Courtesy Photo | Navy Counselor 1st Class Monique Staples, a recruiter assigned to Navy Talent...... read more read more
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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – (Jan. 21, 2022) Faith in God, optimism and perseverance – matched with a belief that the best is yet to come – continue to lead Navy Counselor 1st Class Monique Staples in the right direction in life. Staying true to herself and uplifting others is how she says she leads junior Sailors.
“Finding qualified men and women to serve this great Navy is an honor and important to the advancement and security of the fleet and ultimately our nation," Staples said.
Her hard work and dedication don’t go unnoticed. Recently, Staples was recognized as the Sailor of the Year for both NTAG Golden Gate and Navy Region West. It was Staples’ upbringing that shaped her work ethic.
“I was raised by a single mother most of my life,” Staples said. “My mom created opportunities for herself and showed my brother and I what it looks like to overcome hardship.”
Education is a top priority for Staples. By skipping the 11th grade, Staples was able to graduate high school early at the age of 16. Following in her brother’s footsteps, she enlisted in the Navy just weeks after her 17th birthday. Her goal in the future is to finish her bachelor's degree.
“I was young and immature,” Staples said. “It took me several years to gather my footing and learn the discipline it would take to sustain a career. Many of my initial leaders probably thought I wouldn’t make it. I had a rebellious personality and was overtaken by my newfound freedom from my family and didn’t exactly know how to taper that.”
When Staples arrived at her first recruiting district, she felt that she had found her niche.
“Every single report card I have ever received in grade school said, ‘pleasure to have in class, but she talks too much,’” Staples said. “So naturally, this was the perfect job for me. I had found a job where I would never be penalized for talking too much. Recruiting comes very naturally to me. It's super easy to encourage people to do something that I believe in with my whole heart.”
In her 14-year career, Staples has evolved from a lost 17-year-old to a petty officer 1st class holding a leading chief petty officer position at her own division.
“The Navy has also given me the gift of space,” Staples said. “Space to grow and mature and find who I am without the burden of wondering what I will do for money while I figure myself out. I love the Navy for that.”
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.
| Date Taken: | 01.24.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 01.28.2022 13:05 |
| Story ID: | 413617 |
| Location: | MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 322 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Sailor Finds Her Niche in Recruiting, by PO1 Meranda Keller, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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