Kristin Stephens

Assistant Director of Experiential Learning

Service Member's Branch - Navy

Service Member's Status - Currently Serving - 26 years

What has been your military spouse career/entrepreneur journey so far?

When my husband and I first married, I was still working on my Bachelor's degree. I had switched to the only state university at the time that offered fully online degree completion so that I could finish my degree while moving from AZ to TX to FL to WA. We had our first child the year after we married and he was deployed for two-thirds of our three-year tour. To stay productive while balancing childcare, I worked part-time as a horseback riding instructor and volunteered as a financial caseworker & chair of volunteers while also receiving my financial counseling accreditation.

After moving overseas, I had the opportunity to work as a federal government employee and then as director of a nonprofit, while also getting my graduate certificate in Family Financial Planning. Upon returning to the states, I worked for another nonprofit that provided financial literacy and career readiness education for K-12 students. During our next move, I completed my Master's degree in Human Sciences, taught part-time at an elementary school, and volunteered in the community. I also began working for a contracting company that provided financial counseling and education to service members.

At our next duty station, I continued to volunteer and teach part-time. Our next overseas assignment saw me move to a full-time position as a financial counselor and attain a financial educator certification. During this tour, I had the privilege of serving as president of a nonprofit that provides leadership education to military spouses. I also launched a teen leadership conference there before PCSing back to the states, where I was able to use that experience as a launchpad to found my own 501(c)(3) nonprofit to provide leadership education to teens. Upon our relocation, I was fortunate to be connected with a higher ed faculty position by a fellow military spouse. This summer, I accepted a new role with a state university, where I develop experiential learning programs for students.

I finished my M.S. in Management and Leadership earlier this year and am currently working on my M.Ed. in Education Technology & Instructional Design. I will be beginning a PhD program next year - all courtesy of employee tuition assistance programs.

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Kristin and I have been a Navy spouse for 18 years. My husband and I have two teenage sons and currently live in Hampton Roads, VA. I love travel, photography, building Legos, cuddling with our dogs and cats, being out in nature, attending musicals, reading, and capybaras. I've ran two marathons, conquered my fear of scuba diving while living overseas, trekked the Inca Trail, and climbed Mt Fuji twice.

Tell us about a "typical" day in your professional life.

I currently work as the Assistant Director for Experiential Learning for Old Dominion University's Center for Career and Leadership Development. I work full-time on campus, which means sometimes I am high-fiving our mascot "Big Blue" in the hallway, dodging inflatable balls on the way to the fitness center, or listening to the band practice outside of my office window. I really enjoy getting to work on campus and all of the energy that brings with it! My typical day involves me working with various community and employer partners to facilitate experiential learning opportunities for our students, as well as managing the administrative, logistical, and supervisory aspects that come with my role. On any given day, I am likely in a meeting focusing on developing high-impact practices or fostering career readiness competencies, facilitating a professional development workshop, connecting students with professional mentors, or leading a Career Trek field trip for our students to tour an employer's facility and engage in networking opportunities.

If you've been stationed overseas, how did this affect your career and or business?

We have been stationed overseas twice (repeat assignments to Kadena AB in Okinawa, Japan). At first, I thought being overseas would be a career killer, but I have been fortunate enough to have had some of my best professional experiences happen during these two tours. On our first tour, I served as a USMC Family Readiness Officer and then as Director of Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. On our second tour, I was the Army's Personal Financial Counselor and then President of Okinawa Leadership Seminar. Each of these opportunities saw me grow exponentially in my experience and skills, which I am still leveraging and utilizing in my career today.

What has been your biggest military spouse career struggle and how did you overcome it?

Our frequent moves have definitely been the hardest for me. There have been times when I missed out on promotions because of an upcoming relocation, and trying to combine all of the diverse employment experience I have from the past 18 years into a reasonable resume in terms of length and "readability", while also effectively conveying what I can bring to an organization, can be quite challenging. It is also emotionally difficult to leave a position/organization that I am passionate about, feel competent in, and have developed strong working relationships with colleagues. While new adventures and opportunities are exciting, this aspect can make them bittersweet.

What role did mentors and sponsors play in your journey?

Mentors have played a huge part in my military spouse journey AND my career journey. I have been extremely lucky to have some amazing spouse mentors, each of whom has helped me grow in different areas and been an incredible source of motivation and support. They've helped me improve in areas of weakness, pushed me to achieve challenging things, and even connected me with employment opportunities. If I had not experienced their mentorship, I am quite certain I wouldn't be where I am today.

How does your career path differ from what you imagined for yourself?

When I graduated high school, my plan was to become a high school teacher. I ended up transferring from my in-person university to an online university so that I could finish my BS while my husband moved around in flight school. At the time, an education degree wasn't an option, so I ended up getting my degree in Hospitality Management. I haven't worked in that industry since getting my degree, but it did provide me with a good foundation in business, event planning, and customer service.

My career path hasn't really been a path at all, but more of a dart board. The board itself has stayed education-focused, but it's been a bit more free-flowing than a steady, linear track. I have worked in financial education and counseling, nonprofit management, taught in alternative education and homeschool programs, and am now working in higher education. I ended up becoming an accredited financial counselor (I was a FINRA Military Spouse Fellow) and getting my MS in Human Sciences/Financial Planning. I received my second MS in Management & Leadership this summer and am planning on returning to school in 2025 to pursue an M.Ed. Due to our frequent moves, I never received my formal licensure as a teacher, yet I have still been able to successfully stay within the realm of what I always wanted to do - empower others through education.

How did military life (PCSing, deployments, trainings, etc) factor into your career decisions?

Deployments definitely had an impact on my career decisions when our children were young. At some duty stations with a higher op-tempo, I opted for part-time, remote, and volunteer work to balance childcare needs. We were lucky to be in a position where we didn't have to rely on my income to make ends meet, so I focused on finding positions that provided the flexibility I wanted and the professional fulfillment I needed. Frequent PCSing also significantly impacted my ability to promote or take on projects, so I feel like my career took a little longer to get going than if I had been living a non-military lifestyle.

Have you ever had to geo-bach due to your career/entrepreneurship?

What resources have you found to be useful in your career/entrepreneur journey?

Finding like-minded spouses (mentors!) to connect with. Our fellow spouses hold a wealth of knowledge and experience and tend to be extraordinarily helpful and innovative. I also took advantage of volunteer opportunities at each of our duty stations - these experiences not only helped me connect with the community, but some of them helped me develop professionally as well. I also utilized resources that were available to me - I was able to use the original MyCAA program and Post 9/11 GI Bill to help fund my first Master's degree and NMFA's FINRA fellowship to cover my AFC certification fees.

Final word: what are your top tips for other military spouses about navigating a career within the military lifestyle?

Find your "why" and be willing to think outside of the box when it comes to your career. Sometimes the job you want may not be available at the right time or in the right location, but by being open to exploring new areas, you can develop different skills that are an asset in your future career. I have a diverse background because of my husband's Navy career, which has equipped me with knowledge and experience I would not have had if I'd stayed put in one job or location. I am a more adaptable, agile, and innovative professional because of the pivots and diversity in my career.

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