Social Worker
She always cared about others, including animals. A random college course changed her career goal.
FAMILY BACKGROUND
MS is an only child. Her parents divorced when she was an infant, so she was raised by her mother, a secretary / paralegal and stepfather while also spending time with her maternal grandparents.
CHILDHOOD THOUGHTS OF AN ADULT CAREER
During her elementary school years, MS and several girlfriends discussed owning a farm together since they all loved horses and outdoor activities. As a high school student, MS enjoyed biology courses, which she thought would be helpful toward a future career as a veterinarian.
COLLEGE DECISIONS
With a veterinarian career goal, MS researched colleges and universities offering strong programs in biology. She applied to nine schools within a two-hour drive from home plus, just for fun, a tenth school in Georgia. She was accepted at all ten and then hesitated to decide where to enroll out of concern that once she started down that academic path, she would be committed to becoming a vet but……… what if she changed her mind over the next four college years? So, MS decided to attend the local, two-year community college for several reasons: (1) less financial pressure on her single mother due to relatively inexpensive tuition while living at home; and (2) an opportunity to sample a wider variety of college courses rather than immediately focusing on one major: biology.
RANDOM COLLEGE COURSE CHANGES A CAREER PATH (not unusual!)
As a first year, community college student, MS took all the required courses and proved to herself that she could succeed as a college student. In contrast to the details involved in the study of biology, MS’ first semester course in General Psychology was interesting and enjoyable so for second semester, she enrolled in Abnormal Psychology, which was truly fascinating to learn about different behaviors, some pre-determined at birth, others influenced by life events plus the variety of caring treatments which could be specifically tailored to improve the life of everyone. MS was hooked; she refocused her courses to major in psychology.
INTERNSHIP PROVIDES EXPERIENCE AND CONFIRMS A CAREER PATH
During community college summers, MS found employment as an aide in a local behavioral health program, where she regularly met with young adult groups, some of which focused on the LGBTQ youth community. Drug and alcohol issues were common. To assist with a summer camp program for children with emotional support issues, MS learned physical restraint skills (e.g. how to wrestle a child larger than herself to the ground, if necessary). MS’ grandfather had introduced MS to outdoor jogging, which athletic background she used for sprinting after 12-year-olds who were attempting to run away from the camp. Despite the occasional physical challenges, MS enjoyed establishing even short-term relationships with teenagers whose emotions and behaviors could be observably improved over time.
FIRST JOB WITHIN FIRST CAREER
MS built her written, professional resume based on her superior academic grades and her actual, real-world, relevant experience counseling young adults involved in emotional, behavioral issues. But equally important – and perhaps even more so – was MS’ obvious compassion and mature determination to make a difference in the lives of others, which always impressed those who interviewed her for jobs within mental health and education and eventually for admission to schools beyond college (as will be noted later within this career story).
MS’ first adult career job was a “plug-in” (i.e. not permanently assigned to one specific school) “Mental Health Worker” which was essentially a “counselor” to teenagers with emotional behavior issues. However, within the mental health profession, the word “Counselor” is reserved for those who have at least an academic degree or one level in psychology above a Bachelor’s Degree i.e. Masters or Doctorate (Ph.D.).
CAREER CHALLENGE – LIMITED OR ZERO GROWTH POTENTIAL
As an employee of an outside services contractor to the School District, MS had no opportunity for professional growth, either as a Mental Health Worker with only a Bachelor’s degree or to ensure assignments to work steadily within one school.
RANDOM MOMENT AND SELF CONFIDENCE LEAD TO CAREER CHANGE
One school day, while attending a math class to support the students she was counseling through their emotional / behavioral issues (often related to drug and alcohol dependencies), MS observed how the math teacher was having – in the view of MS – difficulty explaining basic math concepts to the students. Always comfortable with her own math skills, MS thought, quietly to herself, “I could do a better job teaching math than that teacher! And as a teacher, I could work with students in a more positive way, helping them to slowly master an academic skill with my constructive comments to boost their overall confidence in meeting seemingly difficult challenges.”
Soon, MS was researching teacher qualifications and further education programs to attain teaching certification. When she discussed her interest in pursuing a Master’s in Education degree with a (very) well respected university (a member of the ‘Ivy League’), the admissions officer noted that she had taken no education courses during college. MS responded: “I’m willing to get up to the speed required with any education courses but meanwhile, I could benefit my fellow Master’s program classmates with my background of being in a middle school classroom for several years.”
The university pondered MS’ situation and offered a unique approach: If MS passed some basic, online education courses, she would be qualified to student-teach at the elementary school level. Then she could enroll in more advanced education courses at the university to be qualified to student-teach at middle and high school levels.
With that creative plan, MS was accepted into the university’s 10-month, straight through (no summer vacation) Master’s in Education program, from which she graduated and commenced her second career as a middle-school math teacher.
CAREER SATISFACTION
As a mental health counselor, MS was assigned only seven students with whom to interact regarding their emotional and behavioral issues. She spoke with them almost daily and thus was able to develop long-term relationships, toward each becoming a confident, non-dependent adult.
MS especially appreciated the moments when students would seek her out just to be heard or for her advice.
EPILOGUE
MS’ story continues with her decision to alter her career path to become a teacher. To follow her path, see the sequel to MS’ career as a Mental Health Social Worker within her next story: “Education – Middle School Math Teacher”
