Elevate and Endure
Alongside warmer days and budding trees, March brings us into Women’s History Month. It’s a time to gather inspiration from past achievements and face forward with greater determination.
“Make big goals, set high expectations”
is how five-time ACP Mentor Jill O’Sullivan puts it. O’Sullivan, a Senior Vice President at HSBC, has a special talent for helping women discover their purpose by defining their passions.
That was the perfect prescription for Krystie Melton, who had shouldered the role of primary parent during her husband’s 20-year Army service. A dedicated volunteer, Melton signed up for ACP’s mentoring program in 2025 with the goal of working towards a fulfilling, long-term career.
From the start of their mentorship, O’Sullivan helped Melton focus on the things that mattered most to her. “If you’re giving more to your work, you’re taking away from other areas,” says Melton. She explains that putting in unpaid hours at her part-time job was drawing energy from her volunteer fundraising role, which she hopes to turn into a full-time, national position.
Military Spouses, who are often accustomed to accommodate for the greater good, can find it difficult to advocate for themselves. O’Sullivan helped Melton set firm boundaries around her working hours, and with O’Sullivan’s advice, Melton even successfully asked for a raise.
“She was the biggest supporter I could ask for in that moment,” Melton says.
“I have no hesitation about introducing her to my own contacts, because I know she’ll be proactive about the connections,” O’Sullivan says
Most importantly, these changes helped Melton pour more into networking within the nonprofit world, where her passion lies. “I have no hesitation about introducing her to my own contacts, because I know she’ll be proactive about the connections,” O’Sullivan says. Melton now feels like she has a team whose experience she can draw on, for everything from reviewing her slide decks to big-picture career planning.
“Her support and encouragement is next level,” says Melton, who strongly encourages other Military Spouses to sign up for a mentorship. She has some advice for them as they begin: “Be completely honest with your Mentor about where you are in life, and any fears that you have,” she says. “They can only help you if they have the right information.”
O’Sullivan agrees and adds that she gets great personal satisfaction from working with Melton. “I feel like her cheerleader,” says O’Sullivan. “She is a true self-starter, with so much enthusiasm and positivity.”
Whether you are looking for your next passion project or just need some help breaking your goals down to tangible actions, an ACP Mentor can help you get there. Military Spouses and
