SANFORD, Fla. — Transitioning from civilian life to military life is one thing, but once you leave the military, then what?

A Seminole County veteran found getting back into civilian life wasn't easy and was stressful, but he made it work. 

A typical day for Geovan Acosta these days is spending eight hours on his feet at the Goodwill Store in downtown Sanford. It's tiring, but he enjoys it.

"Not an emotional attachment, but I've built myself a little home here with the employees and the customers, so we have a bond," Acosta said.

He's been at the store for more than three years after spending time in the Army National Guard. He was a unit supply specialist at Fort Jackson, definitely not an eight-hour-a-day job.

"I was in charge of everything in the armory," Acosta recalled. "A new soldier came into the base, I was in charge of giving them the equipment, making sure all of the serial numbers are in line."

That is a lot of responsibility.

"And I really had to learn from other supply sergeants to really do my job efficiently, so that was really one of the biggest challenges that I took," he said. "You use those experiences that you learn from those tough times to make you a better person in whatever you do."

When Acosta decided to leave the military, becoming a civilian wasn't easy for two reasons.

"The way you speak," he said. "The way that soldiers speak to each other is kind of a more aggressive tone, you know? There is a sense of urgency."

There was also the stress of finding a job with hiring hesitancy after the COVID-19 pandemic.

"So I originally went back to where I was working at in high school, at Wendy's," Acosta said. "I went for a bit. Then a family member of mine worked at Goodwill."

He started as a part-time cashier, then made it to full time and is now an assistant manager. It worked out for him, and he has some advice for others.

"Be persistent, you know," Acosta said. "I tend to think about everything as a minor setback or a major comeback, and I was getting stressed out not finding a job, and now I've been here for the past three years."

Goodwill has a program called "Goodwill Connects." It helps place people with job and housing resources and with other aspects of life. More information about Goodwill Connects is available on its website.