Hdfs 3110 - Reflection Paper

Hannah Fain has always wanted to help people through her career. She began college intending to major in journalism but realized she wanted to help fix social problems directly. She chose to major in Human Development and Family Science because she is fascinated by family systems and lifespan development. Her previous jobs in medical offices influenced her choice, as she prefers slower-paced environments. Through her HDFS courses, she became interested in mental health and how family upbringings impact people. Due to these factors and being inspired by her parents' careers in nursing and psychology, she now plans to pursue a master's degree in counseling to help children from difficult family situations.

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Hdfs 3110 - Reflection Paper

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Running Head: REFLECTIVE PAPER

Reflective Paper: Career Journey

Hannah Fain
HDFS 3110
Spring 2016
University of Georgia

REFLECTIVE PAPER

Introduction
I have always known I wanted to serve in a career that was devoted to helping people. At
the start of my freshman year at UGA, I was intent on majoring in journalism. I wanted to tell
peoples stories; I wanted to highlight social problems, focus on individual people, and talk about
the hard topics that most people shy away from. As I entered the second semester of my
sophomore year and began doing some self-reflection, I realized that what I most wanted to do
was help fix the people and the social problems, not just reveal and talk about them.
I began seeking majors and areas of study that were devoted to people: learning about
them, studying them, and gaining a better understanding of how to help them have a better
quality of life. I considered sociology, psychology, and education before coming to rest on
Human Development and Family Science. I was drawn to HDFS because of its emphasis on
family systems and lifespan development. These are two areas that fascinate me, and that I will
apply to my future career.
Work and Academic Influences
In the majority of my previous jobs, I have worked in the medical field. In high school, I
worked for a chiropractic office for 2 and a half years, doing a wide variety of jobs throughout
that time, ranging from stand in medical assistant, secretary, and office manager. Currently, I
work for a skin cancer and dermatology office. I do administrative work, scanning in
documents, mailing letters, and calling patients. Because of these experiences, I knew that I
enjoyed working in a medical-type, slower-paced environment. I worked at Chick-fil-A for a
few months my sophomore year of college, and though I enjoyed the people, I found that the
fast-paced environment was not one I preferred. I could successfully function, but it was not the

REFLECTIVE PAPER

kind of environment I wanted to strive to work in. These experiences helped prime me for
deciding that I want to work in a medical-type environment.
Within Human Development and Family Science, there are a wide variety of career areas
you can pursue after graduation. As I have moved further into my Human Development courses,
I have been able to identify what career types most attract me. I found that the more HDFS
classes I took, the more mental health appealed to me. I also became aware of how important
our upbringing and family lives are and how much they impact the people we become. I became
very interested in children who have come from rough or unhealthy family situations. Because
of these factors, I am currently leaning towards therapy and pursuing a masters in either
educational counseling or marriage and family therapy.
Factor of Family Themes
I believe that my parents and my family have impacted my career choice. My mom is a
nurse, and she displays compassion and care for people on a daily basis. I have always been
impressed with the way she is able to serve others so selflessly, and I seek to care for others in
the same way. My dad has two bachelors degrees from UGA, one in Psychology and one in
Management of Information Systems. My dad is fascinated by the human brain and why
different people think the way they do. He works for IBM and uses his Management of
Information Systems degree regularly, but he is also able to employ his psychology degree in the
workplace and in everyday life. We enjoy discussing human behaviors and analyzing what
influences different situations and people. I would consider myself a combination of the two of
my parents. I am a mix of my dads fascination with the development of the human mind and
my moms caring nurses heart.

REFLECTIVE PAPER

No one else in my family, extended or immediate, has pursued a career in mental health,
counseling, or therapy, but I would say that the health of my extended family has influenced my
career decision as well. On both sides of my family, many members display an alarming amount
of poor decision making, a lack of/unclear boundaries, and overall dysfunction. As a child, I
never understood why my family members handled their issues in such an unhealthy way, and I
always wished I knew what to say to assist them in finding better solutions to the situations life
throws at us. I also saw my parents deal with their divorced parents and viewed the ways that
growing up in a broken home affects individuals. I was burdened with a desire to help children
navigate the difficult circumstances that typically surround a broken home, whether they come
from a single-parent home, have lost a parent to death or illness, or are living in an abusive
environment.
Conclusion
My current plan is to apply for masters programs upon graduation and to seek out a
program in Georgia that specializes in the area I decide to pursue. I am unsure if I will choose
more of a school counseling program, or a private counseling, family therapy focused route, but
this class has helped provide insight into the school counseling profession. Through
interviewing an elementary school counselor in Clarke County, I was able to hear personal
experience and opinions on the guidance counseling career. This summer, I will hopefully intern
with a local counseling center and will be exposed to a broad spectrum of counseling ranging
from couples counseling, depression treatment, trauma recovery, and mental and emotional wellbeing. These experiences will provide further insight and clarity into which type of masters
program I would prefer. I have come a long way in my personal career journey, and Im looking
forward to learning and being exposed to countless opportunities as I continue forward.