by Hope
I have hinted at the fact that Sea Cadet’s next chapter is planned out (and will include health insurance!) As he finishes his Advanced EMT certification and tests for the national registry this July, he wasn’t quite ready to make the leap into more schooling or commit to a career somewhere.
He was presented with the opportunity to work for a county about an hour from us and they would pay for his Paramedics school. I thought that was the direction he was going to go, but they required a 5 year commitment and he wasn’t ready for that.
But I think we, and by we, I mean HE has made a fantastic choice for the next year of his life…He will be serving with FEMA Corps beginning August 6th! And I couldn’t be more proud.
Why FEMA Corps?
It is the perfect combination of professional development for my service oriented son (EMT and Volunteer Firefighter) and financially stabilizing opportunity. They will cover his living expenses and provide healthcare as well as a bi-weekly allowance.
After he serves he will be eligible for the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award which will help him continue his education. His ultimate goal is to become a PA, but I believe he’s going to go a round about way to get there as he has so many other interests. And I fully support him trying everything!
We are planning now for this next phase of his life from the financial standpoint. He will not have any education debt, but we do have to deal with the latest medical emergency bills. And he will still have a phone bill and car insurance, so we are brainstorming on how to minimize all of this and save for it now since his income will be minimal.
Have you or did anyone you know serve with AmeriCorps or the Peace Corp? How was their experience? Any guiding words here?
Hope is a creative, solutions-focused business manager helping clients grow their business and work more efficiently by leveraging expertise in project management, digital marketing, & tech solutions. She’s recently become an empty nester as her 5 foster/adoptive kids have spread their wings. She lives with her 5 dogs in a small town in NE Georgia and prefers the mountains to the beaches any day. She struggles with the travel bug and is doing her best to help each of her kids as their finish schooling and become independent (but it’s hard!) She has run her own consulting company for almost twenty years! Hope began sharing her journey with the BAD community in the Spring of 2015 and feels like she has finally in a place to really focus on making wise financial decisions.
