Transitioning from military to civilian life is never going to be easy. CDI has helped make that transition into finding a career I have a passion in effortless. Their admissions department gave me all the information I needed, and did all the heavy lifting with the GI bill® so I didn’t have to worry.

After serving in the Army for six years I was ready for a new kind of adventure. That's when I found commercial diving and decided to dive in—literally. I chose CDI in Goodyear, Arizona, because they know how to translate military skills into diving excellence, with some of the instructors being veterans themselves. They didn't just teach me how to dive; they showed me how my discipline and resilience I learned in the military could make me a standout commercial diver. The support and respect for veterans at CDI were second to none. They understood the transition from military to civilian life isn't always easy, but they made it feel seamless. They were all about getting me ready for the real deal, and it paid off. Now, I'm with General Dynamics Electric Boat, working on the most advanced nuclear submarines out there. It’s a whole new world for me, and I’m loving the challenge. Thanks to CDI, I’ve managed to find a career that pushes me to learn daily and uses my military background to its fullest.

My name is Emma Elsy. I grew up in Arizona and knew that I wanted to do something diving related. Community College was not for me, I did one semester and said “absolutely not.” I found CDI and I knew that this was exactly what I wanted to do. I was already an advanced scuba diver going into the program so I had a leg up. It was hard being the youngest in this program and also being a woman on top of that. It was intimidating but it taught me a lot of things and gave me a lot of different paths. I enjoyed working with my team at CDI. I got a job before I graduated working as a diver in the keys cleaning boats. School prepared me for the routine that I have with the job. I found a place to stay and I couldn’t ask for anything better. I’m happy that I perused CDI and found a path that will open math other doors for me.