Meet Laura Tovar, Air Force Mentor

Volunteers with MSAN are the embodiment of the core values of supporting, empowering and educating military spouses. Additionally, they display their ability to be versatile with them having to balance their life along with their volunteering with MSAN. 

For this edition of Volunteer Spotlight we introduce Laura Tovar. Laura is an Air Force mentor with MSAN and has over 10 years of experience and her passion is to reduce the stress that military spouses on a daily basis. 

How long have you been a part of MSAN?

For over a year as a Mentor however I have been following all social media pages for over 5 years. 

What led you to MSAN? 

My experiences as a Military Spouse led me to want to help other spouses. I am now a GS Civilian at the base we are stationed at and I have learned that many spouses are not aware of the opportunities and services available to spouses. I was one of those and now I want to help other spouses be aware and educated of the opportunities that the Military offers to their families. 

Seeing that you were born and raised in California, how much of an adjustment was military life to you? 

The biggest adjustment for me was to leave my job and have to look for a different job. 

What is your favorite/least favorite part about life in the military? 

Favorite part is traveling and getting the opportunity to live in places I never would have thought to live in and be able to experience this with my husband and children. My least favorite part is leaving my job every time we move and having to adjust to a new place, look for a job, etc.  

How helpful is the HUB? Why? 

Very helpful, I am able to learn what other bases do and get to network with other spouses. 

What is most important to you as a mentor? 

To be able to lessen the stress that spouses may have during transitions, and difficult situations that can happen while in the military. 

What have you learned as a mentor? 

I have learned that as a military spouse my experience is no more and no less than anyone else's but it is worth sharing and this is the same for all other spouses therefore the least I can do is offer my ear to listen. 

What are some short and long term deals you have for yourself? 

Short term, start planning for my husband's retirement, less than 5 years away and long term for me will be to complete my EdD in Educational Leadership. 

How do you balance mentorship with your personal life? 

I set boundaries because I have a family and a full time job. I usually dedicate 3-5 hours a week for mentorship.

At MSAN, Tony Castillo serves as the Communications Manager and as a military brat is passionate about serving others in need. Tony is a recent graduate from Texas A&M with a degree in communications and has committed to support the community he grew up with.