Top New CP Opens Up About Life as a Naval Officer-Turned-Homeschooling-Mom

If you're not familiar with the work of Brooke Lorren here on Associated Content, you've been missing out on the talent of one of the most prolific Content Producers this site has to offer. Although she has only been writing for AC since December of 2008, Brooke is nobody's rookie. She managed to crank out more than 100 articles during her first two months on AC and was aptly designated "Best New CP 2009." In many ways, Brooke is already a highly seasoned Content Producer.

Once a Naval Officer and now a homeschooling mom, Brooke is on a mission not only to help support her family as a CP, but also to continue enlightening readers with articles on a wealth of different topics. Her flair for intelligently and skillfully disseminating information that others can put to good use makes her a real asset to AC.

I recently had a chance to interview Brooke and find out more about her interesting background and what her motivation is for producing an ever-expanding collection of high-quality content.

Dr. M: First off, let me congratulate you on winning "Best New CP 2009" here on Associated Content. As a new Content Producer, you have really hit the ground running! You have produced more than 100 pieces of quality content since joining AC last December. What has been your motivation?

BL: Money! The economy has been hard on our pocketbook, as companies that my husband has worked for in the past have gone under. He is currently working for a fraction of what he used to make, and going to school to get a degree, so he's pretty busy, but our income leaves a little to be desired. I have a two-year-old and a six-year-old that I homeschool, and writing is something that I can do at home without having to give up my time at home taking care of them and teaching. The extra money is great to have.

Dr. M: I understand that you were an officer in the U.S. Navy. How would you describe your life today compared to the way it was during your military career?

BL: Much less structured, and often less stressful. In the military, I was up very early. There was often an inspection to prepare for, deployment to get ready for, and problems to solve. As a mom and homeschool teacher, I still have activities scheduled for the kids, but I like sleeping in, so they're usually later in the day. I still have daily and yearly goals to accomplish, but since I am my own boss, I make my own schedule and priorities. I'm not the most athletic person in the world either, so not having to prepare for the next physical readiness test all the time is a bonus too.

Dr. M: What attracted you the military in general and the Navy in particular?

BL: The military has great opportunities for people that are interested in going to college. My parents were going to have trouble paying for my college education, and the Navy Reserve offered some money for college without much of a time commitment. After about a year in the Navy Reserves, I discovered that I liked my drill weekends and looked into the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program. They ended up paying my full tuition for the last three years of college. I chose the Navy primarily because I liked the uniforms the best (ha ha), but I grew up near Bremerton, Washington, which has a large Navy base, so that probably influenced my choice too.

Dr. M: Describe one of your most memorable experiences as a Naval officer.

BL: I was able to do a lot of travelling in the Navy. I think that's what I liked about the military the most. It's hard to pick just one location that I liked the best. I got to see the Caribbean, Australia, Italy, and many other countries and states.

My most memorable experience on the job might have been September 11^th, 2001. I was the Force Protection (anti-terrorism) Assistant in Naples, Italy, at the time, and it was a very quiet day. I was considering going home early that day, but then the World Trade Center was hit. Our base went to THREATCON Delta, and we all ended up working until midnight instead (only to come back the next morning at 4 AM). For the next six months, most of the people in the security department (including myself) went to work before the sun came up, and didn't go home until after the sun went down.

Dr. M: As a female Naval officer, were there any unique challenges that you might not have otherwise experienced had you been a male officer?

BL: Housing can be a challenge when you are on a ship. I was on a frigate, which had around 120 people, and they designated one stateroom for the female officers, so there would only be three of us on the ship (our Executive Officer was female for a while, and she had her own stateroom because of her position). When our ship went to the shipyard, the duty section would sleep on a "berthing barge" which only had one stateroom for the officers. I felt bad because when it was my turn to stand duty, if the other officer on the ship with me was male, he had to sleep with the enlisted personnel because there wasn't anywhere else for him to stay.

I was questioned by the Navy legal people a few times because some of my male coworkers with had apparently been accused of sexual harassment, discrimination, or fraternization by females. Most of those cases involved people who had been drinking too much. I never personally experienced these things, perhaps because I often avoid situations where people drink excessively. But it does happen.

Dr. M: What advice would you give to young women out there who aspire to become officers in the military?

BL: Go for it! The military can be challenging, especially if physical fitness is not your forte, but it provides many opportunities for adventure, travel, and education. It's an opportunity that won't be there when you are older, so if the military interests you, take advantage of it while you can, whether you decide to stay in for four years or twenty.

Dr. M: How would you describe your transition from a high-profile professional to a homeschooler? What was the experience like for you psychologically and what adjustments did you have to make?

BL: The money is the biggest change. When I was in the military, I was probably making the civilian equivalent of $80,000 a year, when you factor in the free housing and tax benefits. My husband had to put his career on hold when we went to Italy, so when we returned to the United States, he had to start at the bottom again and we were getting $8 an hour. It took a while to get used to the lifestyle cuts that we had to make.

I do miss the traveling and adventure sometimes. My daughter had been to five different countries by the time she was six months old, and my son never even left the state he was born in until he was thirteen months. But then I realize that I am trading one set of opportunities for another one. Associated Content is giving me additional opportunities.

Dr. M: What advice would you give to women who are torn between pursuing careers outside of the home and staying home to care for their children? This is a dilemma that many women are faced with today.

BL: We have a lot of choices, but we only have one life. I think that it's important to figure out what's most important to you, and decide what to do based on what you want the end result to be. There's also the option of working at home, working part time, or getting a job while the kids are in school.

Dr. M: What are some goals that you have set for yourself for 2009?

BL: On Associated Content, my goal is to write an article every day. That's an amount that I can do without it getting overwhelming. The extra income is nice to have.

My goals at home are pretty simple. I'll finish teaching my daughter's school year in June, and then we can take a nice break for the summer. This fall I hope to do more preschool type work with my toddler, who will be almost three then.

Dr. M: In general, what can readers expect from Brooke Lorren here on AC in the future?

BL: More articles :-). My husband is hoping to get a second job working at a camp this summer, and if he does, I will be taking the kids to visit their family in Washington for about a month. I'll probably be inspired to write more vacation articles and articles about Washington State in that case. It looks like politics and the economy will also be pretty heated topics in the future, so I'll probably be writing about that too.

Dr. M: Thank you Brooke, for taking time out of your busy schedule to let readers become more acquainted with you and your background. I have no doubt that you will build quite a fan base as you continue adding quality articles to your repertoire here on AC!

Author's note: To read Brooke Lorren's work, you can visit her CP page by clicking here:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/399121/brooke_lorren.html