NCDA: Facilitating Career Development (WFRS)

My name is Megan Freiburger and I currently live in Lexington, South Carolina. For the last four years I have taught public school; two at the Elementary level and two at the Middle level. I graduated with my undergrad in Elementary Education from The University of South Carolina in 2015 and with my Masters in Sport and Entertainment Management in 2016. I additionally have certifications in middle level math, business education, and gifted & talented. I love learning, and plan to be a lifelong learner for as long as I am able :) I am excited for the chance to branch out after this school year into the world of career development, wherever that path may lead me. I hope that this course will help me feel prepared to apply for new jobs beginning this summer. I am looking forward to growing my knowledge and learning more about this industry!

Hi,

My name is Melissa Boling.  I live in Sykesville, Maryland.  I have worked in the field of clinical counseling for the past 12 years.  Most of my experiences has been with children, adolescents, and their families.  However, I recently accepted a position at a local community college and will now be working with college students.  I will be providing personal and career counseling and also doing some advising.  As part of my job requirements, I am completing the course.  However, I have always been interested in career counseling and I am very excited to study and learn information that will help me in my work with students and local community members.

Thanks,

Melissa

Hello! My name is Marit Aaseng, and I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Since 2018, I have been developing a Talent Development Pipeline program for local college students who participated in Genesys Works high school internships. Genesys Works is a non-profit social enterprise that with a mission to create pathways to career success for students in underserved communities through skills training, meaningful work experiences, and impactful relationships. While I have been involved in college access and workforce development non-profits for a number of years, I have not been formally trained or certified in this area yet - which is why I am joining this course! I am very excited to expand my expertise, refine best practices, and enhance my programming through this experience.

Hello! My name is Mariyah Bryant and I'm from Largo, Maryland. I have founded my own company, The MFactor, where we currently do resume writing, cover letters, and LinkedIn profile optimization. We also do some government workshops where we assist local jobseekers. I'm here to make up for my lack of experience and expand my services to my clients by offering them more value in terms of job search strategy, staffing solutions, and more! I'm glad to be here.

Hi 

My name is Demphina Ogutu. I live in San Jose, CA. I am a divorced mother of 2 boys who are grown and living on their own and have succesful careers. I currently work as a substitute teacher and also as a realtor. I have worked many jobs and not liked any of them. Now I realize that I was finding jobs that were not for me. Helping people comes naturally for me and also I find myself helping people see things differently and solve problems. I feel I can take my struggle to find the right career and translate that to helping others who may not be sure what career path to take. I want to be the person that helps facilitate that.

Lastly I want to take my counseling career further by getting a Master's Degree in Counseling and teaching community college.

My name is Nicole Baker and I reside in Irmo, South Carolina.  Last year I took a leap of faith and became a career changer and left Corporate America to pursue my passion of working in education.  I am currently a TA in a Pre-K Autism classroom.  However, I am qualified to teach Business Education at the middle and high school level.  My passion has always been coaching, training, and mentoring.  I am taking this course with the hopes of being able to further my passion and becoming a Career Development Facilitator within the education system. 

Hi there! Rebecca Mielke here in The Great Northwest (Spokane, Washington). 

After years in the fashion industry, working as a personal stylist most recently, I am in this course to leverage my skills and love of learning for greater impact in improving lives. Ideally, I’d like to join a team working in either higher ed or workforce development, and help people to find their place in the job market. Whether or not this course leads to a new job, I am excited to learn this material; I have always been fascinated with all the ways people are unique, and how much better the world can be when people are employed using their gifts. I look forward to working with you! 

Hello, My name is Clark Hogan and I live in Ogden Utah.  I have been a high school teacher for 25 years, and a Realtor for 10 years.  I am entrepreneurial by nature and would like to use this course to enable me to teach a Work Based Learning course or advance to be a WBL Coordinator helping students with prepare for the working world.  I am excited to learn what this course has to offer.

Greetings, Charise and fellow classmates, 

My name is Catric pronounced "Catrice" Marshall and I greet you from the DMV (D.C., Maryland.,Virginia) metropolitan area. I live in Northern Virginia with my two children; Anthony (13) and Mariah (1). Presently I am a Resident in Counseling and I see clients part-time at a private practice in Lake Ridge, I work full-time as a Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist for a local school system. This format is familiar and comfortable to me as I earned my BA in Psychology online from the American Public University System and my MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling online from Capella University.

I am taking this course as a requirement to obtain the Certified Career Counselor credential. It is crazy that I looked up this program several years ago when I was thinking about obtaining the workforce development credential. Career counseling is my passion and I love helping people discover their strengths and how to apply them towards a career they can grow and excel within. My goal is to utilize my LLC, ASAP Life Solutions to provide mental health counseling and career services. This course will provide me a sound model of career counseling to utilize and it will expand my previous work experience as a career and education advisor for military spouses. I seek to also position myself to work within the school system as a career counselor. We've been home since mid-March and working from home since late April when schools were closed due to the pandemic. I'm seeking to come out of this experience with growth in every area of my life. It is a pleasure to meet all of you and I look forward to working with you. I pray you and your families remain safe, healthy, and blessed. 

Respectfully, 

Catric :)

Good Day All!  My name is Martha Marie Nicks.  I was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, then attended the University of Wisconsin – Parkside where I acquired a Bachelor of Art Degree in Sociology and Communication along with a certification in Conflict Analysis & Resolution (Conflict Management).   After working for several years, I went back to school earning a Master of Science Degree in Adult Education and completed the Career Development Facilitator Program simultaneously.   Shortly after, I took a break from working to raise a family, then shifted from Career Development to Sales for 8 years prior to starting Navigator Career Solutions, LLC to be able to get back into Career Development.  I recently relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio nine months ago and was able to get back into Career Facilitation with a company here to sharpen my skills while setting Navigator Career Solutions up for success.  My goal is to work for myself in the next 5-7 years; which brings me to why I am taking this course.

While I am doing well after resuming my passion of being a Career Facilitator, I definitely could use a brush up on the 12 competencies, specifically with Consultation, Career Development Models, Implementation, Promotion & Public Relations.  Since my initial course completion, I noticed some changes to the NCDA certification for Career Development Facilitator and believe that it would be wise for me to recertify.  This time around, I am striving to secure the Global Career Development Facilitator credential, then keep my knowledge current through Continuing Education Credits (CEUs).

My name is Roxana Montes and I was born and raised in Houston, TX. I am a proud owner of a small business in my town that helps individuals with their career development. In my past experience I have worked in recruiting and with many roles in Human Resources. Most recently, I have also worked in sales with a major food distribution company world wide giving me the ability to learn the importance of handling a business from beginning to end. I am a great advocate of learning and love helping others. Both my husband and I participate in various community events and also very involved with a local church and its youth group. Working with the youth has given us the opportunity to help guide through high school, college, and have helped many find great positions in the workforce. I am thrilled to take this course and learn more about the ever changing world of developing others. 

Hi everyone, 

My name is Naheda Khan. I am an advisor for the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program. I took this course because it was required by my employer. I look forward to gaining knowledge of the theoretical foundation of career development and how I would be able to connect the application of this in my work. I would also like to learn how to better provide constructive support to my customers while they are undergoing training.

Hello, My name is Kimberly Glover and I live in the suburbs of Chicago. I currently work as a recruiter for the University of Illinois at Chicago. I have been employed there for three years and have been in the recruitment industry for six years. I took this course because I eventually would like to open up my own business helping individuals land jobs. My ultimate goal is to start my own non-profit organization assisting individuals with job development programs, interview prep, job search assistance etc. I took this course because it's not only going to validate my experience, but this certification is going to align with my brand and what I am trying to accomplish. I am really excited about this journey!

Hello all! My name is Jessica Mitchell, I live in Binghamton, New York and I am so excited to take this course. I currently work at the Center for Career Development at SUNY Broome Community College and absolutely love the work I do within career services. I have worked as a graduate assistant career consultant for the past two years and completed my Master of Science in Student Affairs at Binghamton University this May. I worked for several years in retail management after obtaining my bachelor's degree where I had the awesome responsibility of staffing and developing my own team of 45+ individuals. I made the decision to go graduate school specifically to work within Career Services (After realizing an internship in my college's career office my sophomore year totally changed my life!) and haven't regretted it for a second. I am so excited to take this course to receive more formal career services training/education to better support students and also to support my research as a doctoral student focusing around students ability to access career services resources effectively. So excited to learn more and practice my skills! 

I am Justin Tomás Gomez (he/el/they), Assistant Director for Career and Professional Development at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. I am part of the new leadership team responsible for re-opening UNLV's centralized Career Services Center, after being closed for almost a decade since 2010 during the great recession. I also serve as the Principal Facilitator for Kolcha Collaborative, essentially my "side-hustle." I decided to take this course because I had $1000 in professional development funds I needed to spend before the budget cuts hit in January 2021. I could not think of a better way to use those funds than to earn additional training and skills to help people figure out what they want to be and do when they grow up. I am excited to meet you all and learn with you and from you. 

Hello,

My name is Kathy Pease.  I am recently (2 months) retired after 36 years in K-12 education.  I have served as a teacher and administrator throughout my career.  Most recently, I served as the Chief Academic Officer of a suburban Chicago school district of about 27,000 students.  Throughout my career, I have found myself talking with students, staff members and even parents about the possibilities for them in the workforce.  I have truly enjoyed this aspect of my career, but felt as though I needed more training to actually feel confident in supporting them in their choices.  This course was shared with me by a friend who knew it was exactly what I was missing.  I am anxious to learn more about facilitating these conversations.  I look forward to meeting all of you as well.

I believe that helping people at any age understand who they are and where they can be successful in the world of work is key to solving many problems.  Understanding or not understanding identity can solve or create issues for people.  I believe a proactive approach to understanding who you are paired with a matching career can lead to a great life for many.  I would love to be able to have the skills to work with any age to achieve that.

Thank you for your time,

Kathy

Hello Everyone,

My name is LaVerne Zephir, and I currently live in Norcross, Georgia. I am originally from the U.S. Virgin Islands and moved to Georgia in 2001. I moved to Georgia to complete my undergraduate education at Georgia State University and I graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work, and I also have a Master in Business Administration.  I started my professional career as a Social Services Case Manager for the Division of Family and Children Services here in Georgia. I made a career change after 10 years of service and now I am currently employed at Delta Dental Insurance Company. I recently leaped in faith during the pandemic. I started my own company offering career services, resume writing, job search, and interview prep. I feel this class will provide me with the foundational knowledge and competencies needed to serve my clients. I look forward to meeting everyone!

My name is Eric Burton, and I'm currently living in South Korea.  A retired Army Veteran of 25 years and currently working as the Employment Readiness Program Manager for Army Community Service.  I've been blessed with the opportunity to counsel, lead and guide Military Spouses in finding employment while residing oversees on Military Installations with their Military Service Member.  I offer training on Federal Resumes, Civilian Resumes and teach a Home Based Business class which provides the Military Spouse the opportunity to advertise, and sell homemade goods, services and products.  I'm very excited about this course and believe it will provide me the necessary foundational knowledge and development to better serve our Military men and women serving overseas and their families.    

Hi everyone!

I am Sandra, I am Greek and the last 6 ½ years I live and work in Saudi Arabia for a Science and Technology University. I have worked as an HR & Organizational Development professional for over 20 years mainly in the areas of Learning & Development and Talent Development. I am a certified Strengths coach, Systemic Coaching and Constellations coach and a qualified team coach as well as a trained mediator assisting individuals and teams with conflict situations. My main motivation for joining the program is to expand my provision of services as I love helping people and supporting them experience success and happiness in what they are pursuing.

Hi All!

I am Katie and I am from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My current role is Career Development Specialist for Title III at Mount Mary University, a small all women's institution. The responsibilities my role has is loaded. I run the Compass program which is for new undecided students. I also work with a grant funded program that serves first generation and Pell eligible students. In addition, I meet with students for the day to day career development related questions. One advantage of working at a small school is I am able to wear many hats - I love that about my job!

I decided to take this course because I am passionate about serving students and I think it is my responsibility to continue to educate myself so I can share resources with students. I am early in my career so I am looking forward to forming many relationships with all of you and hearing about your experiences. 

Hello, my name is Katlyn Taylor and I've been working for the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Benton County in Bentonville, AR for 4 years. We are a non-profit who's mission it is to enable single parents to achieve self-sufficiency through post-secondary education. In my particular role, I help our students who come into our program with academic advising, career advising, career assessment and connections with outside job opportunities and searches. I am excited to learn more about each of these fields as well as the fields I'm not as well versed in. I have a bachelor's degree in Mass Communication with a minor in Marketing and a master's degree in Speech Communication with a Corporate Communication emphasis from the University of Central Missouri. I live outside of Bentonville with by husband Matthew and my yellow lab Ruger. So nice to meet you all! 

Hi Y'all! My name is Krystle Goodwin and I live in Bentonville AR. I work for a local nonprofit called Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Benton County. We help single parents in our area receive a post secondary education. I am taking this class with 2 of my co-workers and we are excited to learn more about career development to guide our recipients in choosing a career path. 

Hello everyone. I am Twyla and work for Single Parent Scholarship Fund Benton County, a non-profit that helps single parents get out of poverty through post-secondary education. My role is to counsel and advise our scholarship recipients as they are in the program. I decided to take this course so that I can help advice and guide our scholarship recipients in pursuing fields of study that will result in employment they will both enjoy and provide well for themselves and their families. I hope to gain insight, wisdom, and knowledge from this class and look forward to getting to know everyone better.

Hi, everyone! I am Austin Raines and I live in New Boston (Scioto County), Ohio. I am the Assistant Director of Career Services & Workforce Development, Adjunct, and Aspire Instructor at Shawnee State University. I am a Licensed Social Worker (LSW), hold my Chemical Dependency Counseling Assistant (CDCA) certification, and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) certification as a Practitioner. In my Assistant Director (previously Career Advisor) role, I provide major and career advising to all students utilizing inventories such as FOCUS 2 and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. I often plan and facilitate career-related presentations and programs. I develop career-related programming for students, employers, and faculty/staff. I often coordinate outreach efforts and collaborate with campus and community partners. Additionally, I utilize online career management systems to post job and/or internship opportunities. As an Adjunct Instructor, I have taught courses such as: Major Exploration and Career Planning, Internships, Academic Development Skills, First Year Experience, Time Management, and Developmental English. My main duty as an Aspire Instructor is to assist students (16 and older) who want to obtain a credential equivalent to a high school diploma. 

One of my most prioritized goals in my career and life is to help individuals find and pursue their path to success. I take pride in being able to identify and empathize with vulnerable populations such as first-generation and low-income college students. I want to continue learning more about other vulnerable populations and empowering them; “Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.” We are living through an extremely challenging time, and I believe this is a great opportunity for me to continue my education, expand my knowledge, and be a part of the change that is needed in this world. I look forward to doing so in this course.  “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” 

Hello all! My name is Julia Reich, and I live in Minneapolis, MN. I work for a non-profit called Genesys Works, where we strive to provide students pathways to career success through skills training, meaningful work experiences, and impactful relationships. In my position, I support college students in our Talent Development Pipeline - specifically, first-year students. I also help facilitate professional development events for our broader alumni network. I am looking forward to taking this course because I do not have any official training in career development coaching, and I believe I could support students more effectively with the background and skills developed through this course. I am excited to learn best practices and how to translate theory into practice so that I can help my team create the best program we can.

Hello everyone - My name is Sophie Switzer and I work in student services at the University of Iowa College of Public Health. I am taking this course to be able to advise public health undergraduate and graduate students on appropriate career decisions, in addition to internships, research assistantships, and other experiential learning opportunities. My degree is in applied psychology and my professional background is in marketing and recruitment in higher education. I don't have any formal or informal experience with career advising but I'm very much looking forward to adding these skills to my toolbox.

Hello, my name is Chrissy Perry. I started a recruiting company called Talent Gap where we build true partnerships with both employers and job seekers. My heart has always been with helping guide candidates to the just-right role for them. I want to provide my candidates with the support and resources needed to succeed at every turn. The more knowledge I have as a career facilitator the better I can service my candidates and my clients. 

Hello, my name is Angina Montgomery and I reside in Sumter, SC where I am employed as a middle school Business Education teacher. I also coach basketball and track and am the advisor for a host of student organizations at our school. Middle school is an age where adolescents are really trying to figure themselves out, so I am interested in learning more about career development so that I can assist them on their journey.

Hey Y'all-

My name is Jenna Heath, I currently serve as the Director of Student & Community Engagement for the College of Liberal Arts at University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). I previously served as the Assistant Director of Career & Professional Development for UNLV Career Services, and prior to that was a Career Coach for undergraduate and graduate students and alumni. I also oversee The Career Development Research team that actively researches, produces and publishes in the field. As part of my current role I oversee internship programs and career development, and am thrilled to get this credential to continue and build workforce development at UNLV. 

Fun fact, I grew up in Texas and say y'all a lot. In addition, I love my puppies and exercising! Looking forward to getting to know y'all! 

Hi everyone! My name is Vicki Terrill and I live in San Angelo, Texas. I am a former high school teacher who saw her students struggle to figure out college majors and careers, so when I retired from teaching, I began coaching students around their career choices. I've been working with students since 2016 and want to finally obtain my certification with NCDA as I move into making this a full-time business instead of just a hobby. I am also a life coach, so I combine some life coaching around purpose with my career coaching which seems to work out great with younger adults.

Greetings,

My name is Jesse Rutschman. I have an extensive background in the realm of college access and success grants, as well as education in general. I was a middle school/high school STEM teacher and worked with the GEAR UP program in Chicago. Currently, I work as a program coordinator with the TRIO Student Support Services program at Northeastern Illinois University, where I am also pursuing (slowly but surely) an M.B.A. 

I love the self-assessment/self-discovery and career development work I facilitate with students. What I hope to get out of this course is a foundation in career development theory and a larger toolbox for this aspect of my work. I also hope to take this expertise into the entrepreneurial realm of HR-tech/talent development for some interesting applications I have been scheming about for a bit now.

I look forward to meeting others!

Hello everyone! My name is Crystal Cory and I am currently a Career Coach at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. I grew up in Indiana and got my Bachelors at Purdue University. I then went on to get my Masters in Student Affairs from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. I've been out here in Salt Lake City for almost two years now, and part of the reason I'm interested in taking this course is because my masters program was very theory/development focused and I've been missing that in my work. I am also starting my own resume writing/coaching business and am looking forward to seeing how this course will help apply to that as well!

Hello my name is Tisha Grande and I work at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia. I have lived here for almost two years with my husband and both of us being originally from San Diego, this has been quite the change, but a welcomed one. I have been in International Education for going on ten years. During the pandemic I have looked into different ways to grow within my profession and after speaking with colleagues both within the U.S. and overseas, Career Counseling seemed to be a great way to expand my knowledge as well as gain additional resources to help others. I'm excited to start this class, meet others, and grow as both an individual and professional. 

Hello classmates:

As a practicing independent solo proprietor career coach, I provide no-nonsense, practical, pragmatic, and actionable steps during a work search. Clients appreciate my active listening skills, so my guidance is individually customized to their specific needs. My goal is to help people navigate the work search process to employment success. I have over 20 years of experience in the career development community including 8 years as director or manager of career services for 2 "for-Profit" career schools, plus 15 years in private practice as a coach. 3 years ago and transitioned to make this my full-time employment.

I am taking this certification for several reasons:

1. Professional development - I want to keep learning to stay at the top of my game,

2. I want to walk the walk I preach to my clients that employers are seeking certifications,

3. For branding purposes, it is important to me to show that my expertise is not just client acknowledged, but independently approved by a professional association,

4. And finally, to network with other professionals for resource and experience sharing. I have been a guest member of the NJ-CDA chapter.

I am excited to be part of the class and look forward to working with ya'll.

Hi everyone! 

My name is Hannah Flory and I am currently a Career Advisor at Florida Gulf Coast University. I am so excited to be a part of this course and to have the opportunity to be able to learn from people across many geographical regions! When I am not coaching students through career resources and decisions, I am typically hanging out with my husband and our two cats, Salem and Sammy. 

I decided to take this course to assist with receiving the CCSP credential. As I am only a year out of graduate school, I have found that students and staff do not always deem me as credible as others due to my age and often times looking younger than I am. I am excited to be able to learn more about being a career practitioner and hopefully gain the skills to potentially start my own coaching business in the future.