Final paper - for Zeek the Geek only

Caucasian American with several ethnicities: Polish, Hungarian, Black Foot Native American, French, English, Russian. I’m considered middle-class, though at one point my family was in the lower class for about a 1-year period after my dad retired from the Marine Corps in 2007 and lost the new job he had got shortly after retiring.

How do you feel these factors have impacted your career development throughout your life?

 Being from so many ethnicities has helped me to have the desire to explore different types of people and things that pertain my future career. I think my socioeconomic status as helped me the most – I know what it’s like to live amongst a vast amount of social classes – from upper-middle class, to living in poverty in Cambodia. I’ve even experienced poverty in the US. All of which gives me the empathy needed to understand a vast amount of people.

Do you have children? If so names, ages, are they employed, students?

 No, just a 1 year old puppy.

What is/was your father’s occupation and highest level of education?

 My dad is a retired Marine (served for 21 years and 9 months), and is currently a high-school representative for Lincoln Technical College. His highest level of education is a GED.

What is/was your mother’s occupation and highest level of education?

 My mom works for the LEGO Company as a Consumer Representative. Her highest level of education is a high school diploma.

When you were growing up what emphasis was placed on education?

Growing up, there was always a huge emphasis on education. Since my dad only had a GED, and my mom just a high school diploma – it was expected that I was going to go to college, and had to get good grades to do so. Needless to say, studying and homework were a top priority.

Work? Job satisfaction? Making money?

There wasn’t a huge emphasis on work when I was very young. The only time my parents suggested that I get a job was when I was 16 and I started asking to “borrow” money from them a lot. Their motto was: If I wanted something I had to work for it and buy it myself. As for job satisfaction, that was never brought up. My parents always told me to grow up to be whatever I wanted. There wasn’t a “talk” on getting a job that I liked necessarily, because they already set that expectation that I could do whatever I dreamed. As for making money, that wasn’t a discussion neither. I was taught at a young age how to save money and to spend it like crazy, and I’ve carried that into my current role in life. But I was never taught to pick a job based on it’s salary, just like I was never taught to live above my means.

What are your current life roles (parent, student, etc.)?

Daughter, sister, student

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

I’m a very dedicated person, and put in a 100% to everything I do. The only issue that I currently have is that I tend to get this feeling of being “stuck” in things, and have an issue with commitment. I don’t quit things, it just takes a long time for me to join/start things because I’m afraid of how much I’ll need to commit. For example, starting the program at Bay Path was a huge thing for me because I’m so used to moving (when my dad was a Marine my family moved 19 times in 22 years), I was afraid of how long it would keep me in New England.

What have been your 3 major accomplishments in your life?

1. Graduating with 2 BA’s by the time I was 22.

2. Being awarded Senior Class Speaker of my undergraduate graduating class.

3. Living in Cambodia and Israel.

What personality traits do you feel help you excel in your work?

I’m reliable, competent, encouraging, confident, cultured, creative, trusting.

What personality traits do you feel hinder your work?

I’m very independent (not always a good thing), impulsive, and I tend to care too much.

In 5 years, where do you see yourself?

Hopefully, in a PhD program, or at least finishing one. Maybe in a relationship – I’m not dating anyone now, and got out of a relationship a year ago. I’ve just found that I’m too busy to involve myself with someone at the moment. I hope I’ve moved out of my parents house, because I can afford to live on my own!

What is your educational background?

 I have a BA in Theology and a BA in English from Southeastern University (Lakeland FL). I’m currently enrolled in Bay Path’s LMHC program (1 year to go!).

Do you have any additional education, training, or skills (certifications, licenses, courses, seminars)?

 Believe it or not, I’m a certified make-up artist. Also, I have a pastoral license, am trained in teaching English as a second language, and trained in credit card fraud review.

What is your volunteer experience?

1. Every summer of my undergraduate career I spent my summers in Cambodia teaching English as a second language. Not only that but I would take part in group therapy for children that have been rescued in the sex trade.

2. I volunteered at a church doing children’s ministry for a year in 2012.

3. I’ve been part of non-profits that feed the homeless.

4. Food donations, clinical awareness and day camps in urban areas of Lakeland, Florida.

5. Sports camp at Florida Children’s Baptist Home.

6. Kapp PEI Tau – support group for young women at Southesatern University.

What are your hobbies or special interests?

I love to travel, and explore new places – I try to take one “big” trip every year, and several small ones through out. It’s my goal to experience a new place once a month. This past summer my “big” trip was going to India to work with women who were involved in human trafficking. In my time off, I traveled around the country taking pictures and exploring.

I also love to read – I’ve already developed my own library, and it’s gotten to the point, I have no where to put anymore books.

I play tennis – I actually went to my school because I was awarded a tennis scholarship during my undergrad.

Other hobbies of mine include photography, cooking, knitting, and sewing.

What is your employment history?

I started working for the LEGO Company when I was 17 in customer service. I was given the chance to return working for them every time I was back home on break during my undergrad. I worked as a teaching assistant for Southeastern University. It was at that college that I was also a Resident Assistant, and worked with a leadership team that taught freshman level courses. (see CV for detailed info).

 What do you like or dislike about your current job?

I hate the entire corporate environment. It’s very “cut-throat” everyone is out to get one another in order to gain a better position. I love the people I work with – I’ve known them for a long time, so they make it worth it. But my job can be stressful in a sense that I feel like I’m not making a difference in people’s lives. Sure, I help them learn how to contact their bank if someone steals their info and uses their credit card to make unauthorized purchases…but at the end of the day, where does that get me? I guess the other issue is that because I already know the population that I want to work with – it’s difficult for me to sit in an office, go to meetings with management whose only out to make money, and not do what I really want.

What aspects of your work situations has been the most satisfying (salary, autonomy, coworkers, tasks, responsibility, variety, etc.)?

 Overall, my coworkers that I work closely with are what get me going everyday.

The most dissatisfying?

I can careless about the salary, because to be honest it’s no that great but I like that I basically manage myself and my boss isn’t a micro manager. I wish there was more variety – I basically do the same exact thing every day. An average day looks like this: research fraud trends, review possible fraudulent orders, go to a meeting, and then talk to a few banks. Literally, it’s the same stuff everyday.

How have you dealt with work stress in the past?

 There are a few ways that I deal with stress, they are:

1. Working out. Such as running, doing yoga, playing tennis, or weight lifting.

2. Journaling – writing out everything that stresses me out, then leaving it on the paper.

3. Drinking tea and reading poetry.

4. Talking to a friend (particularly my best friend Nancy who I went to college with).

5. Get a massage.

What self-care activities do you employ to assist with stress management?

1. Sleep! Sleeping is the most important thing for me – if I’m not sleeping right, I makes me feel worse. If I’m having problems sleeping, I drink chamomile tea take melatonin and journal.

2. Eat right. I’m actually gluten intolerant. My doctor had me stop eating gluten in July 2013. When I’m stressed, the number one thing I start to crave is anything with gluten (particularly bread). It’s very important for me that I don’t eat it because I get very sick…which isn’t good for stress.

3. I make sure I get dressed in the morning, do my hair and put make up on. If I don’t feel good about the way I look, it’s going to bring my mood down. So, why not try to improve it by simply getting dressed?

4. Like I listed before…I work out! I run my stress off, get the endorphins going, and make sure that my body stays in shape.

5. I keep a schedule. Most of the time, when I’m stressed it’s because I have a lot going on. So, I make lists for my month, week and day. So, it gives me knowledge of what I have going on and it feels great checking something off of my list once it’s been completed.

If you could have any job what would it be?

Honestly? I would have a job working with the sex trafficking population. It wouldn’t just be situated here in the US, but it would give me the capability to work with people overseas.

Who or what has had the greatest influence on your career choice?

 My dad and my kids in Cambodia. My dad because he has PTSD and I’ve been able to see the wonders therapy can do for a person first-hand. As for my kids in Cambodia, they changed my entire perspective on life: things can always be worse; it just depends on how we deal with the situations handed to us that create our happiness. I do a lot of the things in my life because of my kids in Cambodia. They’ve been through the most traumatic experiences imaginable, yet they live life with true happiness and joy. Like my dad, I’ve seen through them, what therapy can do.

What are your current career goals?

My goal is to graduate from Bay Path, work on my licensing, and then apply for a few PhD programs in Clinical Psychology. I’m looking at UMass or UConn. I’d love to work for a non-profit, particularly Connecticut’s Coalition Against Human Trafficking.

Are there any personal issues such as family, health, physical limitations, etc. that may prevent you from achieving your career goals?

Only thing I can think of is my dad’s therapy. He’s the reason I moved back to CT from FL – he needed a better support system at home. So, I decided to move back because of him.

What other obstacles might get in the way of you achieving your career goals?

Honestly? Fear. I’m afraid of failing. Afraid that I’ll start working and end up hating it – it wont be what I thought. I’m afraid I’ll be stuck here in CT and never go back overseas because I still have so much school ahead of me.