An Entrepreneurial SpiritAfter getting my first taste of business in the inner city I was hooked. I was excited to foster my ideas, and see them come to fruition. I found joy in marketing to the community and leveraging the community for the development of my business.
Once I realized that I was good at creating and marketing ideas, and that I loved being in business, I started my own ecommerce business. Through that I was responsible for building myself as a brand, marketing in a way that was successful, closing sales, and building and managing a team. I am responsible for the training of over 30 adults, and have personally created the training manual used in multiple "teams". I have advanced team sales with the creation of training series - using video and tasks to reach my team. I have also been responsible for speaking to large groups of people about our products and business. In an industry with a 90% fail rate, not only have I succeeded, but I am in the top 1% of my company. I am excited to see where my experience and skill set will take me next. Passion For Pioneering
Because of my heart for education and my excitement for growth and development I have a passion for pioneering. I love exploring problems and coming up with solutions, even if that means starting something new to meet the needs of those around me.
Pioneering is impossible without relationship which is what is so exciting about new ventures, it allows opportunity to connect with stakeholders and community members at large. During my time in Oakland County, where I was developing and implementing programming for students countywide I had the unique opportunity of hosting focus groups to get to the root issues of mental health within teenagers in the County. Based on these focus groups we were able to pinpoint gaps in the system and ultimately create a sustainable program that would deliver results. It brought me immense joy to work on a project driven by actual data, and the population we were actually trying to reach. Nothing feels better than creating and delivering something that not only works, but actually matters.
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An Educator's DiplomacyI attended Hope College for Studio Art, Education, and English. Immediately upon graduation I landed a short-term job in a nearby school district. With nine completely new courses to prep for, and no guides or tools to help me, I conquered my first job as a high school art teacher. I then moved to an inner city high school. Where 100% of my student population was on free and reduced breakfast and lunch. For the first time in my life my privilege was made abundantly clear to me. I was a minority for the first time ever. With class sizes upwards of 65+, no curriculum in place, and a pretty sad art budget, I got to work. I started a sustainable business for my school that essentially put money into the Art budget, and into the student's education fund. I found abounding excitement in the process of creating a business, and helping my students in a new way. All while utilizing project based curriculum to change my student's view of themselves, art, and their future.
Getting my start in Education was perhaps the biggest learning experience I've had thus far in my life. I truly am thankful for those experiences because I believe they have made me into the individual I am today. I had to learn things about myself and foster skills I probably wouldn't have otherwise learned. I believe that educators make some of the best employees. The value I can bring to a company, organization, or school district because of my background is truly unique and extensive. |