|
 I
was one of those people who really did not know what
they wanted to do in life and had to learn what I
liked through the process of elimination. When I was
young, I dreamt of being an NBA basketball player or a full
time trap shooter but as time went on I realized I was
unlikely to make a living out of either. This was
difficult for me, as I did not really know what field
I wanted to work in when I was a grown up. During my
later years of high school in Webster, SD, I began to
look really hard for something that was exciting and
paid well. After taking some computer programming
classes with some friends of mine I began leaning
towards a career as a video game programmer. That
dream was short lived once I realized how difficult
college calculus can be.
From
this point in my life forward, I was determined to
write independently and continue to aspire towards
either a Bachelor’s of Science in English Education
or a Bachelor’s of Arts in English for Writing.
During my early college education I worked as a sports
journalist, a sales
clerk at a bookstore, a cook in a restaurant, and
then a group home supervisor. With only one
semester left of college, and still uncertain which of
the two majors I would like to complete, I decided to
take some time off of school until I could get my
priorities figured out.
During
my time away from school, I worked as a fiberglass
bucket pumper and then decided I needed to join the
National Guard. Within just a few months I was
shipped off to training. After coming back home and
spending a great deal of time considering what I would
like to do with my future, I decided that I do
have a love for the helping profession. With this in
mind, improved discipline, and a newfound confidence
to succeed I went back to school. Two years later I
walked across the stage at Northern State University
to receive my Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology;
however, I still was uncertain of just where I fit in
the helping profession.
I was
Honorably Discharged from the National Guard in 2008.
This was about the same time I felt I had just found
which area in the helping profession I wanted to be in
and with my three primary educational goals in mind
(attend every class, read everything assigned before
that class, and do all homework to the best of my
ability) I enrolled in Northern State University’s
Counselor Education Master's program. I did very well
in the program and greatly enjoyed it, graduating in
May of 2012 with a Master’s of Science in Education in
school counseling. I currently am a member of the
local Bensley-Rounds American Legion Post #280 serving
as the Americanism officer and was honored to be
chosen in both 2018 and in 2021 as the Post's
Legionairre of the Year. I have served as the SD
School Counseling Association Elementary School Vice
President and am also a lifetime member of the Psi Chi
International Honors Society for Psychology. |
