When I realized that I was into my second week of spending my nights curled up in the back of a '91 Ford Escort hatchback, parked just a stone's throw away from the infamous Waimea Bay on the North Shore of Oahu, I decided that I needed to somehow drastically change my life. Though I had been working a new job as a cook at a local hotel, I had nothing tangible to my name and no concrete roof over my head. After many grueling years of working as a low paid cook, I devised a plan to completely change the direction of my life. This plan consisted of changing my career, focusing on learning new skill sets, and most importantly getting the education that I needed to make monumental changes. Fast forward almost an entire decade, and I have now served 8 years in the US Coast Guard, started a real education, and found a career …show more content…
The biggest hurdle that I have overcome in the past was figuring out how to get a shot at an education without burying myself in debt. I joined the military, and over the course of my 8 year contract I gained valuable teamwork, technical, leadership, and interpersonal skills. Most importantly, I earned 3 years of GI Bill benefits that would pay me to get educated. After serving as an electrician, I started taking college courses in electrical theory, which did not interest or motivate me in the least. It was through curiosity that I started taking online courses to learn to code basic HTML and CSS. When I took my first intro to programming Computer Science course, I was absolutely hooked and intrigued by taking an idea, and coding it into something functional. Over the summer of 2016 I took a
Veterans face many challenges when transitioning from the service. Those that have served shift from a fairly structured and ridged way of life to the less structured and more chaotic civilian life. Many veterans, especially those that have been in combat or have had to personally deal with catastrophic situations, have a very hard time adjusting and often require significant levels of assistance. Sadly many veterans fail to get help, either because they do not wish to appear weak or they are simply turned away.
FACTS: The most effective programs for homeless and at-risk veterans are community-based, nonprofit, “veterans helping veterans” groups. Programs that work best feature transitional housing, with the camaraderie of living in structured, substance-free environments with fellow veterans who are succeeding at bettering themselves.
Several years later I had come to realize that the path I had chosen was going to be a long drug out process with no gratification, and no possible chance to better my self. Even though I was old enough to work now, my employments opportunities that were given to me did not last long. My relentless despise for authority had left me with termination from nearly every occupation that I had found. I soon realized that I was running out of options, as well as sustainable cash, and that I would need to choose a brand new path that would carry me out for the rest of my life.
Serving the United States Military comes with many responsibilities as well as pressure and accountability. However, the military isn’t for everyone, but it offers so much for those who serve. One thing that must be known and dealt with is that this career could be a life threatening one, and there are many obstacles one must go through beforehand.
The thought of college is often overwhelming and fills a person’s head full of anxiety and stress. If you look back on what you have accomplished up to this point in your life this large step in life suddenly seems much smaller. I have been going to the same small private school all my life so many people could argue that I have been sheltered for most of my life or see the world through “tunnel vision.” Now all of this is entirely true, but throughout my high school years I have gradually become more of the person who I am today. For example, my junior year English teacher assigned my class the daunting task of a junior thesis. At first I thought this assignment was simply busy work and had no meaning to it, but as I began to pick a topic and research it I began to discover a possible
As World War II was winding down, it became evident, that the approximately 16 million soldiers returning home from war would require some type of benefits package to avoid a possible post-war depression on the home front. While this may not have been an immediate concern of the returning soldiers, congress took it upon themselves to create the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, what many refer to as the GI Bill of Rights. On the 22nd of June 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the bill into law, which included 10 significant parts. The American Legion (2013) displays them as followed:
First off Congrats on the promotion to a very distinguished rank, part of the elite officers of the Armed Forces. I know it is well deserved. I appreciate the opportunity I was bestowed to meet you and also having my spouse be a part of your leadership team. I wish the best for you and your family as you pursue the next leg of your military
The GI Bill gave all returning veterans the freedom and opportunities that non-veterans had, and provided them with many benefits needed to live the American dream. The GI Bill gave the United States veterans education. It also provided VA hospitals with veteran benefits. The law also made a possible loan of billions of dollars to purchase homes for millions of veterans.The G.I Bill gave opportunity to pursue formal education which a lot of veterans did since education was pretty much paid for. In the short run, many colleges and universities were seriously jeopardized. In the late 1940's veterans bought homes in many of the new suburbs for $8,000 with no down payment required.
I think the GI bill has become stronger over time. I think the original GI bill was an attempted on the United States to avoid a potential economic crisis by providing the millions of Veterans that would be returning home from war with the services they deserved. Before the original GI bill access to home ownership and higher education was mainly limited to rich people but with the passing of the GI bill many people at different social economic backgrounds now had access to obtain education and buy a home. Not only did this effected Veterans on a micro level but it also helped the economy on a macro level. As discussed in class at the peak of the original GI bill Veterans accounted for 49% of college enrollment and the funds received by
The U.S Department Veteran’s Affairs (VA) provides a wide range of benefits for our service members, veterans and their families. Some of these benefits include but are not limited to include compensation, disability, education, and home loans. Throughout this paper I will discuss these benefits and the eligibility required to receive them. Eligibility for most VA benefits is based on type of discharge received through the military which is normally all discharges under other than dishonorable conditions.
The GI Bill was created to help the veterans of World War II. The GI provided low-interest mortgages and low or no cost for college tuition. The lives of many people changed when the GI Bill took place. One veteran named Les Faulk had graduated from High School and went to the army as the Seventh Army infantryman to over throw the Nazi. He had left Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania thinking he would come back from the war, back to his wife, and his old job caddy for a local golf course and racking balls at a poolroom.
Joining the military was astonishing in very many aspects in my life and it truly molded me into who I am today. I will genuinely say that the most important people in my life are my mother and father. I am not a parent myself but I have had years to only imagine how tough parenting can be; especially when raising three stubborn boys. My mother and father are very open minded and kind hearted to everyone regardless of who they are. I will be honest here and say that I may not have been as grateful as I should have been when I was a younger kid, but that’s just life. When you are younger, everything is very simple and do not realize the little things in life. I had no other worries except for, “What’s for dinner?”. The military made me realize how much I appreciated and very much needed my loved ones. Travelling far away to Marine Corps Recruiting Depot, San Diego California and starting my very own journey was one of the toughest decisions at that time to make for myself.
In the United States, soldiers are currently returning home from war broken and scarred. While some physical wounds are clearly visible others are often hidden/invisible to the naked eye, but men and women proudly wear these wounds as a badge of courage and honor for protecting our nation. These men and women come home rightfully expecting help, assistance and care and get hit with the reality of poor care from the Veteran Health Administration and Department of Defense.
My dream of becoming a computer engineer shattered. I felt lost during those times. I went on a binder by not doing my best or living up to the potentials that I had in me. I reach some of the goals that I set for myself, but there was always that void within me. When High School
Starting your journey will help you in living your life in the way that you always wanted to. No matter what it is that you want to change be it your job, your location or something else, you are on the way to changing the rest of your