I have been wanting to do a career update for a REALLY REALLY long time. The reason why I haven't is because my career change has recently moved from being conceived to the development process. (Yes, I still have babies on the brain from the Baby Talk An Open Discussion post.) Things are looking very very positive and promising, BUT I think it's just too soon to give a complete update with full details.
In the last post (I'm Still An Anti-Bride: My Stance......) I mentioned that I plan on pursuing a second B.A. or B.S. degree in speech language pathology. Since I did give you that much I do feel that I owe my loyal readers some type of an explanation. So here goes.....
I have always, by always I mean for as long as I can remember, had a fascination with language. It is something that I never really spoke about. I wanted to study different languages, travel, and 'ya know' do stuff with all that information. When I was young I didn't really know what industry would afford me to do that. So I went along with life like most people do hoping that I would "figure it all out."
In middle school I came across the career of speech language pathology and linguistics. I think it just dawned on me after seeing kids go to speech classes that "hey maybe I could do that." When I got to high school I felt like "okay I got this all figured out! I'm going to graduate from high school, go to college, major in speech, and become a speech therapist. That's my life!" Oh so I thought!!!!
While in high school I really got into writing, theater, journalism, and just communications as a whole. As an adult looking back, my theory is that my interest in speech is what got me into communications. I enjoyed public speaking, but I didn't have an interest in being on the debate team. There wasn't a speech therapist club or class in high school. But there was a drama class, a creative writing group, and media journalism program. I was able to release the "language" aspect that I held near and dear through written, oral/media communications.
Since I did well in journalism it made sense to major in mass media communications, and minor in speech pathology. Like a lot of recent high school graduates I graduated from high school, and I knew what I wanted to do. I just didn't really grasp how I wanted to do it. I knew I had to go to college, but I didn't really want to go to college. I think I was just really burnt out and hormonal!!!
I struggled with finding my way, but I found it. The University that I attended did not have a speech program. They did have a mass media communications program. So I went hard with that.
I've always known what type of life I have wanted to have. If you read my Role Model of a Sexy Woman post then you know at 8 years old I knew the following:
- Where I was going to live
- Who I was going to marry
- How old my future husband would be
- Where both of us would be working
- How many children (step-children) we would have
- Where my future husband's ex wife would be living
I don't know what's crazier the fact that I had a very detailed blue print of what my life would be like as an 8 year old child.
OR
I have used and followed that blue print very carefully as an adult. I mean it's crazy.
Nevertheless, knowing what kind of life I wanted to have I knew that if I saw any sign of distress in my career in journalism I needed to go to my back up career, speech language pathology.
It was right around the time of my bridal shower that I started to have an internal struggle with myself. My 8 year old self started to really nag at me and tell me "hey it's time to go with Plan B." It was really hard for me to make the decision to move on with my career. My professional journalism career started out with me just writing stories for my college classes in Columbia, SC. While doing that I was working part time as a waitress at a sports bar. Since I was a full time college student I worked the slow hours. Working the slow hours meant I would watch 20 big screen tv's all on various sports channels. That evolved into me learning a lot about sports, and taking interest in sports communications and journalism.
From there I networked, and took advantage of ANY and EVERY possibility I could. Counting the freelance work that I did as a teenager you're talking 13 years of "grinding." From state to state, city to city. I lived and/or worked in: BOTH Carolina's (North and South Carolina), Georgia, Virginia, D.C., Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and of course New York.
Pursuing a career in speech pathology isn't new for me. I knew all along that speech therapy was in the cards. It is new for EVERYONE else, except maybe my mom and sister. (Both mom and sister remember my dream of being a speech therapist.) I find myself convincing others in my life that this isn't a "save face" decision. I have thought long an hard, like 15 years long and hard, about this career choice. Just this time two years ago I was at Citi-Field interviewing for a coveted spot with the Mets.
Now I'm filling out applications to go back to school to be a SPEECH THERAPIST???
I get it! It really doesn't make a lot of sense. That is why I have been mum discussing my personal life with friends and family lately.
In closing, I have applied for my second B.A. or B.S. degree in speech language pathology. Depending on what college accepts me I will pursing a Bachelors Degree in Arts or in Sciences. I need to complete anywhere between 15-30 prerequisites credits in speech language pathology. Once those are completed then I can apply for graduate school. In the state of New York you cannot practice speech therapy without a graduate degree in speech pathology. You also need to be certified in EVERYTHING under the sun. It's going to take me roughly around 3 years before I can begin practicing.
I try not to think about 3 years in the terms that a lot of others think of it. I feel that the time is going to pass regardless so why not? In my former industry it would take anywhere from 5-10 years to move from entry level to a SECURE mid/junior level position. There are so many forms of entry level that you can remain stagnate. You may have an executive title, but your skills and duties are that of a glorified intern. I know had a stayed in my industry in 5 years I would be just entering the mid/junior level.
Needless to say I'm happy with my decision. Scared yes, but happy. I will keep you posted on school acceptance as soon as I know something.
Sincerely,
The Anti-Bride
Email: theantibride2013@gmail.com
Twitter: @theantibride2013
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