Celebrating our community

Sara Rizzo is a Marine Corps spouse with nearly 20 years of experience navigating military life. She currently serves as the Director of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) Okinawa, where she leads a team dedicated to providing financial assistance, education, and support to Sea Service families.

Throughout her military spouse journey, Sara has contributed to Family Readiness, Operation Homefront, the USO, and numerous leadership initiatives focused on strengthening military spouse and military family communities. She is passionate about ensuring every military spouse feels valued, supported, and connected wherever military life takes them.

Brittany Stevenson is a Marine Corps spouse at Camp Lejeune who grew up in a Marine family before returning to the community as a military spouse. She is the founder of Molly Meetups, an initiative dedicated to helping military spouses build meaningful friendships and lasting support networks.

She also leads a monthly Deployment Support Group, providing encouragement, resources, and connection for spouses navigating military life. As Vice President of Advancement for the Camp Lejeune Leadership Seminar, Brittany helps develop future leaders while strengthening the military spouse community.

Her passion for bringing people together and supporting military families has made a lasting impact across Camp Lejeune.

Shelby Bateman is the 2026 AFI Military Spouse of the Year. What began as supporting her husband throughout his military career grew into a passion for serving, connecting, and empowering military families.

Through Family Readiness leadership, community advisory roles, and her work as the Beaufort Ambassador for Stronghold Food Pantry, Shelby helps connect families with resources, advocates for military spouses, and creates welcoming spaces where people feel supported.

She also leads Bible studies, assists with the Camp Lejeune Leadership Seminar, and organizes Stronghold Pop-Up Pantries for military families in the community.

Known for her compassion, resilience, and strong sense of purpose, Shelby continues to make a meaningful difference through service, leadership, and advocacy.

Nichole Lovejoy is a Marine Corps spouse serving the military community through nonprofit leadership and community engagement. As Chief Advancement Officer at the New River YMCA, she builds strategic partnerships, supports military families, and strengthens relationships throughout Eastern North Carolina. She also serves on local boards, advises command teams, and volunteers her time to make a lasting impact. Nichole believes that home is about the people you find, and her dedication reflects that belief every day.

Why I Pursued the PMP — I decided to pursue the PMP because I wanted to pivot into industries outside of Financial Services while learning widely accepted project management frameworks.

Career Impact — Earning my PMP has made me a more qualified candidate and has allowed me to apply for positions that require a PMP.

PMP Study Tip — Find a study group or accountability group that meets weekly and commit to your study plan. Don’t worry if you fall behind occasionally. As long as you keep moving forward, your knowledge and confidence will continue to build over time.

Advice for Military Spouses — I highly recommend applying for the IVMF Onward to Opportunity Program. You’ll be able to connect with others in the military community, grow your network, and find accountability throughout your certification journey.

Morgan Altin is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy with more than six years of experience in healthcare, where she has led teams, improved processes, and worked to expand access to quality care. While she found fulfillment in caring for patients, she realized her greatest passion was leading initiatives that improve systems and create a broader impact.

As a military spouse, Morgan also wanted a career that could grow with the unique demands of military life. Frequent moves inspired her to pivot into project management, a field that combines leadership, strategy, problem-solving, and the flexibility to make a meaningful impact wherever the Army takes her family.

To support her transition, Morgan earned her Certified Associate in Project Management certification, completed project management training, and is currently preparing for her Project Management Professional certification. She is excited to combine her healthcare background with project management and hopes to transition into a role focused on healthcare operations, digital health, patient experience, public health, or federal service.

When asked what advice she would give other military spouses considering a career pivot, Morgan encourages them not to underestimate the value of their experiences.

She also encourages military spouses to take advantage of the many resources created specifically for the military community. Throughout her transition, Morgan has participated in the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families Career Training Program, connected with a mentor through American Corporate Partners, engaged with the Military Spouse Opportunity Project, and joined military spouse networking communities. Those resources have strengthened her confidence, expanded her network, and reinforced that military spouses do not have to navigate career transitions alone.

Community Cultivator helps military spouses rebuild the professional networks, confidence, and community connections that can be disrupted by military life and frequent moves.

Founded by Tracy Steele, the organization creates opportunities for military spouses to connect, contribute, and grow through networking events, career support, mentorship, volunteer opportunities, partnerships, and workforce development.

Community Cultivator began its work in the San Diego military community and is working toward expanding its reach so more military spouses can access meaningful professional and community support wherever military life takes them.