About Me...
When people ask you to discuss who you are, I always find this to be a difficult task because a person is comprised of many experiences that contribute to defining their core values and beliefs. To begin, I am the younger child of parents of Caribbean descent who instilled in me, at an early age, that education was the way to advance yourself in America. By having an upbringing that focused on academics, my discipline in seeking a higher education was formed from an early age.
While pursuing my degree, I have learned about the ability to overcome an obstacle in order to fulfill my goals in life. Prior to my studies in undergrad, I lost my mom to cancer which was a devastating experience. Before my mom passed, she taught me the meaning of hard work which has helped me to stay focused on school. Although it was a very difficult for me to make the decision to continue with my studies, I know that my mom would have encouraged me to do so. The loss of my mom taught me about being dedicated to my studies which allowed me to become a better student.
One of the reasons I applied to the program is because it is uncommon in the human services field for career advancement opportunities for people who do not have an advanced degree in a specialized area such as psychology and social work. As a person who started in a basic counselor position in a group home, I learned that there was a tremendous amount of information I would need to learn in order to be successful in working with people with disabilities. Also, by studying the history of the field, it allowed me to become a better advocate in the field. While in the program, I participated in advocacy efforts during legislative days in Albany, NY and Washington D.C. It is for these reasons, that I decided to become involved in the discipline of disability studies.
While in the program, I also focused on developing my transferable skills as an employee through the different types of courses I studied. One of the areas I focused on developing was my leadership skills. Through participation on group projects, I have learned how to work effectively with people. I also strengthened my organizational skills that allowed me to prioritize my assigned readings and written assignments. The fact that I was a student and working full time also made me become a better time manager. By developing these skills it led to me being promoted twice within my agency.
Once I complete my master’s degree, there are a few goals that I want to accomplish. One of my main goals is to become an active member of the alumni network of CUNY School of Professional Studies and assist in actively recruiting direct support professionals to participate in the program by returning to school. Secondly, I aspire to pursue another degree of higher education in either business or public administration in order to advance further in my career. After completing my second degree, I hope to continue to participate in developing policies to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.
