Career Map Activity

In the context of the SoLVE class, you are being asked to draw a career map to show where you want to go in the next 5-10 years.



Initially, I began my college career at University of New Haven as a Forensic Science major. After about a semester of self-reflection, I realized that working as a forensic scientist in a lab wouldn't give me as much satisfaction out of life as teaching would. 

My first experience as an educator of sorts occurred during my sophomore year of high school. I had convinced my best friend to join marching band with me, but she had no experience of playing percussive instruments or music scales. With two months to go before the marching band auditions, we set up weekly lessons in which I taught her scales, wrist techniques, and music notation. By the time auditions rolled around, she had mastered scales and rhythmic notation, landing her a spot in the band's front ensemble. 

In my senior year, I was hired as a tutor by my high school for underclassmen. I tutored students who were in danger of failing Geometry, Algebra, or Biology. I enjoyed helping the students learn and succeed, their self-confidence growing even though they had previously thought passing the course would be impossible. And though I had applied for and accepted a spot as a forensics major at UNH, it was then that I began to doubt that a career in Forensics was for me. Helping others learn felt far more fulfilling.  

I chose to study and teach biology because, since seventh grade Life Science, it has always been my favorite subject. I hope to not only pass on my love of biology to my students when I become a teacher, but to also get students interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields of study, and help them see how STEM is involved in our day to day lives. 

While working on my own education, I continue to work as a tutor. I am currently employed through Pomona Unified School District where I have been assigned to an elementary school site. I currently tutor K-2 students in reading, math, and English as a second language. 

This fall, I will begin applying to graduate programs to earn a teaching credential and a master’s degree in Education. I am currently on track to graduate the following spring.

There is a fork-in-the-road of my career map at year four. I put this split in there because I don’t yet know which path my life will take. You can see that the two paths come back together by five because, ultimately, they lead to the same outcome. The path I take during the split depends on which program I get accepted to. In my opinion, both options would be just as fantastic; the only thing that would differ between the two are the life experiences (moving to the east coast vs. getting to stay at home). As long as I earn get to teach and help shape the educational experiences of minority and low-income students, I’ll be happy.

In my career map, I’ve also included some personal goals to achieve after becoming an educator. I hope to have a home to call my own by the time I’m 26-years-old, pay off my student loans by the time I’m 28, take a month to travel to England, Scotland, and Ireland when I’m 29, and hopefully settle down with a family by age 30.