope is that it does change eventually and that change can open the door to thousands of people who are ready to be seen, heard and put to work.
"We're just tired of being silent and invisible. We want to be ourselves and out in the open and we want to do what we're good at."
