TPS Spotlight: Maggie Knight Knaub
Maggie Knight Knaub is a force! She is a former study abroad student, multilingual, a distance runner, a speech-language pathologist, and a yoga teacher. Maggie’s life as a military spouse officially began in 2010, but has roots back to May 2007 when she and her husband began a long-distance relationship. In the early stages, Maggie could have chosen to attend a university closer to him, but was steadfast in pursuing her own goals. Dating someone attending a service academy was a preview of the unconventional life she would lead.
Over the years, Maggie never stopped reaching for the things she wanted. Her aspirations led her to a year-long study abroad program in two countries, earning her bachelor’s degree and eventually a master’s degree. Military life presented its challenges along the way, particularly when completing her graduate program. Maggie and her husband welcomed their first child near the end of her first year of school. As with many military families, they were far away from any support systems they would have otherwise had as a civilian family. With her husband away on countless TDYs and a 6-month training in sight, Maggie opted to extend her program track from two years to three. Her family moved two times before she completed the program and started her career as a speech-language pathologist. Finally, at their new duty station, Maggie got a taste for the professional life she had been envisioning. She found that connecting with others in a way that challenged her intellect was exhilarating.
The dynamic lifestyle of being married to an active duty service member continued to present numerous challenges, though, which eventually led to the decision for Maggie to stop working professionally in order to provide a sense of stability for their family. She has been out of the professional sphere for over a year now to be home with their two boys. There are times when she genuinely misses the challenges the workplace presented and the sense of identity it gave; however, in true military spouse fashion, she has found other means to challenge herself. Always having been a physically active individual, Maggie has thrown herself into her long-time love of distance running, completing a handful of ultra-marathons. Most recently, she completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training. Additionally, she has connected with other women who have felt the same sense of isolation as her and developed a passion for uplifting and empowering others. Initially it seemed military life may have thrown her off course, but she feels it laid the groundwork for harboring resilience and adaptability. The trials of being a military spouse have allowed Maggie to hone her skills of thinking outside the box and recognizing when a change needs to take place. For the Knaub family, this has meant a pause in professional life, but not a pause in aspirations. In an effort to support those who have felt isolated, Maggie has a newfound vision of creating a platform to encourage others to remain steadfast in pursuit of their goals, to honor their path, and know that they are not alone. As this is in the works, there may be a return to professional life, but what is certain is the ceaseless determination of this milspouse. Maggie Knight Knaub is The Paradigm Switch!
In Her Words:
“I hope to create a space where others feel safe to seek help in whatever form they need. I didn’t have this support for many years, and I feel called to be that light for others. The steps before me are a bit daunting; however, I think surrounding herself with career-focused individuals like those at The Paradigm Switch is a beautiful starting point. It would be a privilege to become involved. As someone who has faced the challenges of breaks in a career due to military life, I wholeheartedly believe in the mission and vision of The Paradigm Switch. If being a military spouse has taught me anything, it’s that I am a badass woman and it’s about time that I am surrounded by others like me. It’s so exciting to see the work being done at The Paradigm Switch. It’s about damn time somebody steps up to offer this model for spouses. It’s not only the service member who serves, it is also the spouse and family. This needs to be recognized. I believe TPS is bringing this to light.”
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Want to share you story? Send us an email! Contact Trevor at trevor@theparadigmswitch.org — We look forward to hearing about your journey!
