
Justin Gerboc
Cal State Fullerton
Fullerton, CA USA
"Money isn't the only satisfaction you can get from a job/career. I find that working in a field where I have a passion allows me to see my job as more than just tasks to accomplish."
Career Roadmap
Justin's work combines: Non-Profit Organizations, Education, and Communicating / Sharing Stories
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Take Roadmap QuizSkills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
International Studies & Economics
Allegheny College
Graduate Degree
Higher Education and Student Affairs
The Ohio State University
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Director, Alumni Engagement:
Bachelor's Degree: International Studies & Economics
Graduate Degree: Higher Education and Student Affairs
Learn more about different paths to this careerLife & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Went to a high school program for international studies - Decided I wanted to help companies set up in foreign countries using local culture as baseline
2.
First in my family to go to college to study international studies and economics - set boundaries with my parents even though I was only 30 minutes away from home
3.
Studied abroad in France - first time on a plane and first time out of the country
4.
Met up with a friend from high school program who had gone to business school - decided grad school for business
5.
Realized I was most excited by the leadership opportunities I was afforded as a student including educating and facilitating others' learning
6.
Decided to go to grad school for student affairs after talking with some mentors - I wanted to focus on student leadership development
7.
Spent 12 years in student affairs working with student leaders, student activists, and student government
8.
Wanted to expand my expertise and take a step toward nonprofit work - chose to move into Alumni Engagement to stay connected to a university but work with a different population
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Family:
You will never make any money and will be pigeon-holed in your career.
How I responded:
Money isn't the only satisfaction you can get from a job/career. I love working in education and believe in its transformational power. I find that working in a field where I have a passion allows me to see my job as more than just tasks to accomplish. It allows me to be better than just a box-checking employee.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
As a white man, I have had to make intentional efforts to see beyond my own experience to be able to serve the communities I do. I had to listen to a lot of challenging feedback from friends/colleagues who were women and people of color.