Your instructor, Darryell Fortier and founder of Prepsteps understands that being strategic and intentional about your post-high school life’s journey requires preparation. I have had many paths and they were not always charted with intention.
I will level this playing field and be transparent with you. My life’s school and career journey was wrecked as I was a highschool dropout. Eventually received a GED and knew couldn’t do much with that considering I eventually became a single mother of 2 and struggled. However, realizing that there was a deadend of entry level jobs ahead of me, I went back to school and received an AA. That helped, and I got better jobs, but with 2 girls to raise, and no guidance on navigating a career, I haphazardly tried to elevate but it was hard. After marrying and leaving the south side of Chicago to becoming a military dependent wife, we moved overseas and it was the sparked my passion for culture. After returning to the US, 5 years later, I soon enrolled at a 4 year college and received a BA from UAH under what was the FLIT (Foreign Language……..) Program and discovered I really loved learning, but not necessarily some of the required subjects (i.e. Micro Economics)….hated it….but I wanted that specific degree so I had to get through it. After graduation, I was hired by Delta Air Lines and Travel was it! Although, International studies was a close second, so I enrolled into graduate school, online studies through UOP for a Masters in Global Business Management. After the 911 incident, Delta and most airlines took a hit and I made a decision to take a voluntary furlough and moved to DC where I worked at several Federal government agencies, most had a travel component, but also included policy, finance, project management, foreign gifts. I had a stint at the National Transportation Safety Board and the National Science Foundation before retiring from Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology. I have no science acumen but being in those spaces and learning so much about impacts and implication of science, gifted me with knowledge and understanding that I have a duty to share with my students.
Although, it produced many experiences, some good, some not so …..but, as the paths twisted and turned, I arrived at a place, with intention and passion to offer lessons learned, my personal and professional training, achievement and experiences to share with students headed toward a path.
My hope is that you not just choose ‘a’ path, but ‘the’ path of choice and opportunity. Avoid distractions and time wasters, not to mention set-backs because of a decision that was not thought through.
There will be times when you have obstacles and detours, whether you think them through or as a result of the environment, but then I say remember to push through it and not give up! When you choose a career path that you are passionate about, you are more likely to pursue it because you’ll not want to disappoint yourself and have regret. But anticipate that there may be disappointments and set-backs, but these are to be expected……such is life….but, if you’re hungry for it, then you’ll be stronger and better prepared to handle them and hopefully prepared with a plan a, b, or even a c…..those are called options!