Why I Do What I Do – July 2014

When asked this question, I found it difficult to answer. There are many reasons why I do what I do. The socially correct answer being “because I want to help people” or maybe it is because I get great satisfaction seeing people move forward in life.

The real reason comes down to my past history and how it has shaped me over the last 22 years.

When I was first going to college, I frequently changed career fields.  I wanted work in the hotel industry, as a nurse, and even a teacher.  I couldn’t seem to find my focus. During this process, I had several people tell me “you never finish what you start.”  I heard this from my parents, my  ex-husband, and his family.   They were correct during that time in my life; passion for my work was lacking.  Then I became a single mom.  I went back to school for a degree in Developmental Psychology, and once again heard “you’ll never get a job with that degree.”

I was on a mission to prove to all the naysayers how wrong they were.  I would finish this degree and get a job no matter what it took.  I had a daughter to provide for, and she was my inspiration and passion.  I was on TANF and wanted to prove that it is possible to move forward through life’s difficulties with determination and hard work.  I lived in a housing situation where it was normal to stay home with your children and let others take care of me, a job being only the remotest of possibilities.  This wasn’t going to happen to me.

I graduated from College and I was able to find my first paying job at $6.35 per hour working with people with disabilities at another agency.  After another couple of years,  I looked towards working in a larger setting so I could impact more individuals who wanted to enter the workforce.  I came to Career Path Services in 1998.  I loved working with the people and watching them grow and find success.

In 2007, I found myself at a crossroads.  I wanted to have an impact in bettering the lives of people I served, but I had come full circle and wanted to try something different.  I wanted to help those at the beginning, who were in a place of frustration and loss of self.  I understood their situation, and wanted to show these people struggling with their dreams that there is hope and the possibility for success.  I moved to the Career Path Services’ Commerce Unit, and the daily interactions I have with our parents make me appreciate where I have been, where I  am now, and where I am headed in the future.