Charlie Ernst

10/13/2021

Career Center Day

Carolyn Summers

Q: Fill in the blank. "________ is what matters"

A: "Fulfillment is what matters." - I think it is important to find things you are passionate about and actively do them in order for your days to have substance and meaning. 

Q: What is an accomplishment from the last ten years, or a moment in your life when you were the proudest? What was the accomplishment and what was your role in it? What challenges or hurdles did you encounter while trying to fulfill this? What was most satisfying or rewarding? What were the key traits, skills, or talents you used? 

A: This past summer, I became a nanny full-time for the family I had been working for part-time during the school year. There are 2 boys (2 & 5 years old) and 2 girls (9 and 12 years old). They are all a handful, to say the least. I worked long hours, from 7-5:30 M-F and I traveled with them on weekends they were away. This job was not an easy summer job, but it was so rewarding. I created such strong bonds with all of these kids. The five-year-old boy has some severe behavior disorders and struggled with some health issues as a baby. Throughout the summer I was able to learn how to best communicate with him and was able to teach him coping skills to navigate the world better. For example, early on I taught him to blow on his hand when he gets angry or frustrated to make sure he is taking deep breaths so he can figure out his thoughts. Before teaching him this, he would just scream with frustration because he couldn't express how he was feeling. The first time I watched him use this without prompting him to was a 'proud mom moment.' This is just one example of how this job was beyond rewarding. This was a challenging job, however. The hours were long, and I had to make a lot of sacrifices, but I wouldn't trade any of it. Some of the skills I used were my ability to prioritize and not feel like I'm missing out on other things. I also am good at connecting with people and these were useful skills for this job.