Local graduate serves country in a big way

Selina Carr-McEwen is a 2000 graduate of Alamogordo High School with a BA (2005) and an MBA (2008) from New Mexico State University. Today, Carr-McEwen is a senior budget analyst for the U.S. Defense Health Agency (DHA), responsible for reporting nearly $15 billion in salaries paid to more than 135,000 civilian and military employees of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).

With a top-secret security clearance, Carr-McEwen also provides financial advice to military leadership and other federal agencies and programs; she earned a second master’s degree in military operational art and science from Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in 2016.

Her previous jobs have included senior financial specialist for foreign military sales and lead budget analyst with oversight of electronic warfare investment and modernization, both with DOD, and senior financial analyst in the Office of Air Force Surgeon General.

“I’m on an incredible journey,” Carr-McEwen said. A former military spouse, now divorced with an 11-year-old daughter, Carr-McEwen, 41, is a “military brat.” She was born in England during her father’s military service.

Working on the civilian side “is my way of serving without putting on the uniform,” she said. “I still wanted to serve our country.”

Carr-McEwen is planning to continue her career with Uncle Sam until retirement and is looking for the next step up with a move to Colorado in the near future.

Her message to high school and college students thinking about joining the workforce who might want to follow her career path is, “Reach for the stars.”

You can also reach out to her.

“I’ll mentor anyone any time,” Carr-McEwen said.

That means helping others learn how to navigate the system, look for federal jobs and build a resume that gets results.

“Be an advocate, be an opportunity spotter, learn the buzz words,” said Carr-McEwen, who began her career as an office automation assistant at Holloman Air Force Base and later worked at White Sands Missile Range before moving to Washington, D.C.

Decide on your area of interest and start looking at jobs (www.usajobs.gov is a good place to begin), she said. And don’t forget about internships that may be available in your field of interest.

“Definitely don’t give up and don’t be discouraged,” Carr-McEwen said, noting that she applied for about 40 jobs before she started getting calls for interviews.

“There are jobs out there,” Carr-McEwen said, but “not a lot of people know how to get into the government. It’s a very stable career,” she said. “Just apply. There are careers doing absolutely everything you can imagine.”

Carr-McEwen said she would “love to go back to Alamogordo” to mentor high school students and return to Las Cruces to help NMSU set up a mentorship program.

“I love to pay the lessons that I’ve learned forward,” she said.

“I just keep getting these phenomenal, incredible opportunities,” Carr-McEwen said.

Earning defense financial management certification a few years ago is one of Carr-McEwen’s proudest accomplishments.

She failed part of the exam the first time she took it, but persevered, took classes, studied hard and earned the highly valued certification.

“I wanted that designation,” she said. “I’m always trying to learn.”

Carr-McEwen was selected to participate in Harvard University’s Phenomenal Women Global leadership conference in 2022 and was voted class president by the nearly 60 women attending from 22 countries around the world.

“It was incredible, it was transformational,” Carr-McEwen said.

Carr-McEwen, who has a New Mexico room in her Virginia home, has started a side business, Level-It Up, to help people “go to the next level” of employment. Her ultimate goal is to catch the attention of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and revolutionize the way the federal government hires and promotes employees. It’s a program she would also like to share with NMSU.

“It’s all about connecting,” Carr-McEwen said.

Contact Selina Carr-McEwen at selinamcewen@yahoo.com or on LinkedIn

Visit www.health.mil/About-MHS/OASDHA/Defense-Health-Agency.