How Advocacy Created a Wave of Opportunity for One Military Spouse
“Every set of PCS orders my husband received meant starting over: new state, new job market, and a resume that, on paper, looked like a series of short stints instead of the growth and resilience it actually represented. Employers see the gaps and moves, but they don’t always see the adaptability, leadership, and grit it takes to build a career around someone else’s orders.”
– Marcela Fernandes, Air Force Veteran and Military Spouse
After years of PCS moves that repeatedly forced her to restart her career, Air Force veteran and military spouse Marcela Fernandes knew she needed a different approach. While she found employment after relocations by leveraging her active security clearance, maintaining long-term career momentum remained a challenge.
“I started seeing the struggles of military spouse employment firsthand,” Marcela explained. “And began leaning into the military spouse community instead of trying to navigate it alone.”
Looking for guidance from people who understood the realities of military-connected employment, Marcela turned to Hiring Our Heroes (HOH).
Anchoring Through Community
Eager to find meaningful work that leveraged her skills and offered a sense of career continuity despite military life, Marcela attended Amplify, an intensive career development program tailored for military spouses. For Marcela, Amplify was more than a standard workshop. It created an empowering environment, surrounding her with a community of individuals who understood her situation while introducing her to a wide range of resources. Most importantly, it offered individualized guidance that restored her confidence when she needed it most.
“Amplify came at a moment when I was deep in a rejection slump,” Marcela admitted. “It gave me the motivation to keep going instead of giving up.”
Reinvigorated, Marcela did what many military-connected individuals do: she jumped in to not only solve her own career dilemma but help others along the way.
She joined the Military Spouse Professional Network (MSPN), dedicating her time to volunteering in community engagement before ultimately stepping up as a co-lead. Her commitment to advocacy took her to the Military Spouse Employment Summit in Washington, D.C., where she gained a broader perspective on the systemic challenges military spouses face nationwide, as well as the ongoing initiatives designed to close those employment gaps. She consistently showed up for events and workshops, even hosting many as an MSPN lead, to help other spouses navigate the same situations she once faced alone.
“Through all of that, I gained real relationships and mentorships,” Marcela shared. “Those opportunities opened doors to a network I didn’t know I needed until I had it.”
The Ripple Effect
When Marcela found herself navigating another job search, she turned to the network she had spent years building through HOH programs, events, and military spouse advocacy work.
“After months of job searching yet again, I attended the HOH San Antonio Talent Invitational,” Marcela said. “Just days after the event, I received an email from an HOH Military Spouse Career Connector about an opportunity with the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.”
Given her background and leadership experience, Marcela recognized the role as a great fit, but past rejections made it hard to feel hopeful. With the encouragement and guidance of the HOH military spouse team, she pushed past her hesitation, applied, successfully interviewed, and was offered the position. Today, she serves as the Military Affairs, Aerospace, and Cyberspace Program Manager at the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.
“Accepting the opportunity was truly a full-circle moment for me,” Marcela explained. “It’s proof that showing up, staying connected, and using every available resource really does pay off. Every event, every workshop, every relationship built through HOH added up and ultimately put me in the room for this opportunity.”
A Rising Swell
Marcela’s journey demonstrates what’s possible when military spouses turn shared challenges into collective action. Through advocacy, networking, and a willingness to keep showing up, she built a community that ultimately helped open the door to her next career opportunity while helping fellow spouses navigate their own paths.
“Hiring Our Heroes didn’t just connect me to job opportunities,” she reflected. “It connected me to a community that understands exactly what it means to build a career around someone else’s orders – and was the direct bridge to where I am now.”
For military spouses still searching for the perfect career opportunity, Marcela’s message is simple: “Keep going. As someone who has been in the job-hunting trenches more than once, I know your opportunity is out there!”
