National Guard: Licensed Practical Nurse
Military Pathway
Marimon Maskell: Licensed Practical Nurse
By Mike Yoshiura
Marimon Maskell was born in Hilo, but her family moved to San Diego, Calif., before she was old enough to recall living in the lush, Island community. Marimon, named after her parents Maria and Ramon, was an exceptional student at Long Beach Polytechnic High School. She graduated with honors and a lofty 3.7 GPA, and when it came time to select a career she says that the choice was an obvious one. “I’m Filipino! All Filipino women are nurses,” jokes the 27-year-old. “My mom is a nurse and my aunties are nurses, too. It runs in the family.”
a nurse and my aunties are nurses, too. It runs in the family.”
While investigating ways to afford nursing school, she learned that the military offers a College Tuition Assistance Program. For full-time duty members, the program pays up to 100 percent of the tuition costs—up to a maximum of $250 per credit and $4,500 per fiscal year.
In fact, one of her aunts was a nurse in the Navy, and was able to retire before the age of 45. Due to her military service, her children inherited excellent education benefits to help pay for their college education. Marimon says, “When I saw what the service did for her and her family, it inspired me to do the same.”
About one month after she graduated high school, Marimon left home for basic training in Fort Sill, Okla. “I thought it was good that the military could send me to school and pay me for my service at the same time,” Marimon says. “So I decided to go with the Army.”
PREPARATION & TRAINING
After nine weeks of basic training, Marimon went to Fort Sam in Houston, Texas, to learn a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). During that time she trained to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). During an intense, five-week session she was schooled in anatomy and physiology, which usually take an entire
10-week semester of college.
Once she completed MOS training, she headed for Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. for hands-on instruction.
After Marimon completed her training in 2000, she was stationed at the 86th Combat Support Hospital in Kentucky. She discovered that there were many Hawai‘i-based officers stationed there. On weekends the expatriates got together to concoct their version of Island favorites like poke, kalbi and laulau. Instead of using taro or ti leaves for the laulau, they used spinach leaves and filled them with pork or chicken. It was their way of keeping Hawai‘i close to their hearts.
PERSONAL TRANSITION
She spent the next four years in Kentucky perfecting her nursing skills, until she decided to transition to the University of Hawai‘i (UH) for its Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program. The ROTC paid for her HPU nursing school tuition, and covered the cost of room and board, books and living expenses.
“A lot of my classmates worked two jobs and went to school full time. I asked myself, Where do they find the time to study? The military pays for school, and they give you spending money so you can concentrate on your studies.”
In 2007, Marimon graduated from HPU as an LPN and was immediately put to the test in the real world. “The best thing about ROTC is that you have a guaranteed job waiting for you when you graduate.” She is currently a staff nurse at the Tripler Army Medical Center.
A PERFECT MATCH
Marimon took full advantage of the military’s training and benefits, and today she is enjoying a gratifying career. “If there’s a certain path or career that you want to follow—just go for it!” Marimon says. “There’s always training available that will get you to where you want to be.”
