“But you know, at that time, I was a very broken damaged kid, right. So it was understanding what I am and how I can improve it…I didn't want to live my life, blaming others for my misfortunes.”
Although Naval Officer, Jai Salters experienced a very rough childhood, being separated from is mother and living in abusive foster homes, he did not let those experiences define who he is. KP of The Morning Formation Podcast, sat down and interviewed Jai and learned how Jai’s rough upbringing made an impact and lead him to the person he is today.
Jai Salters is an Officer in the Navy, the Founder and Director of Act Now Education, he has multiple university degrees, and he was the recipient of the Spirit of Hope award for his dedication to helping the military community.
In the interview, Salters opens up and shares some very personal details about his childhood. He went through some very difficult times as a kid. His family was poor, his mother was in rehab, and he was in the foster care system dealing with very abusive people.
While Jai admits he had a chip on his shoulder from all the difficult moments he went through, he was motivated to make a better life for himself.
“I started to understand, you know, there's more to life than just letting things happen to you…I've always gone after whatever I can. So I tried to do my best with what I'd known. And as I slowly started to understand what opportunities were out there. It started changing things for me.”
As a teen, Salters recognized that he needed to avoid making the same decisions that had gotten others into bad situations, if he was to make a better life for himself. He also recognized the importance of going to college for a higher education. With the help of the military and some great mentors along the way, Jai had the opportunities he was looking for.
“You have to be the change that you want to be, right. In this life we live, we don't know if we're gonna be here tomorrow, or, you know, we'll live years on end. So for me, once I got an understanding of, I'm just going to do the best that I can in any opportunity I'm given. And if I failed then I fail,…I rather try something and not do well at it and earn the experience from that, then to kind of limit myself based off of who I am and my past.”
Today, Jai Salters is not just a Naval Officer. He has made a tremendous impact on the lives of many, with his nonprofit Organization, ACT NOW Education. ACT NOW Education helps active duty service members, veterans, and military spouses with educational and employment opportunities.
Jai’s mission in life is to help others by pushing them to take advantage of great opportunities available to them and to reach for their full potential.
To hear more about Jai Salter’s inspiring story and to learn more about great,
FREE resources for the military community, listen to the whole interview.
You will be inspired and motivated to push forward.
Click here for the whole interview.
Blog post written by: Lina Gomez
