Finding Purpose and Passion in the Navy and Recruiting

Photo By Chief Petty Officer Jessica Vargas | Interior Communications Electrician 1st Class Monica Fulwidervaughn, a recruiter assigned to Navy Talent Acquisition Group Pacific Northwest, is featured as Recruiter in the Spotlight.  

SEATTLE, WA, UNITED STATES

11.05.2021

Courtesy Story

Commander, Navy Recruiting Command

Interior Communications Electrician 1st Class Monica Fulwidervaughn, who was born in Houston but calls Ewa Beach, Hawaii, home, traveled the world, graduated from college, taught middle school and was an aspiring professional surfer all before joining the Navy.

“I was a free bird. Traveling and surfing around the world,” said Fulwidervaughn. “I went to school in London when I was younger. I lived in Puerto Rico for a while, where I spent all my time surfing and lived in Guam for a few years. I could have told you more about the world and other countries than I could have told you about my homeland in the United States.”

After graduating from college, Fulwidervaughn became a teacher because of her deep love for helping people, which is at the core of everything she does in life.

“When I decided I wanted to go into teaching and dedicate my time to helping others educationally, I was inspired by my algebra professor in college,” said Fulwidervaughn. “I was never good at math in my primary years. My fear of math kept me from challenging myself and gave me low educational self-esteem, but that changed with my college algebra teacher. She believed anyone could be good at anything with the right mentor behind them. She was right. I probably could have excelled in that area of teaching, but I was undisciplined at the time and found pursuing exercise science would be easier, which led me toward teaching physical education.”

However, Fulwidervaughn had to work multiple jobs to survive financially. She realized something was missing in her life, and she needed something more.

“I absolutely loved my experience as a teacher, but it was very hard to make a living due to the high cost of living and low salary standard for teachers,” said Fulwidervaughn. “I woke up one day and thought, I am 26 years old and all I have to my name are experiences. I felt like I was floundering in life. I didn’t feel grounded and was missing something. I needed something more, so I walked into a recruiting station in Hawaii and joined the Navy.”

When it came to choosing a rate, Fulwidervaughn knew that she wanted something in the technical field, so she had a skill to fall back on when she separated from the Navy. She decided to go with interior communications electrician (IC), despite her fear of math. ICs direct and coordinate the installation, maintenance and repair of interior communications systems throughout the ship, which involves using math to convert voltages.

“I was terrified. I hated math because I was not good at it,” says Fulwidervaughn. “Up until that point, I didn’t think that I had what it took to be an electrician, but my recruiter told me to have faith in the line scores of the ASVAB.”

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a multiple-aptitude test that measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success in the military.

“To even be considered to become an IC, I had to have certain ASVAB line scores,” said Fulwidervaughn. “Based off my score, I obviously had the ability to excel in these areas, but I just didn’t know it at the time because it wasn’t developed.”

While at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Fulwidervaughn quickly realized that she had found her place in the world.

“Great Lakes was one of the best times in my life,” said Fulwidervaughn. “I finally found my place, felt grounded and felt very successful. I passed my first electrical theory math test so well that I graduated distinguished military graduate and was number one in my class. From that moment I knew where I belonged. I found a home. I found my inner peace.”

During her 11 years in the Navy, she has been assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111), San Diego Port Operations, and the guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup (DDG 86). At each of these commands she was the go-to Sailor. When she decided to take a special assignment out of rate as a recruiter assigned to Navy Talent Acquisition Group Pacific Northwest, however, things changed.

“My start was slow when I started recruiting,” says Fulwidervaughn. “Up until that point, I had always excelled at everything I did, so not being successful as quickly as I hoped for at NTAG Pacific Northwest was a big hit to my ego.”

In addition to her professional hardships, Fulwidervaughn was also dealing with personal hardships when she first arrived to the command.

“When I arrived here in July 2019, I had a few life challenges that I was dealing with,” said Fulwidervaughn. “My Navy family at this command stuck with me and got me through those hard times. This solidified why I was meant to be here. It’s not just about recruiting but about people and Sailors. If there is anything that I can bring to the Navy and recruiting, I want people to know that I’ll have their back when no one else will. I truly believe that’s what we are all brought here to do.”

With a renewed sense of purpose, Fulwidervaughn says that she started to see success as a recruiter when she changed her mindset from worrying about her own success to worrying about the success of the applicants she comes across.

“Everything in recruiting to this point was all about me,” said Fulwidervaughn. “I was concerned about my own success. I would ask myself, why am I not a successful recruiter? Why can’t I put people in the Navy? Once I took myself out of the equation and truly started to listen to what people have to say, it changed everything for me. I started seeing success as a recruiter. I earned a leadership position, and I continued to grow as a Sailor and recruiter.”

Despite all the challenges that Fulwidervaughn has faced along the way, her determination, love and passion for the Navy and helping people has given her purpose and continues to be the foundation for all her successes in life and the Navy.

“I 100% love the Navy and value everything that it’s taught and given me,” said Fulwidervaughn. “My love for teaching and mentoring has always been a part of who I am. I just lacked true discipline throughout my early twenties. Now I get to utilize my love for teaching and mentoring on my Sailors and applicants. I wholeheartedly love training Sailors. I usually find the Sailor that everyone says is the bad egg and that's who I start with first. Like me, they probably just need someone behind them.”

Navy Talent Acquisition Group Pacific Northwest is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Its area of responsibility includes more than 34 Navy Recruiting Stations and Navy Officer Recruiting Stations throughout Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska.

• Date Taken: 11.05.2021
• Date Posted: 11.05.2021 13:11
• Story ID: 408779
• Location: SEATTLE, WA, US