My Calling

Some people find their calling in life at an early age. I think of someone I know that knew from an early age that God had called him to pursue music. Others, like myself, have to go through the fire and go through some rough spots before they find what their calling in life is. I am learning more and more each day that God has called me to work with college students. And I am humbled and blessed by it all at the same time. Let me share a bit of my journey.

When I was still a student at Fresno State while working on my teaching credential I knew I was not always going to be a teacher. I was finding out it was something I was not wanting to do for the rest of my life and I believe truly that the seeds for working in a college setting were being planted. I didn't know how it would all come together, but I knew that was someplace I would want to be someday. I finished my teaching credential in 1993, moved home got a part time teaching position in a private Christian school and taught there for a year before I was not hired back for the following year. Yep 25 years old and I had lost my first job already. Did not know this would happen more down the road. I moved back home and lived with my parents until February 1995 when I left for grad school at California Baptist University to pursue my Master's of Science in Counseling Psychology. I am VERY thankful and grateful to God for the opportunity I had to FINALLY go to a wonderful Christian college and get a Biblical worldview. Especially in the area of counseling. I am glad that I found something I loved doing. I did my practicum in the Cal Baptist counseling center and found while I was there that I loved my clients that were college students. I don't know why, I just felt like I could connect with them better. And I did too. When I finished my master's I went back into teaching and experienced doors that would open for me only to be shut after a year. I look back now and I do thank God for closing them for that was not where He wanted me to be long term. When I moved to Texas in 2001 I had a teaching position with Dallas ISD and am thankful that it did not work out for me to always be there (I was let go after a half a year and then finished off the school year at a Muslim school). Then I was let go from there (my sister and I have joked about how many states I have not been hired back in lol - the count is 3). Then God opened a door for me to teach at Dawson State Jail (I promise I will finish the story about that) and I got fired in October of 2003 for sharing my faith. I long term subbed for 4 years with Dallas ISD before finally saying that's it I can't do this anymore. During the entire time I had been subbing, I did apply for full time positions in teaching or school counseling, but guess what. God kept all those doors closed. Am I sorry about that? Nope because God has a wonderful plan for my life and He knows what I am gifted at. In January 2008 a door was opened for me to be at Westwood College (a career college) in Fort Worth. I taught psychology there as well as career development from January to May 2008. The day they called to tell me I was not coming back was the day I was interviewing at Navarro College (and being offered a job as as soon as they had an opening). On Friday I will have finished a year and a half there and today I finished my first semester at Hill College. Guess what! I absolutely love working with college students. But, my heart and passion is in being a college counselor. Still working with them, but being in a counseling position. I believe God has been blessing me in my positions (even though I felt like this semester I went through the fire) and I have been able to make connections with many of them. I have been told I have a gift and many students have said I would be a great counselor. Affirmation? All I know is after everything I have been through over the years and especially since I got fired in October of 2003, I have found something that I love and am passionate about. Which is why I believe that I have found my calling in life - to work with college students. I truly want to be a counselor because I want to be able to work one on one with the students I come in contact with on applying for jobs, job search, resumes, financial aid, finding places to live, applying for colleges, etc. I relate to them because I understand the challenges they face and I can relate so well to their poorness as I myself have and still am living it (hello the month of February when I have to trust God for all my living expenses - yep don't know how the rent is getting paid or the electric bill or anything else). So yeah this is what I am praying for for 2010. That God will open a door for me to be a college counselor. And is it weird if I say I am praying for something to open up in Nashville. Despite some recent events?