Organization helps military families get an education

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - Taylor Curry, 22, always had his heart set on attending a private college but didn't know how he'd afford it. That was before he heard about the nonprofit called ThanksUSA.

"It definitely made life a bit easier in the sense that it helped me pay for school and taking care of the financial aspect of going to college made it easier for me to focus on my studies as opposed to worrying about how to pay for school," Curry said.

The organization provides educational opportunities to families of U.S. troops. It got Taylor a scholarship at Columbia University. He graduated last spring, moved to the Lower East Side, and landed a job in the city as an analyst for a management consultant firm.

ThanksUSA also just started another initiative called Pathways for Patriots. Its purpose is to help military families find careers in competitive industries.

"Sometimes when everyone around you is in the military that's all you consider when you think about what you want to do as a career, so something that places other options in front of you I think would be like a great program," Curry said.

Taylor's father, Michael, was an Army first sergeant killed in Afghanistan in 2007. He knows his dad is looking down proudly on him and that he'd be glad to know his son received assistance that paved the way for his success.

Taylor's goal all along was to live and work in New York City. He is happy at his job and also feels endless possibilities lie ahead. His advice for other people from military families is to do research your research. He said so many resources are out there that can help you.