I’m a college student at Bowling Green State University, a tutor at my university and a member of the Ohio National Guard. I enlisted in the Ohio National Guard at the age of 17 and was deployed to a combat zone overseas at the age of 19. During this experience, I continued college classes; I’m currently on pace to graduate with my bachelor’s degree in 3 years. I will accomplish this goal because I’ve transferred prior credits and taken 18 credits for the past 3 semesters; I will continue to do so for the next two.
I have career aspirations of working in federal law enforcement. I recently completed an internship with the Cincinnati Police Department. This experience was enlightening and introduced me to a variety of aspects in law enforcement. I was able to operate the police department’s social media, observe officers during ride-alongs, observe tours of different areas and conduct interviews. I really enjoyed the experience. Going forward, I will use this experience to my advantage. I intend to begin applying with some local law enforcement agencies soon. My ultimate goal is to work in the Federal Bureau of Investigation or a federal task force, but I can’t do that until the age of 23. I believe a local law enforcement agency is the best way to reach that goal while maintaining financial stability.
My current budget is sort of complex. I currently receive a few different scholarships. I receive the Ohio National Guard Scholarship; this covers any in-state tuition. The current tuition for my university is $6,962 per semester. I also receive the Federal Pell Grant ($1,632 per semester), Federal Work Study ($1,000 per semester) and the Thompson Military scholarship ($2,250 per semester). For the Thompson Military scholarship, I am required to complete 10 approved volunteer hours per semester. This should be relatively easy as I already volunteer at a few places, such as the SPCA(Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). With this said, I optionally live off campus due to the high cost. I save about $2000 per semester by doing this. I currently pay $732 per month for my apartment that I share with 3 roomates. I also have to budget for food, hygiene, travel, car insurance and my phone bill. This amounts to about $800 per month. Additionally, I have a payment of about $300 per semester for books. I go to school 3 hours away from my National Guard Drill unit and typically have to travel back on a monthly basis, this makes travel expenses high.
Fortunately, I do have a few forms of income. I work as a tutor for my university. This doesn’t pay well but is rewarding and I enjoy it. I will work less than 10 hours per week for this tutor position. I also receive monthly pay for drill and the G.I bill from the military. Monthly drill pay is about $250 and I’m paid about $800 per month from the G.I bill during the academic year. Lastly, I’m a motivated athlete. I work out consistently, this includes running, lifting and martial arts. I believe this work ethic could be helpful in my desired career field. I have a lot of financial considerations to account for and would appreciate any financial assistance During the pursuit of my career goals.