Lieutenant Commander Papadakos grew up in central North Carolina and attended Belmont University in Nashville, TN. While attending Belmont’s nursing school, she was a midshipman of Vanderbilt University’s Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps.

Following graduation and commissioning, she reported as a registered nurse to her first duty station, Naval Medical Center San Diego (2012-2015). After completing the nurse residency program, she was assigned as a staff nurse in the Perinatal Specialty Care Unit. Recognizing her passion for obstetrics, she transferred to the Labor and Delivery unit and earned national certification in Inpatient Obstetric Nursing (RNC-OB).

In 2015, LCDR Papadakos received orders to Naval Hospital Guam. She reported as a Labor and Delivery nurse for the Mother Baby Unit. During her tour in Guam, she served as charge nurse, Assistant Department Head, and eventually the Department Head for the Mother Baby Unit. She earned national certification in Electronic Fetal Monitoring (C-EFM) and was selected for the Duty Under Instruction (DUINS) program.

In 2018, LCDR Papadakos reported to San Diego for Duty Under Instruction to complete a Maternal/Child Clinical Nurse Specialist program. During her studies, she published a journal article on the role of artificial intelligence in nursing and earned a Master of Science in Nursing in Family/Individual Health and Nursing Education from Point Loma Nazarene University.
After successful completion of the program, LCDR Papadakos returned to Guam and served as the Maternal/Child CNS at Naval Medicine Readiness and Training Command Guam.

In 2023, she received orders to Naval Medical Readiness Training Command Fort Belvoir, where she is currently serving as Maternal Infant Care Center Department Chief at Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center. LCDR Papadakos maintains instructor status for both Intermediate Fetal Monitoring and Neonatal Resuscitation Programs.

LCDR Papadakos’ personal decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (two awards), Joint Service Achievement Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards).