Major: Sociology-Anthropology and French
What is your current position?
I am a Child and Family Therapist in a Treatment Foster Care program for Foster kids with major mental health disorders.
How did you get your current job?
I work for the YMCA of Greater Seattle, and found this job through connections from a previous position I held at the Y: Director of Youth Development Programs. I built my relationship with the YMCA through a year-long internship in graduate school.
What do you like about your position?
I love working with kids! It's hilarious, rewarding and challenging every day. I also love the feeling that comes from knowing that my work is so deeply in-line with my values. The Foster Care system is a feeder system for adult social ills such as crime, poverty, homelessness and mental illness. It feels good to be a part of helping children and teens make a better path for themselves.
What do your dislike about your current position?
The workload is...tough. There never seem to be enough hours in the day. Also, I do not earn anywhere near what my Middlebury classmates are earning in other more lucrative fields. This can be particularly frustrating if you consider the cost of the graduate degree required to be a clinical therapist/social worker.
What kind of people do well in your career field?
People with excellent critical thinking and people skills are urgently needed in social services and mental health work! Also, it helps if you have a good poker face and the ability to "roll with the punches", since you NEVER know what is going to happen. Humor, humility and high stamina never hurt.
What activities where you involved in while at Middlebury?
President, Women's Action at Middlebury/Chellis House; photographer for "The Campus"
Did any of your summer jobs or internships influence your thinking about careers after college?
Absolutely...i worked at a summer camp for kids w/ mental health issues as well as a summer school program for teens. It provided a good foundation of experience. I also had a fellowship the summer after graduation to do some reseach with the Sociology Dept on Restorative Justice and alternatives to incarceration. That work helped fuel a shift that lead me away from PHdprograms in Sociology to MSW programs for an advanced social work degree.
What advice would you give to students interested in working in your field?
Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer! The more experience you have with diverse populations (kids, older adults, disabled people, GLTBQ community, homeless, etc) a) the better the job market and b) the more easily you will clarify your true interests. Also, a solid background in psychology and sociology is an excellent foundation for social work or therapy. lastly, study another language! Especially spanish.
How can students best prepare themselves while still in college?
Again, take coursework that addresses social issues, psychology, and diversity...womens/gender studies, poverty and inequality, human development, etc...and again, volunteer!
What would you do differently?
I would have waited a few more years between Midd and grad school to clarify my interests. As it stands, I went from program administration and service design to therapy as I explored my interests in the field. Not the end of the world, but in a tight job market, it will be harder to land jobs with less experience and direction. I was lucky.
What are your future plans?
I am working to develop funding to open a wilderness/adventure-based therapy program for juvenile offenders. This is a long-term project in its infancy. Meanwhile, I am continuing my work as a therapist and developing innovative therapy tools, including wilderness therapy expeditions, to help Foster kids, especially teenagers, make safer choices. I am also involved in many international initiatives through the YMCA, and am leading a trip of adults to do a service camp in Thailand for two weeks in March 2005.