“Don’t say you can’t until you prove you can’t.”
– Les Paul
Professionalism
At eighteen years old I was given the opportunity to be in a leadership position at my job. In 2019 during college, I started working as a telemarketer for Hail 911, a call center for storm damage appointments. Within this company was a small branch that worked on fundraising cards for youth recreational sports teams around the country. Shortly after joining, I was chosen to be the lead project manager of the fundraising cards. Because this project was a new idea for the company at the time, I was able to create and direct the best methods of researching, recording data, and selling these fundraising cards. Through this experience, I spoke with hundreds to thousands of team managers across the country and learned valuable lessons on how to professionally communicate online and over the phone. Managing this project also taught me how to properly organize and teach the process I created to others.
Another valuable learning experience of professionalism was during my time as a mental health technician for a trauma treatment facility for adolescent girls. The complexity of trauma, abuse, and neglect requires advanced training and knowledge of psychology to be an adequate patient supervisor, especially when working with children. And because of the mental and behavioral issues a lot of these residents had, it was critical of keeping strict boundaries in the facility. Professionalism to me was setting those boundaries from the first shift and treating every resident the same from that day no matter what. Frequently changing environments made it necessary for me to learn how to demonstrate professionalism in many settings and with many different types of people. I believe that the different environments and jobs I have taken have taught me many invaluable ways to be professional and I hope to continue learning and demonstrating my skills in the future.
Teamwork
To run a successful business, it takes a group of dedicated and connected individuals. When I was 17 I was fortunate enough to be introduced to a business that operated well only on the basis of its employees working together and succeeding in their positions. This business was PetSuites which is a pet facility that offers a variety of amenities like daycare, grooming, and training. In this business, there are multiple positions that collaborate to make sure a dog or cat exits through our doors happier than when they came in. This included individuals trained for grooming who communicated with front desk associates who then passed that information to the pet care technicians and so on. I learned many skills by being involved in a company that relied on such a high level of care for its customer.
Through my position as a front desk associate, one skill that I mastered in my time there was teamwork. Collaborating with not only my other coworkers but with my manager and veterinary clinics was critical in providing the right care for the animals. My position involved communicating with animal care clinics to receive updated vaccination and health history which then was documented in our system on paper and electronically. That information would then be critical for deciding if that animal can join the facility and what level of care they would receive if they do join. I was also responsible for working with our trainer who relied on my and the pet technicians’ input to create an appropriate training regimen for the dogs.
Without all of the front desk, pet technicians, and certified trainers and groomers teamwork, a place like that wouldn’t have been able to succeed. This opportunity allowed me to learn a lot about working and communicating with a variety of people (and animals) which has only furthered my educational and career paths. My goal in any environment is to learn and grow and I hope to continue doing so while also reflecting on and utilizing the important skills I have learned, like teamwork.
Leadership
My time in high school was anything but boring. In those four years, I was involved in a variety of activities including varsity choir, junior varsity cross country, varsity track and field, AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), and jobs outside of school. Within each of these groups, I pride myself now on the ability I had to make an impact and collaborate with the individuals I worked with. For example, during my time in choir, our group Bel Canto would have opportunities for individuals to lead their vocal sections. I was able to be the lead in my section multiple times throughout the years and direct practice sessions, be attentive to mistakes in the verses we were learning, and relay that information to our choir director. This experience of motivating and teaching others only furthered my confidence while being involved in the choir.
Another continual experience I had with working and teaching others was during my time in varsity track and field. In my events in this sport, sprinting/relays and pole vault, I had to learn different ways to collaborate with my team. During practices or meets, I and my teammate would lead our team in stretches, warm-up runs, and practice run-throughs of baton handoffs. It was up to us and our experience to teach the younger athletes how to not get disqualified but also to motivate them. Motivation in a sport like running is sometimes all you can do for those competing so instilling confidence in others while also pushing hard yourself is important. This also stands true for field events like pole vault that I competed in. Because I was the only female pole vaulter until my senior year, my teammates helped encourage me until I was able to encourage others. During my senior year, I was able to introduce and train another individual in pole vault. This opportunity allowed me to not only have a partner during my last year but she became someone who went on to teach others when I graduated.
Even though I am no longer a part of track and field or choir, I think the memories and lessons will stick with me forever. I am proud to say that at such a young age I was able to grow while also motivating and teaching others. Being involved in many activities and also making an impact wherever I go is something I hope to keep doing as my educational and career paths continue.