Moriah O'Neal: Firefighter, EMT, and Police Officer

Moriah O'Neal is a junior here at Frostburg State University, and is aiming to get her degree in English (business writing) with a minor in public relations.  Sounds like a pretty normal student right?  Moriah does it all though.  Seaman Moriah O'Neal is a part of the fairly new program geared towards college students called College Student Pre-Commissioning Iniative (CSPI) with the United States Coast Guard.

Left to right: Father Mr. Joesph O'Neal Jr., Seaman Moriah O'Neal,
Brother Joesph O'Neal III, Mother Mrs. Yolanda O'Neal

Moriah comes from a military family where her mother is very encouraging of her joining the coast guard.  Mrs. Yolanda O'Neal is also a civilian in the coast guard.  Moriah was initially not interested in joining the coast guard, but when she found out all of the benefits of joining through CSPI she decided to reconsider.   “When my mom told me about joining, I was like ‘no’, but then when I found out about all of the money, I was like ‘Yes!”  Moriah continued to explain to me that CSPI allowed her to join the Coast Guard last year, and she then went to basic training this past summer.

When Moriah asked all of her friends and family how basic training was everyone gave her soft responses, "Oh it's not that bad" or something along those lines.  After doing it Moriah said "They were all absolutely wrong."  Basic training put so much stress and pressure on her so she could experience what she would be doing once she was commissioned. "It was physically demanding, and mentally demanding."  The Coast Guard trains to be a firefighter, EMT and police officers all in one, so she has to do it all, literally.  Now that Moriah has successfully graduated basic training, she receives a paycheck every month, and will get to finish her undergraduate degree.

After Moriah earns her undergraduate degree she wishes to attend officer candidate school so she can commission as an officer.  This means that she will go back to what is like basic training but longer and much harder.  After talking with Moriah she described it as a big mental game now that she knows what to expect.
Once she completes officer candidate school she will then get an assignment to be stationed at a base or on a cutter.  Moriah has no preference, but she does say that her assignment will have an influence on where she will go to get her master's.

Either while in the Coast Guard or after, Moriah wishes to get her masters.  The goal is to earn her degree while she is still in, so the Coast Guard will pay for it.  The Coast Guard has a requirement of being active duty for 20 years and then being able to retire to keep all of her benefits, and that is what Moriah is leaning towards.  "If I am enjoying what I am doing, I see no reason to leave."

Once receiving her degree Moriah wants to teach English at a collegiate level preferably at a historically black college/university (HBCU).  She then hopes to eventually become a dean at a school.

 To find out more about the program that Moriah is in you can visit the United States Coast Guard website for CSPI.   "What's great about the Coast Guard is that they have programs for all people."  Even if you are just curious, check it out.  Moriah has great things to say about the program, and it might be just what you are looking for.