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Seven years ago, Mercedes Acu帽a鈥攎ilitary spouse and mother of three鈥攅arned the Adult Learner of the Year Award from the American Council of Education. It was a prestigious honor accepted by Acu帽a at ACE鈥檚 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.; for the Excelsior student and now alum, it augmented an education that was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

It was also just a stop on a continuously shifting journey, and one that continues to provide twists and turns for the former student.

鈥淚t鈥檚 had its ups and downs, but I鈥檓 glad I鈥檓 here now,鈥� says Acu帽a, now living in Camp Humphreys, South Korea. Working as a SHARP (Sexual Harassment, Assault Response, and Prevention) instructor, she teaches soldiers and civilians how to become victim advocates, and has been doing the work for five years鈥攊n several places: Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where she lived from 2010 to 2015; Fort Lee, Virginia, until March 2018; then to her current home in South Korea.

And all this for a student whose nine-year path to a bachelor鈥檚 degree was executed from locales in New York, Hawaii, and Germany. She鈥檚 now in a vocation that speaks to her passion: helping people. As for the position, it鈥檚 not exactly what she intended when she earned her Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts (with a concentration in Criminal Justice) from Excelsior in 2008, but it鈥檚 a career that was enabled by her Excelsior experience.

鈥淚t certainly helps open more doors for you when you have an education,鈥� says Acu帽a. 鈥淎s a military spouse, it鈥檚 helped having the degrees because you鈥檙e always on the move鈥攁nd you have to reinvent yourself every single time. When employers [in every new stop] see that you have a degree, it helps.鈥�

Since leaving Excelsior, Acu帽a earned a master鈥檚 in conflict and negotiation management, which has helped solidify her current role as a SHARP instructor working with families in crisis situations. Her work toward her degrees showed that she has the drive and initiative to complete whatever tasks are put in front of her.

鈥淭hose degrees really helped me understand the intricacies of human behavior and how we all interact with each other,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hat I mainly deal with now is trauma and how soldiers and civilians can recognize some behaviors to attribute to a traumatic experience. The education I received [through Excelsior] helped me learn how to talk to people about things they don鈥檛 necessarily want to talk about.鈥�

As for Acu帽a she鈥檚 now talking about settling into her current South Korean home. Her youngest daughter, Gianna, will soon join her; and she has designs on pursuing her doctorate, but isn鈥檛 certain on a concentration. For now, she appreciates the ongoing discovery her travels have afforded her, and can鈥檛 wait to see what the future holds.

鈥淭he journey has been awesome, and I wouldn鈥檛 change it for the world,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 living in a foreign country, now working with a demographic that I love working with.鈥�

Tips for military spouses from Mercedes Acu帽a

听Put yourself out there

When you arrive in a new place, it can be tough to assimilate and adjust to your new locale. Acu帽a鈥檚 solution to accelerating this process? Dive right in. 鈥淚t was mainly me putting myself out there, ready to volunteer or invest time in learning new skills sets,鈥� she says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e only somewhere for as long as your spouse is going to be there, and you have to find something about yourself to sell. It鈥檚 all about timing.鈥�

听Don鈥檛 fear reinvention

At times, transferring from one locale to another means leaving a career鈥攁nd possibly all the training that goes with it鈥攂ehind. But education can be the great equalizer, and Acu帽a recommends military spouses shouldn鈥檛 be afraid to take their intelligence and, if necessary, head in another direction. 鈥淎s a military spouse, we have to reinvent ourselves every time [we relocate]. If you continue on with your education, it will open doors.鈥�

听Use your military resources

Wherever Acu帽a鈥檚 travels have taken her and her family, she鈥檚 been sure to use the resources鈥攕uch as Army Community Service鈥攁vailable through her service affiliation. She directs others to do the same. 鈥淲e advise military spouses to look for the opportunities and resources that are out there, and use them. There are a lot out there鈥攂ut you have to put yourself out there to discover what you want.鈥�

听Enjoy the journey

College courses. Juggling family and work. Moving from place to place. It can all be exhausting, but Acu帽a wouldn鈥檛 have it any other way. The life of a military spouse can be a trying endeavor, but it鈥檚 an exercise to be savored. 鈥淓njoy the journey,鈥� she says. 鈥淎s military spouses, we sacrifice so much, so be sure to think about what you want to do in the end.鈥�

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