Career Step and NMFA Award Scholarship to Tenacious Military Wife and Mother

    LEHI, UT, February 08, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Career Step, an online provider of career-focused education and professional training, and the National Military Family Association, a nonprofit that works to strengthen and protect military families, are pleased to announce military wife and mother Kathleen Brown as the third recipient of Career Step's full-tuition scholarship in 2016.

"I am excited that as my husband deploys next month, I have a goal, a purpose, and the gift of making forward steps in my career," said Kathleen Brown. "Thank you for this scholarship."

Before becoming a military wife, Mrs. Brown enjoyed a successful career as a registered nurse for the Army, VA and Navy. She had worked hard to put herself through the nursing program at University of Michigan-Flint, graduating with honors, and thrived in the workforce.

"I was given opportunities to do things most RNs never will get to do," she wrote in her scholarship application essay. "Amazing things. Hard things."

However, between the intense demands of mothering two boys born within 14 months of each other and supporting a husband working upwards of 80 hours a week in his residency, Mrs. Brown made the hard choice to put her career on hold and put family first. Even so, she kept her RN license active with continuing education each year, always planning an eventual return to the workforce.

With both sons now in elementary school, Mrs. Brown is ready to resume her career--but discovered her six-year hiatus makes her unemployable as a nurse in their new home state of Maryland.

Instead of going through the expensive process to retrain as an RN, Mrs. Brown sought the Career Step scholarship to apply her extensive healthcare experience and knowledge to Career Step's Professional Medical Coding and Billing program.

"I want options," Mrs. Brown said. "Flexible options, familiar options ... I want to add this to my marketable packet to be able to help my family no matter where we move and what hurdles get in my way. I never give up, and I would like the chance to make a change... I am certain the coding and billing certification will help me find a portable career I don't fear losing."

The program will provide Mrs. Brown with the ICD-10 coding skills she lacks and refresh her knowledge of DRG and CPT codes from past medical office jobs to help her thrive in a successful second career.

"Kathleen Brown exemplifies the tenacity and sacrifice that we see so often from the military spouses with whom we are privileged to work," said Steve Tober, President and CEO of Career Step. "With her impressive medical background and work ethic, we have no doubt she will excel in our program and will go on to do great things for her family. We congratulate Kathleen and are honored to help her fulfill her goal of a flexible, portable career."

Helping military families succeed is a passion for Career Step, which been recognized as a Military Friendly School for the past six years in a row. More than 15,000 military spouses and service members have improved their educations with Career Step's programs, many leveraging Career Step's MyCAA-approved school status. Career Step is an original member of the Department of Defense's Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) program, and in December 2016, Career Step was recognized by the Office of the Secretary of Defense Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) for supporting employee participation in the National Guard and Reserve.

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 first scholarship of 2017. For more information, please visit CareerStep.com/nmfa.

About Career Step
Career Step is an online provider of career-focused education and professional training. The company has trained over 100,000 students for new careers as well as more than 100,000 healthcare professionals through its various continuing education courses. More than 150 colleges and universities nationwide have partnered with Career Step, and the company provides training for several of the largest and most respected healthcare employers in the nation. Career Step 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 driving 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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