Senior Master Sgt. Maureen Arroyo never has to wait long to get a message of affirmation that she's in the right line of work.

Every time one of her cadets in Clover Park High School's Air Force JROTC program earns a scholarship or overcomes a personal obstacle in their lives, Arroyo feels that joy right along with them.

And having the opportunity each day to help lead students in the right direction is something she cherishes.

"Every day I can make a difference in somebody's life, and you never know when that moment might be," said Arroyo, a Yelm resident.

But Arroyo didn't necessarily envision herself as an aerospace science instructor working with high school students when she retired from the Air Force in 2003 after 27 years of service.

"This was not in the flight pattern of life," said the 52-year-old Arroyo.

While spending the later 12 years of her career in the Air Force working as a first sergeant and helping airmen take care of financial, personal and family issues, Arroyo separated with a host of leadership skills and a knack for being a good listener. After working as the director for the United Service Organization center on McChord Field for a couple of years, when the opportunity to teach at Clover Park came along, she leapt at the chance.

"It was another challenge, another adventure," she said.

With that adventure came ample opportunities to help students develop into better citizens.

"We want prepare them for life," said Arroyo, who along with Lt. Col. Gary Roberts (the commander) head up the program.

That means helping students build up their confidence and self-esteem, introducing them to community service opportunities and helping them establish an active, healthy lifestyle. Of the program's 170 cadets, some are faced with economic and family dynamic challenges that they are born into, Arroyo said.

"A lot of times we have children that say ‘I can't' often," she said. "When they do accomplish something, they're surprised because nobody ever pushed them to do it. Some of them don't have that encouragement at home."

Tracye Kakely is well versed in the mentorship piece of Arroyo's personality. After taking over the director position from Arroyo at the USO, Kakely had some questions about the center's operations.

"She was always open and available for me if I needed to ask her something," Kakely said. "And it's comforting that even after four years of her being away from the position that I can still call her. She's an amazing person."

Arroyo will be the first to admit that her job isn't necessarily a "retirement" job. In addition to putting in hours after school and time on the weekend, she also puts together the unit's bi-monthly newsletter. She also has to adhere to the teaching and professional standards of both the Air Force and the school district.

But it's a small price to pay for helping cadets become contributing members of society, she said.