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26-year-old Jonathan Pascual (U.S. Marines, 2018-2022) returned to civilian life with the goal to return to his first career path in the security industry. Right out of high school, Jonathan began working as a security guard and Community Service Guard for the University of California Police Department. A recruiter persuaded him to join the military where he served in the Marines as a Motor Transport Operator for 4 years. Upon returning from his service, Jonathan faced economic hardship and getting back into the security industry was not as easy as he imagined.
Jonathan knew that in order to gain fulfilling employment, he needed his guard card training but he didn’t have the means to cover the training costs. Searching for assistance in his employment search, he learned about Swords to Plowshares through word-of-mouth. Jonathan met with an employment specialist at Swords and laid out his goals to get his training sponsored and eventually apply for armed security guard positions. Not only was he able to receive sponsorship for his training, Swords was also able to assist with gas and interview clothing funds so he could be fully focused on achieving his goals. This boosted Jonathan’s confidence and empowered him to apply to positions he otherwise would not have felt qualified for.
After interacting with many companies, Jonathan accepted a position with Allied Universal Security Services as an Operations Manager. He is thriving in his new role. “Take opportunities and know that there are always resources for veterans,” Jonathan says. “Swords to Plowshares gave me the resources.” His position includes overseeing staffing needs, providing him with a leadership role he aims to support other veterans with. He looks forward to helping veterans facing the same challenges he once did and hopes to help bridge the veteran unemployment gap by helping others find a career path in the security industry.