7/10/2017 0 Comments Choosing a career path
1. How long have you been a therapist? 8 years 2. What made you choose this field of work? Loves hearing people’s stories and what defines them, different experiences and learning experiences. 3. What was your educational path? Where did you go to school? Sarah went to WMU for bachelor’s degree in broadcasting, then after graduating she changed what she wanted to do and got her master’s degree in counseling. 4. What is the most interesting part about your job? Hearing private thoughts and getting to know people’s fascinating lives and who they really are. 5. Is there anything you wish you had known before becoming a counselor? How life-changing it really is and how fulfilling it is. How much it impacted her to hear all the stories. She wished she would’ve started sooner. 6. What’s your biggest obstacle in working with someone who is struggling? Teaching people how to solve their own problems for themselves, because there are so many times where people come in and struggle with addiction, and she can’t solve it for them—she needs to work with them so they can really do something for themselves and make change. It’s very hard to watch somebody struggle. 7. How do you like the career path you chose? If you could go back, would you have made any different decisions? She really likes the career path she chose. She would’ve studied more about addiction, and she would’ve specialized during her master’s instead of generalized study, and she would’ve also talked more with people in the field beforehand. "One of the most interesting things that I learned from interviewing Sarah was about how you really learn the personal things about people's lives and how that can be hard as a counselor. When you want to help someone to make change for themselves but they are really seriously struggling with an addiction. I also thought it was interesting that you can learn the different ways that someone reacts to things and how people process what's going on in their lives and how they solve their problems. As a counselor you guide people to help them solve their problems, but everyone reacts differently so you learn about the person to help them do that. It was helpful talking to Sarah because I saw that you don't always start out in the area that you want to work in but you still can in the end." -Alexis
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1/9/2017 1 Comment Finding Your PromiseRecently, one of our participants, Shaquan, conducted an interview with Mr. Von Washington, Executive Director of Community Relations with the Kalamazoo Promise. Shaquan asked him questions about his educational and career path to learn more about how he reached success. Please click Read More to read the interview!
12/22/2016 0 Comments Happy Holidays from YADC!We are celebrating the accomplishments of our YADC participants from 2016 and enjoying the warmth and good cheer of the holidays here at the 8th District Court. We would like to thank our community partners for supporting and contributing to our program's success.
This year our participants have volunteered at the Gospel Mission, Ministry With Community, the Kalamazoo County Animal Services & Enforcement, Taste of Heaven, Douglass Community Association, the Humane Society, Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity, YWCA, YMCA, and many more. Additionally, participants have completed the Pretty Lake Adventure Centre Leadership Development program and the Health & Community Services Communicable Diseases class. We have had a great year and wish everyone a happy ringing in of 2017. :) 10/31/2016 1 Comment View from a VeteranWe are lucky to have a new blog entry from one of our YADC members, Tiea. She hopes to work with veterans in the future and interviewed an Air Force veteran in order to learn more about his experience and gain insight that she can use in her work. Please read the interview below and visit the Kalamazoo Veterans Services website to learn about resources for vets in our community.
Vet's name: Mark Anderson 1.What was your educational path before joining the Air Force? I attended Muskegon Community College to complete prerequisite classes. 2.When did you join the Air Force? I enlisted in September of 1978 after college at age 20. I was first stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and stayed there for two years. 10/18/2016 1 Comment Interview with a C.N.A.In order to understand what a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) does and learn more about her potential career path, Keosha interviewed a CNA who works in supported living homes in Kalamazoo. Please see her interview below:
1. Where do you work and what do you do on a daily basis? She works at Community Living Options. On a daily basis, she assists her residents with everyday living. Makes sure they are showered, passes out medicine, cooks and cleans, and at the end of the shift she makes sure all of her paperwork is completed. 2. Does a CNA do all of the same things as a RN? No. A CNA can assist a registered nurse and does not do many of the same things. 3. How do you like your job? What’s your favorite part of your job? She enjoys her job because it makes her happy that she can make her residents’ day. They look forward to seeing their staff come in every day. 4. What’s the thing you like least about your job? The paperwork, and when my residents fight and argue. 5. What is one thing you wish you had known before you started your job? She wishes she had known how stressful the job can be sometimes. When it’s 6 residents and just her and 2 people, you have to make sure you’re keeping everything and everyone under control. 6. What made you decide on nursing/health care as your career path? She likes to work with people and the job is a perfect opportunity—it’s also an easy job to do while she is attending school. A closing thought from Keosha: "I learned that being a CNA can be a stressful job but it lets you help people. You don't have to do all the same things as a registered nurse, but you can really make a difference." 6/27/2016 0 Comments Todd "TJ" Duckett visits YADC
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AuthorsParticipants of YADC, community members with an interest in restorative and therapeutic justice or diversion programs, and YADC staff are encouraged to write posts to be submitted to the blog. Anyone is welcome to inquire as to the process of becoming published. CategoriesArchives
July 2017
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