Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Cody Anderson | 210326-N-N0616-1003 DENVER (March 26, 2021) Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Shelbi Lowe,...... read more read more
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Story by Creative Writer Jordan Smith, Navy Recruiting Command Public Affairs Office
MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) – Give me an S, A, I, L, O, R, what’s that spell? Success for one former cheerleader turned Navy Sailor. Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Shelbi Lowe’s journey from college cheerleading took a hard break and led her to join the Navy where her cheery personality flourished at Navy Talent Acquisition Group Rocky Mountain.
Earning two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, seven Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and one Fleet Letter of Commendation from then-Commander, Navy Recruiting Command Rear Adm. Brendan McLane for bringing in future Sailors, Lowe’s bubbly personality and hard work was validated. Navy leadership said Lowe exemplified both personal initiative and selflessness, which are qualities that led her to become a successful recruiter and a positive influence to those around her. For Lowe, recruiting is about giving a genuine effort to help others.
“She is one of the hardest working Sailors I have ever met,” said Navy Counselor 1st Class Heather Hopkinson, Lowe’s supervisor. “With her drive and positive attitude, she has the potential to be unstoppable.”
Lowe hails from a little water-tower town known as Platte City, Missouri—about 40 minutes away from Kansas City, Missouri. Her determination and positivity can be traced back to one of her biggest passions she had while growing up: cheerleading. She started in the second grade and continued cheerleading through Varsity Cheer with the goal of attending a D-1 college and being on their cheerleading team.
Lowe has an ambitious personality. When she wasn’t placing at state competitions or traveling the country with her competitive league, Lowe was practicing. Her dedication ended up earning her a cheerleading scholarship to Kansas State University.
Unfortunately, she sustained a severe knee injury a month before tryouts, which prevented her from trying out and extinguished her plans.
“I lost my scholarship and found myself wondering how I was going to pay for college,” said Lowe. “I had some academic scholarships, but not enough to cover four years of out-of-state tuition.”
Then one night she overheard her parents talking about options to pay for Lowe’s college.
“It was at that moment I knew I had to find my own way to pay for college,” said Lowe. “I did not feel right placing that burden on my parents. A good friend of mine was currently seeking out the Navy Reserve in order to help pay for her college expenses. She ended up taking me into a Navy recruiting office to talk about doing the same. I listened to the recruiter talk about the differences between the Navy reserves and serving on active duty. At the end of the conversation, he said, ‘Well, Shelbi, what are your thoughts about joining the world’s greatest Navy?’ I immediately responded with, ‘Where do I sign up, and when do I go to MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Stations)?’”
Once she completed her first enlistment, Lowe transitioned into the Reserves since she had earned a degree and still had an unused Post-9/11 GI Bill. She then moved to San Diego to be with her boyfriend and used her military benefits to attend Pima Medical Institute to become a veterinary technician. Once she finished school and started working in the civilian sector, she found herself making less than half of what she earned in the Navy, so she opted to go to Navy Recruiting Orientation Unit in Pensacola, Florida, and became a recruiter.
“After being in the civilian sector for a year and a half, there were so many things about active duty that I didn’t fully appreciate at the time, such as 30 days of paid vacation per year, guaranteed competitive pay and promotions, full healthcare, world travel and so much more,” said Lowe.
To Lowe, those perks are what made her a good recruiter.
“I don’t approach recruiting like a used car salesman; I just speak honestly about my story and what the Navy did for me,” said Lowe. “Not much selling needs to be done after that. There are going to be ups and downs in every profession. I don’t hide or pretend there aren’t any in the Navy, but it is one heck of an amazing career. Each military branch offers similar things yet very different experiences. In my personal opinion, the Navy offers the best travel, experiences, and transition to the civilian work force. I don’t think you can be a successful recruiter or salesman in general if you don’t truly believe in the ‘product’ you are selling. Luckily for me, I have experienced both the military and civilian sides. This has given me a unique perspective and has helped me become successful in my job.”
Even though Lowe has proved herself as exceptional recruiter, she understands that the job of a recruiter—much like cheerleading—requires hard work, commitment, discipline and enthusiasm.
“If you want to be great at this job, you can’t simply put in minimum hours,” said Lowe. “I truly care about my applicants, so if I need to meet them on the weekends or at night when their parents get home from work, I will. Some of my applicants live in poor neighborhoods, but have the ability to excel and create a new life through the Navy. Knowing I can change people’s lives for the better is what it’s all about. I gave a speech last year at the graduation of one of my smaller schools. There came a point in the ceremony where each student was given a few flowers to give to teachers or someone who had been influential in their life. Each one of my five recruits gave me a flower, a hug and thanked me for changing their life. That really made me realize this job is so rewarding and special.”
Hopkinson has watched Lowe grow and develop in recruiting for roughly two years. She said Lowe still has the same contagious positive attitude that she’s had since the beginning, but some things have changed.
“She has grown to be confident in her abilities and will not back down from a challenge,” said Hopkinson about Lowe. “She motivates me to be the best version of myself as a leader.”
Not only does Lowe inspire her leadership, but she also profoundly impacts those she recruits, such as Haley Ahlene.
“She is an amazing woman,” said Ahlene. “She’s been supportive and always answered my questions. She’s given me study materials, encouraged me and hasn’t given up on me. She’s just always been there. She’s kind and genuine and truly cares.”
Lowe’s goals for her naval service are to finish her degree, transition to a naval officer, and be the type of leader her shipmates deserve.
“I’ve seen firsthand tremendous leaders who’ve truly earned the respect of their subordinates and lead by example,” said Lowe. “In turn, their team works for them with all they’ve got.”
When it comes to offering advice to those who are on the fence about joining the Navy, Lowe believes the Navy has something for everyone.
“Ultimately, this is your life, so make sure you are the one choosing what’s best for you,” said Lowe. “If you’re lacking confidence or have uncertainty about joining, I know it is very nerve-racking to uproot your familiar life and start a new journey, but I promise it will be worth it. Whether it is earning a college education for free; becoming independent; pride of service; traveling the world and experiencing different cultures; being able to provide your family with steady income; a place to live and health care; or even simply making friends and memories around the world that otherwise you never would have, the Navy will always have something to offer everyone.”
Navy Recruiting Command consists of a command headquarters, three Navy Recruiting Regions, and 26 Navy Talent Acquisition Groups that serve more than 1,000 recruiting stations across the world. Their combined goal is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.
For more news from Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, go to http://www.cnrc.navy.mil. Follow Navy Recruiting on Facebook (www.facebook.com/MyNAVYHR), Twitter (@USNRecruiter) and Instagram (@USNRecruiter).
| Date Taken: | 03.26.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 03.26.2021 14:18 |
| Story ID: | 392393 |
| Location: | DENVER, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 1,298 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Positivity Creates Contagious Navy Recruiting Spirit, by Jordan Smith, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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