Statement of Purpose

Jamie M. Simpson-Smith

Growing up in Portland, Oregon, I was raised by my grandparents and graduated from

Central Catholic High School. Becoming a military spouse just shy of my 19th birthday I moved
down to Edwards AFB, CA where I began my banking career. After only fourteen months the
Air Force moved us to Elmendorf AFB in Alaska where I continued my career in banking at
Northrim Bank, a local commercial bank and moved my way up the operations side of the
branch into a supervisor position. After nine years of living in Alaska, the Air Force moved us to
Mountain Home AFB, ID where we chose to live in Boise so that I’d have better work and
school opportunities. However, due to the timing and The Great Recession my hunt for a new
career proved unfruitful and the decision was made that I would become a stay-at-home mom as
we welcomed our third child into our family. During our seven years in Idaho, four years
overseas in England, and now going on four years in Florida, I’ve been a very active volunteer,
especially within the military community which is very near and dear to my heart.

Throughout the years I have sporadically attended school but found it difficult to juggle
being a top-notch student, mom to three young children, and supportive military spouse to my
often-deployed husband. During this active-duty timeframe, I found it easier to weave in various
volunteer jobs into my daily routine. These efforts have been recognized by both my peers and
superiors in ways that I could’ve never imagined. While stationed abroad in the United Kingdom
I was awarded the Air Force Aid Society’s Joan Orr Spouse of the Year twice, the Air Force Key
Spouse of the Year, and received multiple certificates of appreciation from superiors in the Air
Force (as high as the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force’s wife). To this day, programs that I
began over five years ago are still being implemented and I continue to receive requests for
advice and ideas relating to my past volunteer work at both Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenheath
and RAF Mildenhall (two US Air Force bases in England).

Although I’m very proud of my efforts and successes within the Air Force’s Key Spouse
Program, my most heartwarming moments come from being the Lead Coordinator for Financial
Peace Military at both RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall Chapels. By working directly with
both Wing Chaplains (the Commanders of those chapels), we were able to begin a regular
rotation of the nine-week course and invite all military members, civilian contractors, spouses,
and dependents who wished to attend. I ran this program for over two years and helped nearly
one-hundred families see that they could make simple changes to better ensure their financial
futures and family legacies. Many of my past students continue to reach out to me and share their
successes or ask advice on their struggles. It was in this volunteer capacity that I found my true
passion and knew what I wanted to do when it was time for me to re-enter the workforce.

Once my husband retired from the Air Force, after twenty-six years of service, I knew it
was my chance to finally have a career again. I was delighted to find the Consumer Sciences:
Family Financial Planning & Counseling major, which was the perfect fit for me but one that I’d
never knew existed before stumbling upon it via a search on the CFP Board website. After
learning about the Accelerated Master’s Program, I knew that this would be a wonderful
opportunity for me to not only increase my knowledge base but also increase my marketability as
a mature female re-entering the workforce. I’ve enjoyed my time at the University of Alabama
and have been named on both the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 President’s List by maintaining an
A+ in all my classes. I feel that I bring a lot of valid life experience to my courses and that my
professors have brought a wealth of invaluable information to me, which I have thoroughly
enjoyed learning.

My goal after graduation is to work with the military and veteran communities in either a
government employee or civilian contractor setting. My passion to help these communities stems
from years of seeing the struggles that often accompany these communities due to the
peculiarities of military lifestyle. Not enough education is given to these communities so that
when they encounter predatory situations, they often do not recognize the potential long-term
strains that their financial decision can have. This is especially predominant with new recruits
and young military families. By providing financial education and one-on-one financial
counseling services at no cost, and adjustments to current policies and laws, I believe I can have
a positive impact on these vital communities and the Department of Defense as a whole.

If you have any questions or need further details about anything, please do not hesitate to
reach out to me!