Navy
Michelle Mance
NAS Whidbey
I am currently a military spouse attorney working at a small law firm in Anacortes, Washington. My husband of 10 years (6 while in the military) is active duty Navy. In the past year, my husband returned home from his second deployment, I graduated law school with honors, we PCS’d to Whidbey Island from San Diego three days after graduation, I took and passed the Washington State Bar exam, I started my first lawyer job and I rounded off the year by running my first marathon (the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington DC). I am the mom to the most amazing 8 year old boy and am loving living among the trees up here in the Pacific Northwest enjoying the most family time we’ve gotten in a long time!
I would want to help other military spouses to grow and thrive in whatever season of life they may be in at this moment. Military spouses are some of the most incredible, spunky, hard-working, devoted, and amazing people and it would be an honor to represent them as the MSOY! Read more about Michelle here!
Linsday Bradford
NS Newport
Companies tend to underestimate the contribution military spouses can make, no matter how short a time they may have in a given area. I want to change this opinion of businesses who only see the “moving date” when they meet a military spouse. Military spouses deserve the opportunity to showcase the amazing talents that they can provide a company. I guarantee if a spouse were given the opportunity with the right job, they would be one of, if not the, most passionate and hardest working employees in their workplace, never giving less than 100%. I understand the limitations our transient lifestyle place on us, but in this day and age there are many jobs that could be executed via remote access, teleconferencing, or video conferencing. I would love to establish or work for an advocacy group that educates companies about the superior talents spouses encompass and promotes the creation of this type of job opportunity. Doing so could allow a greater number of military spouses to have a career, while still meeting their familial obligations, and at the same time provide a more diverse and robust workforce to local and national businesses. Read more about Lindsay here!
M. Gabriela Failing
Naval Hospital Beaufort
I would love to develop a pilot program to provide targeted transition assistance to spouses and military children. As military families, we have a variety of resources available to us. However, these are highly structured and specific so lots of families find it cumbersome to navigate. I envision something a bit more person-driven. Ideally, a strong volunteer program that focuses on short-term resources to assist in identifying the standard things we need when moving, like housing and school information, but also provides individualized assistance with long-term goals. My view is that when spouses and children have strong ties to their communities, they find it easier to manage changes and unpredictable life events. Many spouses feel their careers and goals must come secondary and, as a result of this, many pause their own aspirations I would love changing that myth. We can have it all; not all at the same time, but we can certainly be parents, supportive spouses, and professionals. Careful planning and focused decision-making is key, and I would love to guide others to see and live this. Read more about Gabriela here!
