Navy Lieutenant Commander Jai Salters has devoted his life to tirelessly serving not just the citizens of the United States but also the men and women beside him.
“I grew up in a single-parent household where my mom raised me and my two sisters. I wasn’t really taught the value of education. My mom had it rough growing up and that translated to me being in foster care with my siblings for a while,” he explained. “I’ve had to be resilient and adapt and that’s just been who I’ve been throughout my life. I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what I’ve been through, but in a sense, I am grateful for the lessons I’ve learned.”
As he was finishing high school in New York City, Salters knew he couldn’t afford college but was actively trying to find a way to make it happen. Just 40 blocks from the Twin Towers, he watched the terrorist attacks unfold in real-time.
“My biggest regret is that I didn’t go down there and try to help in some way. I joined the Navy exactly one year later as a way to make up for that missed opportunity because it had such a profound effect on me,” Salters said.
Though veterans often lament and share recruiter stories, he was adamant that he had a great recruiter who gave it to him straight. He laughingly recalled discovering what “voluntold” meant during his first assignment to one of his first units.
“Honestly, I had incredible leaders throughout the beginning of my career in the Navy. I needed that because I had a chip on my shoulder,” he added.
As he approached a decade in uniform, Salters felt stuck. At the time, he didn’t have a degree or a plan for what to do after service. Mentors pointed him in the right direction toward opportunities and resources; it was full steam ahead after that. He earned several certifications and degrees and began sharing his knowledge with others. When a senior leader asked him to give a briefing to his fellow sailors, Salters admitted he initially balked.
“It was horrible. I mumbled through most of it and put too many words on the slides. Everything that could go wrong went wrong, and my senior chief told me I was going to do it again the following week,” he said. “When it all started, I didn’t feel comfortable, but these leaders helped me push past all of that. Then an Army warrant officer started coaching me and encouraging me to look into business when I got out. This started my road to entrepreneurship, and I haven’t looked back.”
When one of those sailors he briefed used the resources he provided and wrote to tell him he secured his dream job of being a teacher after transitioning, Salters knew he was on the right path.
In 2010, he was recognized with the Bob Hope Spirit of Hope Award for his efforts to bring resources to sailors, and by 2015, he was commissioned from chief to lieutenant.
“I think in the beginning of my career I felt like I had a point to prove, right? Especially to prove that I had worth. It’s because of the Navy that I realized that’s not where my purpose lies at all, but rather it’s about me helping others find theirs,” Salters explained. “There are over 40,000 organizations devoted to helping the military community, and it’s my job to create the pipeline to make it easy to access the opportunities they provide.”
In 2021, he founded Act Now Education, which is quickly becoming the biggest hub for veteran resources related to education and employment. Salters said the organization has helped 150 service members secure jobs after transitioning, and he has a goal of making that number 1,000 before he retires from the Navy in 2027.
“Life is about learning, growing and having experiences. A lot of people are sometimes very critical of themselves, and that can put you in a space where you don’t feel like you have what it takes. But I’m here to say that you do, essentially, because life is just a journey and these experiences are really going to help you understand what you’re capable of,” Salters said. “Even if you go through something and you’re not able to successfully complete it, whatever it is, you still learn more than if you never tried at all. I would encourage people to lean in a little bit more. Don’t be afraid to take the leap because you don’t want to leave anything on the table.”
Since launching the nonprofit, Salters has helped over 200 people earn master’s degrees at no cost, as well as over 300 certifications, all with an all-volunteer force. He is currently deployed in Singapore, so when he finishes his day job as an officer, he picks up his roles as husband, father and mentor in the evenings.
“There shouldn’t be a need for Act Now, but the more we do this, the more we realize it’s just what people need sometimes,” Salters said. “You need that support, that backup and those opportunities. I’m thankful to be able to do that for others.”
You can learn more about Act Now Education here.