Final Reflection Paper

I feel that I’ve come a long way in changing the direction of how I feel about what I want to do with myself for the rest of my life.
I started this class hoping to find out what kind of a person I am. I used to think that I didn’t know very much because I didn’t have the same skills as, what I thought, most people that are getting jobs in the business or medical field of work had. But, as I’ve gone through and taken the steps through this career and major course, I’ve found that “medical”, “business”, or “education are just words that generalize the large expanse of careers that go into those fields. I never saw this new way of thinking until I met with a Career and Academic Counselor. We did the personality assessment and found that I really do like working with kids, just like I thought at the beginning, but I prefer working with infants, toddlers or preschoolers as opposed to teaching older grade school students. So, I would like being a daycare specialist better than an elementary teacher.
The job shadowing experience really made it all come together. I was able to visit a daycare and go around to each of the different ages of children. I spent most of the time with the infants and toddlers, because I felt energized and happy with how easily it came to me to nurture and play with those little kids.
I learned that the most schooling that I would need for that career is a certificate of a child care specialist.
My next goal, after finishing my General Degree, is to enrich my career as a full time Mother and Homemaker. I want to take what I have learned from this class about myself and help my own children find their way in life. I want them to have good decision making skills, have goals for their personal as well as their occupational futures, and learn good networking skills while they are young.
Later in life I would like to take the skills that I have and get a career outside of the home. I’m glad that I was able to find a career that fits me, when I didn’t think that there was any. Plus, I have the skills to do it again if I change my mind later. Knowing what you want, who you are, and that these can always change seems to make life a little simpler.