In the Army, Ulrich Nkou Sembe worked as an operating room specialist. When he got his first civilian job after transitioning out of military life, he went on to do the same thing in the private sector.
That seamless transition is courtesy of the U.S. Army’s PaYS program, which stands for Partnership for Youth Success. The program has been around for more than 20 years and is a recruiting tool that ensures up to five job interviews upon separation from the Army with corporate partners committed to hiring former service men and women.
“I liked the uniform,” said Nkou Sembe, who is still in the Army Reserves. “And I like my job. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been worth it.”
In addition to his job as a surgical technologist at HCA Healthcare in Texas, Nkou Sembe is also at Houston Community College studying biology. He plans to go to medical school and hopes to become a flight surgeon or field surgeon in the Army one day.
“That is the goal,” he said.
