When embarking on my career journey, I have always made it a point to be open-minded, willing to absorb any information I could and connect with as many people as possible. This foundation has led me to first embark on my career path as an educator right after graduating from college. I will mention that this experience would have not come about were it not for utilizing the LinkedIn platform. Initially, I had not heard of the school for which I worked as a teacher. It was only by a recruiter reaching out to me that I was exposed to the school and to further understanding that there were other schools in NYC other than the Department of Education, being that I grew up outside of the city of New York. During my time as an educator, I was not only able to connect with and learn from my fellow teachers but I was also able to learn from my students and their parents. I learned about the communities in which they lived and their aspirations. Equipping myself with this knowledge abled me to be a better educator and to pay specific attention to each student's differences to better assist them in their education. Although I am no longer a teacher, I have found a new path to explore in my career journey. Being that I majored in English when I was first enrolled in college, writing has always been my passion. I view it as a crucial basis of education. After not being able to continue my career as an educator at the institution in which I worked due to Covid, I understood that what I wanted to do was write. I knew I wanted to write and educate others on trauma in underrepresented communities, especially because of my experience as an educator. This has led me to embark on my second BA in Psychology at Queens beginning in the Spring of 2022. With this in mind, I found myself also utilizing Indeed, coupled with LinkedIn. I found a wonderful online magazine to intern for after losing my job as an educator. I have been able to hone my skills as a Journalist/Editorial writer. After discovering this magazine on Indeed, I utilized LinkedIn to show my professional peers the work I was doing, and connect with fellow writers, organizations, and publicists. LinkedIn has also allowed me to hone my skills as a journalist. From time to time, I get notifications of organizations/companies that host seminars or classes on LinkedIn. For example, one organization hosted a class where they went over articles from anonymous writers. By sitting in on this discussion, I was able to learn more about the craft of journalism and apply what I learned to the articles I write. I was also able to connect with other fellow writers and learn more about the resources available to us. This has aided in my career tremendously as I have had trouble navigating this new career path alone. By using LinkedIn, I have been able to reach out to others and learn more about their experiences. Career-focused sites such as LinkedIn and Indeed have been crucial stepping stones in my career.

Keeping and maintaining a growth mindset has been no easy task. I embarked on this mindset rewiring journey starting in 2020. I lost my job due to Covid, and many other factors in my life seemed to begin to crumble down around me. With everything going on around me and eventually within me, it had become hard to stay grounded. It wasn't until I discovered Lisa Nicols and several other motivational speakers that I started to keep and apply a growth mindset to my life. Every morning, I would get up out of bed sometimes at 5 am to start my day by listening to one of Nicols' speeches. Soon I found myself feeling like I could change my world, and I began the work. By dedicating myself to listening, reading, and watching content that inspired and motivated me to elevate my life I found myself producing music, acting, writing, modeling, and now going back to school for my second BA in Psychology. At this point, I still listen to Lisa, when I feel at my lowest, but because I have learned to work on this growth mindset I am able to recover from my low points a lot faster.

My favorite artist is Jojo. I've been tuning into her music since middle school, which has gotten me through that interesting part of my life. From a young age, her music has inspired me to go on my journey of self-love and healing. As a fellow artist, she has my utmost respect.

Being patient is important to me because it gives me the opportunity to not only pause but to flow. This means that I am granted the opportunity to become grounded in my choices and to also be more sure of why I make certain decisions. It allows me to be be more driven and focused. I am reminded that things come in the time they are meant to be received and that I cannot control everything. I find peace in knowing and understanding that oddly enough. The waiting time in patience is not only an opportunity to rest but to also reflect on how far I’ve come and to also evaluate if I’ve gained all of the skills I need in order to embark on my endeavors. Practicing patience is especially important, for example, in the application procreate for schools and scholarships. With each application I submit, the time it takes to hear a response, and receiving the verdict of being accepted or denied I am reminded of my purpose.