Meet the Coast Guard Spouses Turning Education into Opportunity

Life as a Coast Guard spouse can be full of challenges and change: new duty stations, deployments, and balancing family with personal and professional goals, to name a few.

Across the country, spouses are finding ways to pursue their dreams and grow their careers, thanks to education grants from the Coast Guard Foundation. These grants provide the support needed to keep learning and growing, no matter where life takes them.

For Shannon Brown, pursuing a career in nursing has always been a dream. As a Coast Guard spouse, frequent relocations and family responsibilities have made that pursuit a challenge. Now, with a Coast Guard Foundation spouse education grant, she can focus on her nursing coursework at Broward College in Florida and the required clinical training, with less worry of financial stress. With her heart set on becoming a NICU nurse, Shannon is working towards a career caring for vulnerable newborns and supporting families during critical moments.

“This grant allows me to concentrate fully on my education instead of worrying about tuition and books,” she shared.

Catherine Wallfall is pursuing her master’s degree in educational leadership and administration at Frostburg State University in Virginia while continuing to teach full time. As a dedicated educator, she balances the demands of the classroom with her own studies, a challenge made easier with a Coast Guard Foundation spouse education grant.

“Your support lightens the load and allows me to focus on growing as an educator, student, and person,” she shared. “Your investment in my development not only supports my personal goals but also strengthens the impact I can have on my students and community. Thank you for believing in the power of education and in those of us who strive every day to make a difference through it.”

Felicia Carreon is studying dental hygiene at Monterey Peninsula College in California, working toward a career where she can use her skills to help others. A Coast Guard Foundation spouse education grant helps her focus on classes without worrying about the cost of tuition and materials.

“This grant gives me the chance to continue pursuing my education and work toward my career goals while giving back to the Coast Guard community,” she said. “Thank you for your support and for helping students like me continue pursuing our education and dreams.”

With the Coast Guard Foundation’s support, these spouses, and hundreds more like them, are turning education into opportunity while building careers that support themselves and their families through the changes and challenges of Coast Guard life.

With heartfelt thanks to our spouse education supporters, including:

• Delta Dental
• Navy Federal Credit Union

In our cover photo: 2025 spouse education grant recipients: Amanda Yanez Longoria, April Senter, Kiara Ford, Kelly Cambridge, Nastashia Roach.