Since 2014, MSAN has worked tirelessly to meet the needs of military spouses and their families and has been a bridgeway with the intent of helping military families connect more with their communities and official resources.

The core mission of MSAN has always been to educate, empower, and support spouses. Over the years, MSAN has developed many partnerships and programs for military spouses which has resulted in more leaders in the military community.

Knowing this, it’s time that we celebrate MSANs 10th year anniversary and recall the top 10 moments of the past 10 years beginning with our first one.

The Birth of MSAN

In 2014, there was a vision that CEO, Verenice Castillo had for MSAN. That vision was to bring military spouses peer-to-peer mentorship and education through MSAN’s first program, the Military Spouse Mentorship Program. Their mission was to educate, empower, and support military spouses, which has remained the top priority for the organization.

As time went on, MSAN began to support all military spouses in all branches of the military. The growth has now become a global tool for all spouses and their families to use and it all began with an idea to help others.

2. New Partnerships with MSAN

With MSAN gaining more notoriety, it resulted in new opportunities and one of them was creating partnerships. In 2015, MSAN was inducted as one of the Military Spouse Employment Partnership’s partners. MSAN also became a member of the military Spouse Ambassador Network. This opportunity allowed MSAN to be a part of a roundtable where they represent and advocate for military spouses and their families. Thanks to the credibility of the programs, MSAN was able to accomplish being part of this official initiative.

3. National Federal Interactions

In 2016, MSAN began to meet with officials from the White House and the Department of Defense. These meetings included officials such as Secretaries of Defense and other top DOD officials. The purpose of these conversations was for MSAN and Department of Defense officials to discuss the needs of the community and what could be done to educate those in need. To this day, MSAN continues to represent at the white house and Department of Defense.

4. Collaborations with Other Installations

2017 launched the first time that MSAN earned its first collaboration with a military installation; Lackland Air Force Base. This collaboration allowed MSAN to reach out to welcome new Air Force military spouses. Today MSAN is one of the resources shared with brand new military spouses and significant others from the Air Force and Space Force Basic Military Training.

5. Non Profit Champions of the year

In 2020, MSAN was recognized as one of the winners for Newmans Owns Awards. They were one of 20 champions and received $30,000 for their efforts to create leaders in their communities.

6. MSANs Virtual Mentorship-HUB

Having military spouses living in various parts around the globe, it is easy to feel isolated from your community and because of this, MSAN developed one-of-a-kind Military Spouse Mentorship-HUB. The purpose of the HUB is to bridge military families from every branch of the Armed Forces and their surrounding communities in locations around the world through 24/7 peer-to-peer mentorship, resources, programs and much more. The Hub has been a great place for spouses to not only seek mentorship but to also build a sense of belonging in a community and find connections with other military spouses.

7. The Launch of MSAN’s Military Spouse Leadership Development Program

In 2021, MSAN launched their Military Spouse Leadership Development Program with the goal of making military spouses into leaders that could help make an impact on their communities. The program, which launched in 2021 in partnership with the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University, brings more educational tools/mentorship to spouses.

This is a unique leadership training offered to military spouses and as of today, over 3,800 military spouses have shown their interest to be part of this training. By the end of 2024, MSLDP will have a network of over 250 trained leaders. The impact that this training has had on the community has earned recognition from Department of Defense officials, the White House, and other community leaders.

8. Military Mental Health Allies

Mental Health has always been important to MSAN, and now in 2024, MSAN has launched a Mental Health Ally certification for MSAN members. The Mental Health Ally training is exclusively for eligible MSAN members through trusted partner, Psych Hub. This certification empowers members in MSAN’s mentorship program to further educate themselves on the topic of mental health and understand the impact it has on their community.

According to a survey taken by members of the Military Spouse Mentorship-HUB, 93% of respondents said military spouses and families need additional mental health support, and 96% of respondents said they would benefit from mental health training and resources. MSAN is proud to provide these vital resources to our community.

9. MSLDP Grew Into Something More

The success that MSAN had with the Military Spouse Leadership Development Program began to catch the interest of other Ivy League institutions. In 2024, Notre Dame recognized the impact that MSLDP had on developing leaders and has now launched a new collaboration with MSAN, bringing military spouses even more training to further develop their leadership skills to make their own impact in their communities.

Opportunities like this one is a milestone that highlights all of the great things that have been accomplished, but it also represents the exciting future that awaits MSAN and the spouses they continue to help.

10. We can’t share this one just yet…

Stay tuned for the big announcement on January 6, 2025 to see what’s next for MSAN. Be sure to sign up for our email newsletter below to be the first to know!

Want to be a part of the celebration?

Help us celebrate MSAN’s birthday with our exclusive 10th anniversary swag! This will be the ONLY chance you can purchase items with our special anniversary logo–so act fast!

Proceeds from each purchase will support MSAN’s mission and programs, including peer-to-peer mentorship and our free, virtual leadership trainings.

This fundraiser closes on December 12. Click here to order now.

MSANs 10th Year Anniversary

The Birth of MSAN