Career Step and National Military Family Association Celebrate Military Spouse Appreciation Day with Scholarship

    LEHI, UT, May 07, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- In honor of Military Spouse Appreciation Day today, Career Step, an online provider of career-focused education and corporate training, and the National Military Family Association, a nonprofit that works to strengthen and protect military families, are pleased to announce Maritza Aquino as the second full-tuition scholarship recipient of 2016.

"Being awarded this scholarship by Career Step, is truly a life changing event, after the hardships my husband and I endured throughout the last few years," said Maritza Aquino. "Words can't convey my gratitude. Thank you Career Step for helping my family and I be able to move forward in a positive direction."

As a stay-at-home mother, Ms. Aquino has taught her children to serve in the community and help others, but she said she wants to set an example for her daughter to be self-sufficient.
Ms. Aquino is the first high-school graduate in her family, and she said she and her husband want to set educational standards for their children to help their family avoid the cycle of generational poverty.

"Without an education that furnishes a career, it is complicated to do that," she said. "I'm looking at right now as a pivotal age for not only them but for myself as well... A certification or degree gives one the ability to speak from experience and lead as opposed to giving advice based off of what could have been."

After her youngest child died last year, Ms. Aquino had to withdraw from a pharmacy technician program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Now that her husband is about to deploy to the Middle East and her children are all in school, Ms. Aquino said the time is right for her to focus on herself and her education.

"This scholarship will provide me with the opportunity to show my children that regardless of what adversity you are presented with, you still have to push forward and accomplish your goals," Ms. Aquino wrote in her scholarship application. "Financial hardships aren't an excuse for not furthering your education."

Ms. Aquino will get to accomplish her goal with Career Step's Pharmacy Technician program, which will equip her with the skills and experience to start a rewarding career that can transfer with her family wherever her husband is assigned.

"Military spouses like Maritza are an inspiration, showing courage and determination no matter what difficulties life brings," said Steve Tober, President and CEO of Career Step. "It is an honor for us at Career Step to help her and so many others further their educational goals and create opportunities for their families. We congratulate Maritza and look forward to seeing her thrive as she finally fulfills her goal of becoming a pharmacy technician."

Career Step is committed to helping military families succeed. More than 15,000 military spouses and service members have trained with Career Step, and Career Step has been recognized as a Military Friendly School for the past five years in a row. Career Step is also a MyCAA-approved school and an original member of the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) program run through the Department of Defense.

Career Step and the National Military Family Association award one full tuition scholarship each quarter to a spouse of a service member who is either on active duty or is a veteran of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, or National Guard. Applications are currently being accepted for the third scholarship of 2016. For more information, please visit CareerStep.com/nmfa.

About Career Step
Career Step is an online provider of career-focused education and corporate training. The company has trained over 100,000 students for new careers, has more than 150 partnerships with colleges and universities nationwide, offers a variety of continuing education courses for healthcare professionals and has educated more than 8,000 health information professionals through its Corporate Training Division. Career Step provides training for several of the largest and most respected healthcare employers in the nation and is committed to helping students and practicing healthcare professionals alike gain the skills they need to be successful in the workplace--improving lives, advancing careers and bettering business results through education. More information can be found at http://www.careerstep.com or 1-800-246-7836.

About National Military Family Association
The National Military Family Association is the leading nonprofit dedicated to serving the families who stand behind the uniform. Since 1969, NMFA has worked to strengthen and protect millions of families through its advocacy and programs. They provide spouse scholarships, camps for military kids, and retreats for families reconnecting after deployment and for the families of the wounded, ill, or injured. NMFA serves the families of the currently serving, retired, wounded or fallen members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Commissioned Corps of the USPHS and NOAA. To get involved or to learn more, visit http://www.MilitaryFamily.org.

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