Every Tuesday, Mackenzie brings home her Red Folder, which contains all the graded papers from the previous week for us to look over. A couple of weeks ago, Mackenzie's class had an assignment which provided a short description of a job, and the students had to match the illustration that was being depicted in the statement (see below). Other than the fire fighter, all the other "male dominated" professions were represented by men, while the veterinarian, reporter, writer child care worker were women.
How are children, both boys and girls, supposed to think the sky is the limit and that they can be anything they want to be when they are, at an early age, are being exposed to activities like this where roles are divided clearly for the jobs men and women do in the community?
I wonder who I can contact to make a change about this activity. It wouldn't hurt to expose children to jobs where both males and females are in those professions typical deemed male and female dominated.
Just thought I'd share my thoughts...
Also, I haven't forgotten. I owe y'all another HerStory interview. It's almost ready and should be posted by Wednesday.
Hi Everyone! I'm excited to announce that my pre-recorded Internet radio show interview has completed its final step, and it is now ready for the world to hear! Last night I received an email from the Executive Producer that my interview will air on April 29 and 20, 2013. Here's the link for where you can access the interview: http://www.wnbnetworkwest.com/WnbAuthorsShowChildren.html.
Photo Credit: The Authors Show
It's been a semi-long process, but so totally worth it!
Here are the steps I had to take to get to where I am now.
1. Complete a request for the Children Authors Show on their website. The cool thing is that The Authors Show has various shows for different categories of books. Check it out at the link provided above.
2. Complete a pre-screen with a short list of questions to answer.
3. Complete a detailed and thorough questionnaire for the interview.
4. Connect with the host to determine a few dates and times to conduct the interview.
5. The host then sends the questions he will ask during the recording and you prep for them.
6. Complete the Internet radio interview.
7. Once completed, the recording is sent to Arizona, where the recording is professionally edited.
8. When the recording is ready, you will be informed of when your interview will be broadcasted.
9. You promote the broadcast on your social media sites, just as much as they do.
And that my friends is what it takes to get approved to be on the show. Can't wait for everyone to hear it!
If you have any friends who have published a book (or books) and looking for ways to promote their works, I highly recommend this option. What I've listed above is all done for FREE, it just takes time that you have to be willing to commit to. They have packages you can purchase to help you promote your book(s). Lastly, there is also have an option for television interviews for a fee.
Hope this helps anyone. =)
Have a great day everyone!It's almost weekend time!
I meet Zenia on a work trip in El Paso, TX, during a site visit at the University of Texas - El Paso. Go Miners! Zenia was one of the few females in the engineering programs at the university. The first time I heard her speak was during a presentation she was working on for her thesis. Let me tell you this, the girl knows her stuff! Though I was thoroughly confused during the presentation, nonetheless, it was a great presentation. I know Zenia will make great strides in the world of engineering and has a great future ahead of her. I also know her fiance, another Miner, who I had the opportunity to place on an internship at Johnson Space Center. Read about Zenia below!
1. Name - Zenia
Garcia
2. City and State - El
Paso, TX
3. What is your
educational background? (Include colleges/universities and degrees attained)
The University of Texa at El
Paso/ B.S, M.S Mechanical Engineering
4. What types of courses
does your degree require? (If no degree, put "N/A" or list
certificates)
Mathematics, Physics,
Chemistry, Dynamics, Mechanics of Materials, Material Science, Engineering Economy,
Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer, Vibration, Controls, Mechanical
Design etc.
5. What were the most
challenging classes you took and how did you overcome those challenges? (If no
degree, put "N/A" or list certificate classes taken)
The biggest challenge
involved in my course work was the introductory level courses because they was
always challenging to learn a completely new concept. The best way to overcome
this challenge, for me, was finding more people to work with. Having a study
group was always very important to me during my undergraduate and graduate studies
in engineering. Having everyone’s individual understanding of the course work
and then putting it all together, not only helps understand the overall concept
better, but it provides diverse views on the topic. This is important because
in the world of engineering there is never just one way to get to the same
conclusion, so understanding more than one method to come to the same
conclusion, in my opinion, makes a better engineer.
6. Did you complete any
internships/co-ops during school? If so, where did you intern or co-op? (If you didn’t complete
any, put “NA”)
Internship with NASA MSFC:
Summer 2008 & 2009 Co-op with NASA MSFC:
Summer 2010, 2011, & 2012
Photo Credit: Zenia Garcia
7. What company do you
currently work for?
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)
8. What is your job
title?
Structural and Mechanical
Design Engineer
9. What are your day to
day tasks?
Some of my day to day
tasks include 3D modeling, drafting, analysis, tolerance stack up and some
involvement in the manufacturing process.
10. Do you work
independently or in a team environment? Which do you prefer? I work both independently
and with a team. I personally like to work in teams, because I think more can
get done, more efficiently this way.
11. What type of skill
sets are needed for this job? Good communication,
teamwork, engineering fundamentals, being open minded and having creativity.
12. Did you have a
mentor? If so, what was the most important lesson he/she taught you?
I have had many mentors throughout
my studies, ranging from my fellow researchers at my university, to professors,
and professionals at NASA. Some of the most valuable lessons I learned from
everyone are: never give up, it is ok to be wrong, it is ok not to know the answer
to something and to believe in oneself.
13. What do you believe
to be your greatest strength?
My biggest strength is
probably being able to keep an open mind and my willingness to continue to
learn.
14. What do you believe
to be your greatest weakness?
My weakness is probably
my over analytical mind set. I like to look at every possible scenario and this
can sometimes over complicates a simple problem. It’s important for me to
remind myself that being practical is sometimes the best way to go.
15. What are some of your
accomplishments? What accomplishment are you the most proud of?
My biggest accomplishment
has been, to be able to stay focused on what I wanted to do and to have
challenged the odds in order to be where I am today.
16. What are your
hobbies? What do you do for fun?
Rock climbing, mountain
biking, hiking, snowboarding, reading
17. What did you want to
be when you were a child?
As a child I wanted to be
a professional Ice skater.
18. If you could switch
professions with someone else for a day, what would it be and why?
I would switch
professions with a grade school teacher. Our technological future is dependent
on today’s education system, as well as on what we as professional in the math
and science fields do to outreach to the kids of today’s world.
19. What advice would you
give girls wanting to go into your field?
It is not easy to be a
girl in my field, as a minority, it is always necessary to prove yourself to
others, which in the end is a good way to keep you on your toes. Do not be
discouraged by the challenges the field of engineering can bring, but welcome
an opportunity to overcome them. Lastly, don’t let anyone ever tell you that you
are not cut out for the job. With hard work and persistence, you are capable of
accomplishing anything you set your mind to. Many say girls are stubborn
creatures, who said that was a bad thing?
Friday marked the day I participated in my second author visit. This particular school, Ward Elementary, was an honor, because my oldest, Mackenzie, attends school there. It was a very cool feeling to come in, not only as a mom, but as a professional, kind of like Career Day, but only featuring me and my book!
When introducing myself, I asked the group of approximately 250 students if they knew who Mackenzie was, and about 75% of them raised their hands. This, of course, didn't surprise me at all since my girl is a social butterfly and loves to talk to ANYONE and EVERYONE. Needless to say, she was the coolest kid yesterday because everyone thought it was so awesome that her mom was an author.
After introducing myself, I told the students and teachers some cool facts about me, one of which included a video of me being spun in microgravity on the Zero G plane. Can we say A-W-E-S-O-M-E!
After cool facts, we did some activities about jobs in the community, I read the book out loud and the students took the "I Know I Can" pledge. The words come from the chorus of Nas' song, "I Can," which was released in 2003, on his album, God's Son. Trust an believe I cited that bad boy in my Prezi because I wanted to make sure credit was given where it was due, which sometimes people tend to forget to do or don't do at all. Wish I could let the kiddos listen to the whole song, but somehow, I doubt the teachers or parents want their kids hearing some of the lyrics, even though the message is good; however, thanks Nas for an amazing song, just the same!
We had a Q & A session, and I loved hearing all the questions that the students and teachers had for me. Note to myself for next time: have each class in each grade level participating come up with a question as a group and request to have them ready prior to my arrival. With a list of predetermined questions with the associated class teacher's name and grade level, this would allow for a smoother Q & A session. This way, I don't feel bad when some children aren't selected to ask a question because we are running out to time. Also, it is a safeguard for the same question not to be asked multiple times.
I'm not going to lie, it felt good to sell some books, but THE...BEST...PART was definitely when some of the students asked me for hugs, waved at me as they left the library and said thank you for the fun presentation. One little girl asked me to autograph the palm of her hand. I would have so totally done it to feel like a rock star, but I didn't want her to get in trouble with her parents when she got home.
SIDENOTE: though the book is geared for girls, the boys were just as interactive during the presentation as the girls, and enjoyed it equally. I even had a few book orders from the boys. Now, that is what I call winning! Sorry Mr. Sheen, but you ain't got nothing on me and what I am trying to accomplish with my book. ;-) (<--- This last sentence is definitely the Houstonian coming out of me y'all...LOL!)
After the presentation concluded, Mackenzie's teacher came up to me and told me that she loved the fact that I used Prezi rather than a boring old PowerPoint presentation (no offense Microsoft). By the way, if you haven't used Prezi, I highly recommend it. It's very interactive and keeps your audience (especially children) engaged. Only downside is that your presentation is accessible to the public, well the free version at least. So glad I figured that out before I included all the pages of my book on it. Instead, I use the pdf copy my illustrator provided me, turned the pdf into a PowerPoint slide show using the book's physical dimensions and facilitated the book reading from the computer. This proved to be a success because it was large enough for all the children to see, versus me reading the actual book.
All is all, it was a great author visit, and I can't wait to schedule more. Remember, I don't charge for author visits in the Houston and surrounding areas. I only request reimbursement of mileage to and from the venue, and the only money made is through book orders, which are discounted at a lower rate for author visits.
East author visit is a learning experience and a way for me to improve my presentation based on feedback I received for future visits. There are some vital bits of information that I left out, that I didn't realize until I sat down with the Librarian and had a nice conversation about. Needless to say, I will be updating my presentation (again). Onward and upward, right?
Oh yeah, before I forget, Kenzie informed me that one of her friends said that my author visit was the best one he's been to. I honestly don't know how many author visits Ward is used to getting, but the fact that HE made that statement truly made my day. Making a difference in a child's life is one of the most fulfilling feelings EVER!!! What a great way to finish out the week and start the weekend with.
I am so ready for Thursday to get here, because I have a few upcoming events that I am super excited about. I'm ready to get the word out there about my book and take it to the next level. If you are just tuning into the blog and didn't already know, last year I self published my first children's book, When I Grow Up: A Little Girl's Big Boy Dreams. The book serves as a motivational push for little girls to pursue male dominated fields, as well as showing boys, from an early age on, that girls are their equals and that girls can accomplish the same things as boys. The book offers a rhyming couplet of the job titles, a brief description of what each job entails and illustrations of women of all colors, shapes and size doing those jobs deemed male dominated. The book is told from a little girl’s first person perspective, in which she has supportive parents who encourage her to dream big and consider doing any job she wants to, not those just typically geared for females.
Events: April 11, 2013 - I record my interview for The Children Authors Show, which will then be professional edited.
April 12, 2013 - I get to do an author visit at my oldest daughter's elementary school. I was very excited to hear my name mentioned in the automated school wide message this past Sunday, see my name in the school weekly call out on Sunday and see my name on the Principal's page on the school website. This event is the one I am most excited about. Ahhhh, see below!
Photo (Email) Credit: Ward Elementary in Houston, TX
April 13, 2013 - I will be doing a book event at Bouncin' Bears Texas. I hope the owner lets me jump while I'm there! (Then, I get to go back on April 16th and do it all again.)
As always, thanks for stopping by! Please share and/or subscribe.
It's very interesting how I met Kelly. I am actually good friends with her mom, Shannon. I'm also friends with Kelly's younger sister, Jessica. What can I say, it's a great group of girls to hang out with. Kelly is one of the sweetest and nicest people I have ever met. She truly has a passion for caring for and about people. I, for one, know that she would make a great nurse one day. If you are ever at Clear Lake Regional Medical Center in Webster, TX, stop by, say hi and tell her Sharon Griffin sent you. Read about Kelly below!
Photo Credit: Kelly Carroll
1. Name - Kelly Carroll
2. City and State - League City, Texas
3. What is your educational background? (Include
colleges/universities and degrees attained) Some basics at San Jacinto College
South and EKG and CPR/defibrillator certified at San Jacinto Central.
Phlebotomy/glucose certified at Clear Lake Regional hospital.
4. What types of courses does your degree require? (If no
degree, put "N/A" or list certificates) I took at business class for
the business side of EKG like billing, HIPAA policies, professionalism with
patients etc, as well as a CPR/defibrillator class, and most importantly an EKG
certification course on how to read and do EKG's.
5. What were the most challenging classes you took and how
did you overcome those challenges? (If no degree, put "N/A" or list certificate classes taken) The most challenging class was
defiantly the EKG class. Its like learning a whole other language. I had to learn
what every line on the EKG represented and the meanings of each change in the
waves. Everyone is different, so all EKG's are different. Overcoming the
challenges was simple, I practiced and practiced every day doing EKG's, studying heart waves, beats and terminologies until I was finally able to
read to my Professor the results on an EKG.
6. Did you complete any internships/co-ops during school? If
so, where did you intern or co-op? (If you didn't complete any, put “NA”) Unfortunately, the course did not require internship, which I was looking forward to so that I can
get a glimpse of my new career choice; however, we did have a big classroom with a EKG
machine in it. Instead, we practiced on fellow classmates! It worked great
that way because we a learned slowly and thoroughly as a team. We were all new at it, so
it was a fun learning experience for all of us.
7. What company do you currently work for? I can proudly say
I work for Clear Lake Regional Hospital and Heart Tower.
8. What is your job title? EKG and Stress Technician.
9. What are your day to day tasks? I am assigned to
do patients EKG's all over the hospital, from nursery rooms to pre-operations, to the Emergency Room. I also do cardiac stress tests for heart patients in
the heart tower for the cardiologists. I also do Holter monitors for out patients and billing EKG's to insurance companies, as well as basic patient care like: vitals, glucose checks and drawing blood for tests.
10. Do you work independently or in a team environment? Which
do you prefer? I like both. There are some positions in EKG that require team
work such as stress tests, because it can be dangerous for some patients, and
we need to all watch and care for them together. I do love working alone on my
EKG routines around the hospital though, because it gives me more one on one time with
my patients, without the rush to leave in a hurry.
11. What type of skill sets are needed for this job? Doing an actual EKG on a patient ,takes no time to learn how to set it up. Every wire has
a meaning, and a job to do. If you know how to set it up it should only take 3
to 5 minutes to do the test. Printing it out and reading takes skill. You have
to know what it says, in case of an emergency situation, so you can act fast and
save that person's life. CPR training is another skill much needed because when you work
with nothing but heart patients, you never ever know when you will need it.
12. Did you have a mentor? If so, what was the most important
lesson he/she taught you? I am so lucky, because I have more than one mentor. I
have learned so much in my field from my fellow EKG techs, as well as nurses who
I have grown to know. They have shown me many medical situations outside my protocol.
I feel like I can help a lot of people, not just in my profession. I would have
to say a nurse tech named Daniel was my most favorite. The best lesson
he taught me was to have confidence in myself, to take pride in what you do, because
people look up to you when they are in need.
13. What do you believe to be your greatest strength? My
greatest strength would be my knowledge and self confidence in my position. I
know exactly what I am doing and looking for, also I love helping people feel
safe and cared for.
14. What do you believe to be your greatest weakness? My
weakness would have to be that I haven't taken my career to the next level,
like getting a nursing license. I know I can do it, because I dream about it all the time. I
just haven't stepped up.
15. What are some of your accomplishments? What
accomplishment are you the most proud of? I can defiantly say I have
accomplished so much this past 2 years at Clear Lake Regional. Every
opportunity I can get at my job to get certified in, I take it. For example, I am stress
tech certified, phlebotomy and glucose certified. I know there will be
more I can do. My biggest accomplishment is being stress certified because it was very
challenging; however, it was a huge learning opportunity in doing it. I have
learned a lot about hearts and the importance of keeping them healthy.
16. What are your hobbies? What do you do for fun? I love to
go on long adventurous walks and biking on trails with my family. I like going
to exhibits and museums all over Houston or Galveston. I love to have little gatherings with my friends, shopping, watching movies, going out to
eat or just hanging out at home.
17. What did you want to be when you were a child? I remember
always wanting to be a elementary school teacher. I liked to make assignments
and do crafts, I guess be the "boss". :) It still is a dream of mine, as well as nursing.
18. If you could switch professions with someone else for a
day, what would it be and why? If I could switch professions with anyone, it
would be a ER doctor. I like how every patient that comes in is a challenge, the environment is fast paced, and most of all, I like the idea of being the brains of the
situation.
19. What advice would you give girls wanting to go into your
field? My advice is to be confident in what you do, most of all, to love and
care for your patients. They need all the help they can get.
I met Tammie in October 2010 on a work trip down in Edinburg, TX. Her friend and my friend made plans for us to all of us to have dinner at a near by Olive Garden. From the first time we met, we clicked and became instant friends. Tammie and I have a lot in common, and I am extremely grateful for a friend like her in my life. She was instrumental in helping me start my business. We share a desire to do what we love and to have it all, both a career and a family. Tammie has a full time job, but her passion is photography, which she is very good at. She is very creative and has a great eye, taking beautiful pictures that truly capture a moment. Check out her Facebook fan page to see her work and hopefully request her for your next photo op moments - http://www.facebook.com/pltphoto.
1. Name – Tammie
Letroise-Brown
2. City and State – Texas
City, TX 3. What is your educational background? (Include
colleges/universities and degrees attained) I have B.A. in communications from the University
of Houston-Clear Lake.
4. What types of courses does your degree require?
(If no degree, put "N/A" or list certificates) Lots of English, public speaking, psychology (believe it or
not), and strategic planning.
5. What were the most challenging classes you took
and how did you overcome those challenges? (If no degree, put "N/A"
or list certificate classes taken) Math classes – I
get really challenged when it comes to Math. It’s probably one of the things I
struggle the most with.
6. Did you complete any internships/co-ops during
school? If so, where did you intern or co-op? (If you didn’t complete any, put
“NA”) I actually was quite a rebel and went out and
found my own internship. I didn’t want the normal communications internship
experience, because I didn’t want the traditional communications job. (Or at
least that’s what 22 year old Tammie thought.) So I did research and found a
local record company that would provide the type of internship experience I was
looking for. I think it was a smart move and I don’t regret it.
7. What company do you currently work for? DB Consulting at NASA Johnson Space Center
8. What is your job title? Public
Relations Specialist
Photo Credit: Tammie Letroise-Brown
9. What are your day to day tasks? The creation of press releases; the execution of large scale
communications campaigns; event planning and whatever else the day calls me to
do.
10. Do you work independently or in a
team environment? Which do you prefer? I work in a team environment – I can
work either independently or with others. I’m chatty though and I think it’s
good to share work related success and challenges with your colleagues. So I
guess team work is more of my preference.
11. What type of skill sets are needed for this
job? Strong communications skills; patience;
organizational skills and you have to be a team player.
12. Did you have a mentor? If so, what was the most
important lesson he/she taught you? I didn’t have an
official mentor – but I do have people I admired and respected and that made
them a mentor to me. Some of the most important lessons I learned was to be
confident, to stand up for myself and to always be true to who I am.
13. What do you believe to be your greatest
strength? My adaptability. I can deal with change very
well and in the work place that can be very helpful.
14. What do you believe to be your greatest
weakness? Patience. I don’t like things that take a
terribly long time. I also get bored when I’m not challenged.
15. What are some of your accomplishments? What
accomplishment are you the most proud of? One of my best accomplishments was working at
Reliant Energy for one of the best PR people in Houston, Pat
Hammond. The accomplishment I’m most proud
of is starting my own business and marrying my husband.
16. What are your hobbies? What do you do for fun? I bake and I love photography.For fun, I love spending time with my family
and my friends.
17. What did you want to be when you were a child? A Nurse – Crazy!
18. If you could switch professions with someone
else for a day, what would it be and why? I don’t know
– I don’t really want to switch. J
19. What advice would you give girls wanting to go
into your field? Find someone you admire and listen to
their advice and their wisdom. And, when you begin to reach your goals – be
sure to give back to others. That’s all a part of the journey.
Photo Credit: Raylynne Perez (Raylynne with Evan's Blue)
Raylynne and I go way, way, way back, all the way back to our high school days at Clear Lake High School. Another Y2Ker...LOL! Raylynne was and still is one of my closest friends today. We had our click, which consisted of Raylynne, Claire (Baby Spice was her nickname back then), Amanda and myself. We always had good times when we were all together. We all did the senior musical together (Carousel) and our prom consisted of us and our dates. I won't bore you with the pictures. Fun, fun times is all I can! Raylynne has one of the coolest jobs. She is the Promotions Assistant/ Screening Host & Social Media Editor for the Houston Film Fanatics for Clear Channel Radio. Prior to her promotion, she worked promotions for 94.5 The Buzz. If you are or have been a Houstinion, you know that that is our alternative and rock station, and MY favorite radio station. No wonder Raylynne and I got along so well. Read about Raylynne below!
Photo Credit: Raylynne Perez (Raylynne with Wes of Puddle of Mudd)
1. Name:
Raylynne Perez 2. City
and State: Spring, TX
3. What is
your educational background? (Include colleges/universities and degrees
attained) Bachelor Degree in Applied Design Visual Arts from UHCL Associate Degree in Commerical Art from San Jac 4. What
types of courses does your degree require? (If no degree, put "N/A"
or list certificates)Web design, Advertising Design, lots of photoshop a nddigital imaging courses and plenty of English writing courses.
5. What
were the most challenging classes you took and how did you overcome those
challenges? (If no degree, put "N/A" or list certificate classes
taken)The most challenging classes were things like the computer animated
design, because you were always doing group projects, so it was a lot of
learning how to use everyone's strengths to their fullest extent and get the
most from your projects by the deadlines.
6. Did you
complete any internships/co-ops during school? If so, where did you intern or
co-op? (If you didn’t complete any, put “NA”) N/A
7. What
company do you currently work for? Clear Channel Radio
8. What is
your job title? Promotions Assistant/ Screening Host & Social Media Editor
for the Houston Film Fanatics (HFF)
9. What
are your day to day tasks? Setting up contests, talking with listeners, working
movie screenings, managing the Facebook page for HFF, as well as, handling the
prize giveaways on the regular clear channel websites (Sunny, Buzz, arrow, etc)
for HFF, plus about a hundred other things that could come up at the drop of a
hat.
10. Do you
work independently or in a team environment? Which do you prefer? I work mostly
independently, which I prefer, since I am kind of picky as to how I like things
done.
Photo Credit: Raylynne Perez (Raylynne with a
co-worker and Adam Gontier of
3 Days Grace)
11. What
type of skill sets are needed for this job? You have to be organized and
punctual. When you have clients paying thousands of dollars for your time, you
need to be there when they ask you to and have everything ready to go. You
need to be good an multi-tasking, thinking on your feet and public speaking. At
any given screening, I am speaking to crowds of 200-500 people so you need to be
comfortable with that and confident, because it shows.
12. Did
you have a mentor? If so, what was the most important lesson he/she taught you? My former boss was sort of a mentor for me. He showed me the best way to get my
job done and since I learned that, I haven't looked back. I have adjusted and
changed a few things over the years to improve my performance and make the most
of my work.
13. What
do you believe to be your greatest strength? I am hard working and confident.
14. What
do you believe to be your greatest weakness? I can be very picky when I work
about how things should be done, which I have a hard time turning off when it
comes to having to let others handle certain things for me.
15. What
are some of your accomplishments? What accomplishment are you the most proud
of?HFF right now is my biggest accomplishment. I have always been passionate
about movies, and now I have finally gotten the opportunity to create something
that is all about promoting movies. It has given me the chance to interview
actors, meet tons of great people and attend events I used to dream about. It
is still growing, but everyday is better than the last. I created and built
that following, so I am very proud of it. Three of us started HFF and now there are
just two of us left, and even with losing that one person we are still growing
and expanding more and more everyday.
16. What
are your hobbies? What do you do for fun? Work, go to the movies, travel as
much as I can, read, hang out with my family and play video games. (Yes I am a
total game nerd).
17. What
did you want to be when you were a child? A casting director or a movie
promoter.
18. If you
could switch professions with someone else for a day, what would it be and why? I would like to switch places with a director for a day. I have done extra work
and seeing films from the other side is so amazing to me. It would be fun to be
the person who gets to create these amazing shows.
19. What
advice would you give girls wanting to go into your field? Don't be afraid to
start at the bottom. Things like working in the media are almost more about
being in the right place at the right time than having a big degree. If that
is what you want, do whatever you have to to get your foot in the door. Not
saying that you shouldn't go to college, because you should; however, try to find a
way to juggle both. Don't be afraid to speak up for what you want.
I've known Jennifer from my days as a grad student at the University of Houston - Clear Lake (UHCL). I was an active participant in many student organizations on campus. I worked closely with Jennifer in the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), Sigma Alpha Pi, honors society. The year that I joined was the founding year for the UHCL chapter, also serving as the Events Coordiantor. It was exciting to be a part of something that took off and is continually growing on campus, thanks to Jennifer's excitement, dedication and commitment to the students. Some exciting new: in Fall 2014, UHCL will become a full 4 year university from a higher level Bachelor's and post grad university, which means that Jennifer will have more students to help guide in having a sucessful, , memorable and well-rounded college experience. Read about Jennifer below!
Photo Credit: Jennifer Clark
1. Name: Jennifer Clark
2. City and State: Houston, TX
3. What is your educational background? (Include
colleges/universities and degrees attained)
M.S. Education (College Student Personnel) from Miami University, OH (2002)
B.S. Human Services (Mental Health/Counseling) from California State University, Fullerton (1999)
A.A., Citrus College (1996)
4. What types of courses does your degree require?
(If no degree, put "N/A" or list certificates)
Human Development, Cognitive/Social Development, Psychology, Education, Student
Development Theory, Organizational Leadership, Counseling
5. What were the most challenging classes you took
and how did you overcome those challenges? (If no degree, put "N/A"
or list certificate classes taken)
Statistics, Research Methods.I
developed a mental block when it came to mathematics when I was in high school.
I always loved subjects like English, History, Music – basically, anything
Humanities related.I lacked patience
for math and science.I believe I sold
myself short.When I first started
college, I was a musical theatre major and was in a program that was heavily
concentrated on music, vocal performance, acting and dance. This was a three
year program and I put off college-level math as long as I could.When I started taking my general education
courses so that I could complete my Associate’s degree and transfer to Cal
State Fullerton, I enrolled in the starter course for math, even though I had
tested higher.I had never learned how
to properly study math, and I wanted to learn correctly.I applied the study skills I’d developed for
my other courses that helped me to be successful (mostly, a lot of note-taking
and summarizing chapters and making flashcards for myself), and also forced
myself to do more than was necessary.Most math books have answers in the back of the book for some of the
questions.I made sure I practiced by
working through the sample questions, and the questions that I could check my
work on.I gained confidence in my math
skills, and I graduated with a 3.92 overall GPA when I finished my B.S. at Cal
State Fullerton.My particular major
(Human Services/Psychology) required a Psychology Statistics course, and while
I haven’t used a ton of what I learned since my career took a different path, I
occasionally analyze statistics when I develop my annual report to show the
effectiveness of our programs.
6. Did you complete any internships/co-ops during
school? If so, where did you intern or co-op? (If you didn’t complete any, put
“NA”)
In undergrad, at Cal State Fullerton, I started off as a Psychology major.I soon learned that it wasn’t exactly what I
had in mind – my desire was to be a counselor.I found out about the Human Services major from a student co-worker. Human
Services combined what I loved about Psychology (understanding behavior and
motivation) and also taught me to hone my counseling skills.At the same time I was completing my studies,
I discovered a career path into Student Affairs.I worked on campus in the New Student
Information Center, gave campus tours, and was an Orientation Leader
year-round.I was given opportunities to
attend conferences for higher education student affairs professionals, and I found
my calling.When it came time to do
fieldwork/internship for my major, I wanted to gain more experience with
student programming.I had an internship
with the Women’s Center/Counseling Center (at Fullerton, these offices were
combined), and I also had a year-long internship with the Fullerton First Year
program, serving as an FFY mentor.As an
FFY mentor, I co-taught a First Year seminar course with a faculty member and a
student affairs staff member, and provided one-on-one advising to more than 25
freshmen.Additionally, I worked for the
College of Human Development and Community Service (HDCS) as an enrollment
manager, and visited community colleges to represent our College during College
Fairs.When I went to graduate school
at Miami University, my assistantship/internship was with the Student
Activities office, and I was responsible for coordinating Miami’s annual
student leadership conference, advised a leadership peer mentors group, and
coordinated the campus cable channel.I
also did an internship teaching a Career Development class, as well as
co-facilitated a Leadership class for one of their living/learning communities
at Miami. During the summer between my two years in graduate school, I returned
to Cal State Fullerton’s HDCS and designed a Student Success program to assist academic
probationary and at-risk students, as well as continued to help with enrollment
management.
7. What company do you currently work for?
University of Houston – Clear Lake
8. What is your job title?
Assistant Director of Student Life for the Student Leadership, Involvement and
Community Engagement (SLICE) program
9. What are your day to day tasks?
I am primarily responsible for coordinating all aspects of our SLICE program,
which includes marketing, recruiting presenters and recruiting students to
participate in our programs, planning an Annual Student Leadership Conference
(open to college students all over Texas. We usually average attendance of 325
or more per year.)I am also responsible
for designing and facilitating our annual 3-day Student Leadership Retreat for
forty students, held in the Fall semester.I coordinate our Fall and Spring Leadership Workshop Series, and also create
and teach several of the workshops for that series. Last year, I launched a
week-long Emerging Leaders Academy for new students.I advise and develop the Executive Council
for our UHCL student chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success,
which has had more than 3000 students join its organization since Spring
2007.SLICE is the campus clearinghouse
for volunteerism both on-campus and in the community, so we communicate with
local non-profit service organizations to find out what volunteer needs they
have and then communicate this information to our students.We host a Community Service Fair in the Fall
semester, featuring 25 plus non-profit organizations; we coordinate a UHCL Day
of Service in the Spring and work with student organizations to plan service
projects all over Houston and Galveston.I also oversee our Servant Leader Scholar Program, which recognizes
participation in leadership development programs and community service
performed.Additionally, I am part of
the Student Life Office team and provide support for office-wide programs, such
as Student Government Association, Student Organizations, Chili-Cook Off, New
Student Orientation/Programs, Student Leadership Banquet, etc.Since my programs are seasonal, no day is
exactly the same.I am always planning
details for an event in the future.Daily tasks include communicating with students, faculty, staff, and the
community; problem-solving; meeting with students one-on-one; supervising two student
assistants for SLICE and making sure they have what they need from me to
successful complete their work.I
participate in other campus committees and attend meetings.We are currently gearing up for having our
first group of first-time freshmen on campus, so I am also researching and
benchmarking four-year leadership development programs (classes, portfolio
programs) to design curriculum and create a proposal to implement phase 1 by
Fall 2014.I also have to assess all of
my programs, so we have students complete evaluation forms, and that data has
to be calculated and analyzed.
10. Do you work independently or in a team
environment? Which do you prefer?
I work both independently and in a team environment.I am given a lot of autonomy in my role,
since I am pretty much the Director of the SLICE program.I occasionally receive directives from our
AVP of Student Services (such as developing the First Year program for
leadership, or researching grant opportunities), or from my boss, the Director
of Student Life (who also oversees the Coordinator of Student Activities and
Organizations, and all the other functions of the Student Life Office.)As Assistant Director, I assist him
where-ever needed, and I support the other programs that come out of our
office, whether it is attending a Broomball Tournament with our Fitness Zone –
Recreation and Wellness Coordinator, staffing an information table during
Student Organizations Expo, presenting a workshop during New Student
Orientation – we work as a team to deliver these large programs to our student
body.
11. What type of skill sets are needed for this
job?
The technical, or “formal” answer to this question is an understanding and
knowledge of student development theory and also it’s practical application.My job requires a master’s degree in higher
education/student development. You must know how to create a programming
budget, how to appeal to students, staff and faculty to recruit their
participation, program design, educational pedagogy, communication (written and
verbal), conflict management and resolution (especially when working with a
team of student officers in an organization).You also need to know how to be resourceful, both financially and in
terms of always keeping an eye on trends in leadership development and higher
education.I attend conferences around
the country and take advantages of workshops for Leadership Educators and those
who work with Service Learning programs.I network with colleagues in the same field and we share ideas and
strategies.Additionally, a successful
Student Affairs practitioner is an educator, a mentor, a counselor, a
supervisor, a colleague, a team-player, and sometimes, you have to be a miracle
worker (squeezing rocks to find money to pay for things when you don’t have
much of a budget.)We have learned to be
very creative and resourceful so that we can provide high quality experiences
for a low-cost, and I believe that starts with high quality people.
12. Did you have a mentor? If so, what was the most
important lesson he/she taught you?
I have had many mentors throughout my life.They have been teachers, supervisors, professional leadership speakers
I’ve befriended in my years of coordinating leadership conferences.I have learned so much from each and every
one of them that I could fill pages just talking about them.However, for the purpose of this blog, I will
talk about my high school showchoir and journalism advisor, Richard Kinzler, or
“Mr. K.”I was fortunate to have Mr. K
as a teacher for all four years of high school.I was on the newspaper staff my Freshman year, and while he never took
freshmen on staff, my junior high school newspaper teacher made a good case for
me.Half of the upperclassmen on staff
were also in show choir, and they all seemed to really enjoy being around Mr.
K.I was curious, and I volunteered for
extra assignments and stayed after school to help with paste-up. On a whim, I
auditioned for show choir at the end of my freshman year, and I made the group,
which meant that I had at least two classes every semester with Mr. K.I became Features editor, then
Editor-in-Chief of the school paper, which meant that I was ALWAYS at school,
and always working next to Mr. K.And,
because I was in show choir and we had weekly rehearsals and we choreographed
our own routines, Mr. K’s classroom and office became my home away from
home.Mr. K worked harder than anyone
I’d ever known.He arrived at school
before sunrise, and worked well until after sunset.He was there on weekends making sure we
rehearsed for competitions and shows, and to make sure we put out a quality
newspaper.He was like a surrogate
father to many of my peers who found solace at school as an escape from a
broken home.He was counselor and
confidante.He got upset, and he held us
to high standards, and we wanted to meet those standards because we wanted to
make him proud. He gave us his entire life. He was not married, he did not have
children – we knew we were his children.He passed away a year and a half ago, and I flew home to California for
his memorial service. It was held in an old large cathedral in Pomona.Former students spanning more than 30 years
of his career came to his service, and many of us came from out of state.Mr. K literally saved lives.So many of his students have credited him
with providing them with that safe space when they might have gone down a path
into gangs or drugs.Some did fall onto
those paths, but Mr. K helped them to find something positive to focus their
lives around.Mr. K helped me to find my
voice, to believe in myself. He gave me responsibility. I was a shy, quiet,
insecure 13 year old when I met him.Other show choirs hired professional choreographers to stage flashy
dance numbers for their competitions, but Mr. K knew that if we created it
ourselves, we would learn more and we would develop pride in ourselves and a
strong work ethic.
I have been in student affairs since 1997, and I have worked in my current
position since 2002.I enjoy rich
fulfilling relationships with my college students, mostly because of what I
learned from Mr. K.I don’t mind the
long hours, coming to work on weekends, staying until 10pm or later at night,
because I’m investing in people.I
believe that people, if given the chance and responsibility to create and
serve, that they can transform themselves and others in the process. Mr. K
transformed me.
13. What do you believe to be your greatest
strength?
I believe my greatest strength is my desire to continue learning and
growing.I am like a sponge – I collect
information and knowledge and ask myself how I can pass on this awareness to
others.I am a very committed and
passionate person, and my students that I am blessed to work closely with, know
that I have a blast when I’m with them. Whether we are discovering our Strengths on a
three-day leadership retreat, doing a SWOT analysis of our team’s performance
from the previous semester, or just chatting one-on-one with a student for an
hour in my office about their goals and aspirations or whatever is on their
mind. 14. What do you believe to be your greatest
weakness?
I probably have a tendency to do TOO much.In the past couple of years, I have felt more run down, and last year, I
had a few health setbacks.I have to
remind myself to take time for myself, because if I do not, I stop being
effective.
15. What are some of your accomplishments? What
accomplishment are you the most proud of?
I have built SLICE from the ground up. When I first came to UHCL over ten years
ago, the Student Life Office hosted an annual student leadership conference and
offered a few workshops for student organization officers, but did not have a
formalized leadership development program that was open for everyone.Through trial and error, I believe that I have
created a very successful program on-campus.However, I would say my proudest accomplishment is my students.Last summer, we hosted our first ever
week-long Emerging Leaders Academy, and on the first night, we hosted a panel
of alumni who had gone through SLICE programs and served as student leaders in
many different capacities during their time at UHCL.This panel consisted of students I have
worked with since 2002.To hear them
speak with great love and pride about what they learned at UHCL, and especially
for the connections they made through SLICE, filled me with such a sense of
gratitude that God has placed me here to do what I do.Every day I am inspired by our students and
our alumni.I learn so much from them,
and am inspired by their stories of courage and the obstacles they have overcome.
I’m inspired by the causes they choose to pursue.
16. What are your hobbies? What do you do for fun?
I love music, theatre, arts and crafts, gardening, spending time with my 10
year old dachshund (Bridget), and spending quality time with my amazing friends
and family.As a former musical theatre
major, I really enjoy performing and being involved with a production, even if
I’m not onstage myself.At the moment,
I’m directing several monologues for UHCL’s 5th Annual benefit
production of The Vagina Monologues, and this year, I have the delightful
privilege to perform one of my favorite monologues from the show.I enjoy being involved in things that bring
joy to others.I’ve recently discovered
a love for cooking!
17. What did you want to be when you were a child?
I wanted to be a writer.I wanted to be
a newspaper reporter.I wanted to play
“Evita” or Mary Magdalene in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Jesus Christ
Superstar”.I wanted to be in the Mickey
Mouse Club (the 70's group with Lisa Welchel from Facts of Life.)
18. If you could switch professions with someone
else for a day, what would it be and why?
I really don’t think I would want to… I LOVE my job.But, it might be fun to be a home decorator
on an HGTV show like “Design on a Dime”.I love that stuff!
19. What advice would you give girls wanting to go
into your field?
I didn’t even know my field existed when I started college.Student Affairs can encompass so many
different parts of college life. You can run a Residence Hall, teach First Year
seminars, plan New Student Orientation programs, work in Student Activities and
do all the fun stuff like bring in bands for concerts. You can plan service
projects for the community. You can advise students on what courses they should
take for their major and for their career.You can lead groups.You can
advise student organizations or student government.If you go into a career in Student Affairs,
you have to have the heart for it.You
have to have a genuine love for helping other people to succeed.This isn’t a career you go into to become
rich.You have to be willing to be
flexible with your time. This isn’t a 9-5 job, and every day is different
(which is actually the appeal for me.)What I may not take home in my paycheck at the end of the month, I know
that the satisfaction and meaning my job/career gives me more than makes up for
it.I know many people who make six
figure incomes who are miserable.I
still pinch myself that I even get paid to do what I do, because I have such a
blast doing it.I work in a very
positive environment, surrounded by positive people who are determined to help
others be successful.We celebrate each
other.What could be better than
that?If you want to go into Student Affairs,
I say take advantage of everything your college has to offer. Volunteer for
committees, be a resident advisor, be a peer mentor or orientation leader.
Diversify your experience.I went into
Student Affairs thinking I would be in charge of New Student Orientation,
because that was my introduction to the field, but I discovered leadership
programs and it has been extremely fulfilling. Keep an open mind, and don’t be
afraid to take the plunge.
