Successful Transitioning Stories By Dr. Julie Ducharme www.synergylearninginstitute.org
I have had the opportunity this year to work with Niurka Castaneda during our She Talks speaking tour and listen to her story, love for our country, her militaryservice, and her new business ventures as a transitioning veteran. It is inspiring and I just had to share her journey. Niurka is a single mom a Vetpreneur, a worldtraveler and a TV host, author, and course creator. “I grew up in Cuba and came from a family of entrepreneurs and artists. My grandfather was a poet, my parents are Cuban entrepreneurs. They were very resourceful people, and therefore I believe I have been so enterprising and artistic”.
Start preparing early for your transition: • Put your finances in order, save enough money to live comfortable for at least 6 months, payout any debts you have. • Clean your credit and raise your credit score. • Invest in your future by using your BAH to secure real estate during your service time and build up your equity. • Renew or obtain a security clearance before transitioning out. • Have full copies of your medical records, dd214, awards, etc. you will need them. • Translate your military skills and job duties to create a resume. Mentality
“I felt the call to serve my new home a year after arriving to the U.S. I joined the Army to serve this great country for the next 20 plus years. The miliary offered me many new experiences and I learned skills like resilience, flexibility, self-motivation, determination, self-discipline, goal setting and risk tolerances”.
• Stay humble, keep an open mind, listen, learn, adjust as necessary, and take advantage of every opportunity to drive on.
“Entrepreneurship was my way to find a new identity after transitioning from military and I did this by building a product and brand out of a heart shaped bright red umbrella. It was a defining moment for me because it showed me, I wasn’t limited to just being a veteran, yes, I was a veteran but so much more. I also learned it does take a village to build a business from the ground up and you cannot build it on an island by yourself. I learned to grow and be successful, I must have the right environment and be surrounded by the right people to bring out the best in me”.
• When you apply for a job or network, don’t sell your military rank. Sell your skills and the impact that you have made during your service.
“As a female veteran entrepreneur, I realized that my story could help others that are facing the same kinds of issues. Because I understand the difficulty of transitioning out of the military as a female, I share my story on so many venues like my podcast and TV series to help others who might be going through the same struggles I did. Here are some of the tips that really helped me successfully transition”:
46 WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / JULY 2022
• Wherever you choose to transition to a job or into a business, networking is key. Remember, it’s not what you know, or where you have been; it’s who you know, so keep expanding your network.
• Leverage your GI-Bill benefits to explore a career you want to work or as another tool to build up your business, don’t use it as another paycheck, to just get by. • Choose the classes that are interesting and useful for your end goal • Choose professors that really care to teach and that have theprofessional experience to talk about the topic they are teaching. To get education from Dr. Tiffany click link below https://drtiffanytajiri.com/meet-dr-tiffany/ To watch the Dr. Tiffany live interview click the link below https://youtu.be/oeWm4Oa3keA For more help on active duty transition, education, and more click the link below www.synergylearninginstitute.org
