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Chelsea Carlson
Advocacy in Action
When Air Force spouse Chelsea Carlson’s family received orders to Maxwell Air Force Base, one of their first priorities was education.
Like many military families, they carefully researched school options before the move. While Chelsea and her family were fortunate to secure a spot at Maxwell Elementary Middle School, she quickly learned that educational opportunities remained a concern for many military families in the area.
“It was concerning to hear that some service members even consider declining orders due to concerns about their children’s education.” - Chelsea Carlson
During her first year serving as Second Vice President of the Maxwell-Gunter Spouses’ Club (MGSC), where she oversees the scholarship program, Chelsea began asking what families do when their children reach high school. Through conversations with fellow spouses, the Maxwell School Liaison, and community members, she discovered that many families faced difficult choices. Some chose to live farther from the installation in stronger school districts, while others pursued private school options that were not financially feasible for every family.
As a private school graduate and former member of the Advancement Team at Duchesne Academy in Omaha, Nebraska, Chelsea understood both the value of educational choice and the financial realities many families face. So she proposed creating scholarships for high school tuition for military-connected students. The board unanimously supported the initiative.
The Maxwell-Gunter Spouses’ Club has a long history of investing in education, awarding $65,000 in college scholarships this year alone. But Chelsea saw an opportunity to expand that impact.
Following a successful pilot year, MGSC doubled funding for the scholarships and introduced an online application process to better support families navigating PCS moves and changing schedules. Funded entirely through proceeds from the Maxwell Thrift Shop, the program is helping create additional educational opportunities for military-connected families.
While Chelsea may not have set out to follow a formal framework, she demonstrated the very process that we know strengthens the quality of life for military families. Chelsea’s story reflects something Five & Thrive sees time and again through the Quality of Life Experience (QX) Model. Meaningful change often begins when someone listens, identifies a challenge, brings together the right partners, and takes action.
By recognizing a need, engaging stakeholders, and helping create a community-driven solution, Chelsea transformed concern into action. Her efforts are helping military families access educational opportunities while strengthening one of the most important pillars of quality of life: education.