HERE AT 945, A NATIONAL NONPROFIT CALLED HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS IS HOSTING A FREE VIRTUAL EMPLOYMENT READINESS WORKSHOP ON TUESDAY, AND THEY ARE CURRENTLY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR A SECOND PROGRAM MEANT TO HELP VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO TELL US ALL ABOUT IT. WE SAY, GOOD MORNING NOW TO CHRISTY WARREN, JOINING US LIVE, CHRISTY, IS A TRANSITION CASE MANAGER WITH HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS. THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US. THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. YOU’RE VERY WELCOME. SO FIRST TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND YOUR OVERALL MISSION. ABSOLUTELY. SO HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS WAS FOUNDED IN 2006 AT CAMP LEJEUNE. AND OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT SERVICES TO THE POST 911 VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN VARIOUS WAYS FROM TRANSITION SERVICES. LIKE I’M CHATTING WITH YOU TODAY, UM, OVERALL WELL-BEING, UM, SPORTS AND RECREATION AND, UM, MILITARY RELATION SERVICES. SO MAKING THOSE IMPORTANT CONNECTIONS TO SUPPORT A OVERALL WELL-BEING IN THE COMMUNITY. WONDERFUL. AND YOUR UPCOMING EMPLOYMENT READINESS WORKSHOP. THIS IS A FREE WORKSHOP THAT PEOPLE CAN GET INVOLVED IN. RIGHT NOW’S THE WHEELS THAT CAN GET YOU WHERE YOU’RE GOING. UM, OUR EMPLOYMENT READINESS WORKSHOP IS, IS, UM, GEARED TOWARDS THE IT COMMUNITY. AND, UM, THEY, THEY, UM, WE WILL HAVE A PANEL OF INDIVIDUALS WHO, UM, OUR REALLY SPECIALIZE IN THAT FIELD. SO WE HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL FROM TECH FOR TROOPS. WE HAVE SOMEONE FROM GOOGLE, UM, FORT SURMISE AND ALL OF THEM, OUR EITHER VETERANS THEMSELVES OR THEY ARE MILITARY SPOUSES. UM, SO OUR IT’S GOING TO BE A PANEL STYLE INTERVIEW. ALL OF OUR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ABLE TO JOIN US, UM, WILL UM, THEY SUBMIT QUESTIONS BEFOREHAND. SO THEY ARE ACTUALLY PROVIDING THE FRAMEWORK FOR THIS WORKSHOP. UM, AND THROUGH THAT, UM, WE WILL JUST HAVE A REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW TO REALLY BREAK INTO THE IT AND CYBERSECURITY CAREER FIELD. WHY DID HOPE FOR WARRIORS DECIDE TO FOCUS ON THE FIELD OF IT IN CYBERSECURITY? FOR THIS WORKSHOP? UM, REALLY, WE KIND OF PRIDE OURSELVES IN MEETING OUR CLIENTS WHERE THEY’RE AT. SO, UM, MOST OF OUR CLIENTS THAT COME TO US ARE WANTING TO BREAK INTO THAT CAREER FIELD. THEY SEE, UM, THE POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH. THEY SEE HOW THEIR MILITARY SERVICE TRANSLATES INTO THE, UM, THESE TYPES OF CAREERS. SO, UM, REALLY, IT’S BECAUSE THEY KIND OF ASKED FOR IT AND WE JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO LEARN MORE AND REALLY, UM, UNDERSTAND HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE IT FIELD. GOOD TO KNOW. AND THIS IS A FREE VIRTUAL OPPORTUNITY. SO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE PIEDMONT TRIAD CAN TAKE PART IN THIS TOO. SO THAT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE. AND CHRISTY, WE KNOW YOU HAVE ANOTHER PROGRAM SUPPORTING MILITARY SPOUSES AND CAREGIVERS WITH THEIR CAREERS. SHARE MORE ABOUT THAT. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO, UM, I HAVE THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO MANAGE OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. UM, SO WE HAVE A PROGRAM THAT OFFERS FIVE DIFFERENT SCHOLARSHIPS THAT SUPPORT MILITARY SPOUSES OF COMBAT WOUNDED VETERANS, UM, AND SPOUSES OF THE FALLEN, UM, ANYWHERE FROM THEM GETTING THEIR A CERTIFICATES AND ASSOCIATE’S DEGREES ALL THE WAY THROUGH THEIR MASTER’S AND PH.D. UM, WE HAVE TWO SPECIFIC SCHOLARSHIP TYPES. THAT’S FOR, UM, SPOUSES OF THE FALLEN. UM, AND THOSE PURSUING A DEGREE. AND SOCIAL WORK OR A MENTAL HEALTH RELATED FIELD. THAT’S GREAT. NOW, CHRISTY, IF YOU COULD QUICKLY SHARE WHY DO YOU THINK IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO ASSIST VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO HELP TRANSITION THEM INTO THE CIVILIAN WORKFORCE? I MEAN, THE OBVIOUS ANSWER IS THEY DO SO MUCH, UM, THEY SACRIFICE. SO MUCH FOR OUR FREEDOMS AND FOR OUR COUNTRY. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT IS, YOU KNOW, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO US. UM, BUT ALSO A LOT OF TIMES YOU KIND OF GET TUNNEL VISION INTO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MAY DO IN THE MILITARY. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHERE THEY WERE LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, I DROVE TANKS. WELL, YOU STILL HAD TREMENDOUS LEADERSHIP SKILLS. YOU HAD YOU’VE DONE ALL THESE INCREDIBLE THINGS THAT A COMPANY VALUE. SO WE REALLY TRY TO WORK WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR SERVICE MEMBERS AND OUR SPOUSES. UM, WHO MAY HAVE STRUGGLED WITH EMPLOYMENT BECAUSE THAT’S A HUGE ISSUE IN THE MILITARY SPOUSE, COMMUNITY IS GAINING MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT. SO WE TRY TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO HIGHLIGHT AND SHOW THEM THAT THEY HAVE THESE AMAZING SKILLS AND AND CAN BE REALLY SUCCESSFUL AND BRING A LOT OF VALUE TO A COMPANY. SO THAT’S WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO US. AND THESE ARE GREAT RESOURCES FOR THEM. CHRISTY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING. AND HERE’S THE INFORMATION ON THE SCREEN FOR FOLKS AT HOME, THE FREE EMPLOYMENT READINESS WORKSHOP IS TUESDAY, MARCH 26TH FROM NOON UNTIL ONE. TO REGISTER FOR THIS OR JUST LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MILITARY SPOUSE AND CAREGIVER SCHOLARSHIP AND ALL OF THE RESOURCES THAT HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS PROVIDES,