Career Roadmap
Mollie's work combines: Education, Writing, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Temple High School
Graduate Degree
Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
University of Houston-Victoria
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be an Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors:
Graduate Degree: Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Started college with “undecided” as my major. Two years in, it was declare a major or no registration. English was the winner,
2.
Writing specialization in hand, I went to work at a publishing company. Movies make it look exciting, but working alone all day in a cubicle is BORING.
3.
Around this time (early 90s) more and more high school’s were adding softball programs, so teaching and coaching caught my interest.
4.
The road to advancement in education runs through graduate school, so enrolled in my first counseling course with the idea that counseling better suited my personality than administration.
5.
Oddly enough, it was a broken leg that motivated my completion of the Masters. Depression settled in when I couldn’t engage in physical challenges. The mental exercise of grad school saved me.
6.
I stopped coaching for 4 years while pursuing the a Masters Degree. By separating teaching from coaching, I learning how much I loved it (and that I am really good at teaching)
7.
A coaching position at my current school opened, and a friend badgered me into at least interviewing. I did, and went back to teaching and coaching for another 8 years.
8.
The counselor at my school was promoted to central office and I was asked to move into the counselor role.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
Sooner or later, you are going to fail. The prospect of graduate school was daunting to me. I just didn’t know if I was “intellectual” enough for an advanced degree.
How I responded:
I just kept going, and kept not failing. What I learned is that hard work, the commitment to do things well, and persistence are far more important to success than perceived shortcomings in intellect or talent. Then, the more success I’ve had, the more willing I am to face fears or self-doubts and to seize new opportunities. The best thing you can do for yourself is swallow the fear and just try.