CLOSING STATEMENT
The outdoors has been my theme for my portfolio because it reminds me of the different learning opportunities god has had for me during my life. Thinking of the outdoors allows me to look back at the past from which I came and know that in everything there is a reason. Through all of my life experiences I have grown spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually; as I have journeyed through the DBU counseling program my professors have all shared a wide range of knowledge and insights that have allowed me the ability to look through the lend as a school counselor.
As I finish my final semester at DBU I reflect on when I was in High School and my assistant principal told me that I would not make it in college because I don’t have great grades, I don’t have a path to follow and I didn’t have the support system to make it. Although I never go out to prove someone wrong…. but with each negative it made me want to prove that lady wrong even more.
My path to become a school counselor was far from a straight line. I originally went to school to become an engineer for all of the wrong reasons. I thought I would make a ton of money and I could design drawings on a computer all day. I struggled to make it through my undergraduate years and never thought I would try graduate school. I began to volunteer at a youth camp that I went to when I was a child one weekend during the summer. This changed my whole life! I loved working with the kids and the staff members; it wasn’t long until I realized this is what god wanted for me. I took a big leap of faith and changed majors during my junior year of college. I became and education major and it was not long until I started working full time at the youth camp where I held the title as Camp Director.
Working with kids and helping them with their daily concerns and helping them grow are what I wanted to do. I knew I could not be a Camp Director for the rest of my life so I looked into becoming a school counselor. It was a wonderful idea! I began classes at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, MI. I really enjoyed the classes and I was constantly learning and for the first time it was fun to learn!
After a year in the program I hit a crossroads in my life. For personal issues I decided to move to Texas with my brother. It killed me to leave the counseling program and I questioned if I would find a program in Texas that I would enjoy. Again I just put my life in God’s hands and let him lead me. After a couple years in Texas I started looking into counseling programs and some of my colleagues at school told me they really enjoyed Dallas Baptist. I decided to go talk with Dr. Bonnie Bond about the program and what the requirements were for me to enroll. After our meeting I knew this was the perfect place for me!
There were times in the program when I become frustrated and was overwhelmed with everything members of my cohort continued to encourage me to preserve. I am thankful to all of my professors who made my experience in this program so special with their wealth of practical knowledge in school counseling, their broad understanding of curriculum and tremendous enthusiasm all made my learning experience enjoyable and fun. The experiences beyond the classroom where we were allowed to work with the community will be some of best experiences of my life.
My plans for the future are to take a couple of years off to focus on my family since I will be getting married in June. I plan to continue on with a pursuit to earn a counseling degree and become an LPC so that I can work with families teaching them how to live better, healthier lives. Through all of the ups and downs, I am encouraged knowing that God has plans for my life, plans to look over me and my family, plans to give me hope. I am excited to get into the counseling field and so the work he has commanded me to do as a Christian.