Milestones

My road in life took a while to figure out.
As I was preparing to leave college, I was encouraged to apply to PhD programs. Unfortunately, I did not get in to any programs I applied to and was at a loss as to what to do.
Because I didn't get into a PhD program, I ended up being recruited for an AmeriCorps VISTA position at an Adult Basic Education consortium. It had absolutely nothing to do with my degree.
As I progressed throughout my VISTA service, I realized my skills in data analysis and synthesis were needed skills in the nonprofit sector.
After my term of service, I started working for a little nonprofit with a staff of two. I learned many skills on the fly to keep the organization up and functioning. I also got to manage AmeriCorps.
Because of my service with AmeriCorps, I then took a position in a political office that housed an AmeriCorps VISTA program. It allowed me to do a deep dive in management and compliance skills.
After the political figure stepped away from office, I was let go from my position (it happens). I knew I wanted to take a break from AmeriCorps for a while.
I landed a job at the University of St. Thomas running their mentoring program along with professional development activities for alumni. It is a completely different sector again
Keep following my journey

Education

High School
Champlin Park High School
Bachelor
Psychology
Northwestern College
Graduate
Public and Nonprofit Administration
Metropolitan State University

Career

Program Manager, Alumni Engagement

I connect students and alumni with each other to build the Tommie Network.

Career Roadmap

Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Entrepreneurship
Teaching / Mentoring

Day to Day

My days are never really typical. Some days I am running programming on campus, other days I am visiting nearby corporations who hire lots of our alumni, and others I am stuck in front of a computer managing our technology that runs our mentoring and networking program. I also liaison with many different departments across campus which requires a lot of focus on the politics of whom I am meeting and their standing within the University.

Advice for Getting Started

Here's the first step for everyone

Conduct informational interviews with those who have the job you eventually want to have. Learn from their career path so that you can chart yours better. They will also know of other individuals to connect with who can help you along your journey.

Recommended Education

My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:

undergrad
Bachelor
Psychology
graduate
Graduate
Public and Nonprofit Administration

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Peers:

"Don't waste your time at a nonprofit, you're worth more than that"

Challenges I Overcame

Financial