Getting Ahead in Times of COVID!

I love working with kids and I love everything Disney and everything Horror. People always make fun of me because they think is strange that I love Disney and horror when they are miles away from each other when it comes to it. I always tell those people that when you think about it, Disney can produce very terrifying stuff; this asides from half their movies being based on scary stories to begin with. My dream would be to work for an entertainment company that lets me use my love for movies, pop culture, horror and Disney to their advantage. I want to be an asset for some organization or company that allows me to use what I love in order to make a lasting impression!

I have been a teacher for over twelve years. I have taught everything from Math and Science 4th grade to English Language Arts in 8th grade and high school! I have always loved the upper grades more than the lower ones. My preference has always been Reading and English Language Arts too! I truly believe I am a great asset when it comes to those subjects in any grade level. About a year and a half ago, last December, a family tragedy occurred. I decided I needed sometime off from teaching. It had been long coming anyways. I knew my passion for teaching would end unless I took a break. This would be my sabbatical. I needed to recharge.

Back then in December 2019, little did I know about COVID. I had heard about this "mysterious virus" in China but it seemed so far away. I needed a break from it all. So, I decided to take this long awaited sabbatical and plan a trip and some time off. I invited my mother to come with me to Florida. I wanted to explore the state. I had been to Orlando and its surroundings but I always wanted to go to Key West and to simply explore one of my favorite states. So, it was decided. I resigned my job to recover my mental health. My mother also needed the break since this family tragedy that struck us hit pretty close to home for both of us.

In February 2020, we were well on our way to Miami. We enjoyed the city and rented a car to drive around the state. I took her to Disneyworld since she had never been there. We went to visit several lighthouses, all the touristy spots and some very unique sights in cities such as Pensacola and Saint Augustine to eventually end in Key West. My mother enjoyed her time away from everything and she kept saying this was "the best present ever!" We had so much fun but we did feel some threat loom in the horizon. Wherever we went, it started to become obvious people were getting scared about this COVID virus making its slow way towards the country!

After about a month, we went back home and I was ready to get back to work. My mental health was better. It just happened that by then, COVID was spreading like wildfire all across the country. It became very obvious to me that I could and would not look for a job in education. I was terrified to be back in a classroom with this virus spreading around us. Most school districts shut down and they also stopped hiring. I knew my next move had to be to change gears and go into something else.

It was a good thing that I had some experience in customer service and in social media. I had been trying to make my way into the social media management landscape for a while. It was the right time to make sure my next job reflected my commitment to that. I secured several interviews with different companies such as Peter Piper Pizza and entertainments centers but soon it was apparent, I was lacking something.

Most of these places wanted me to have some sort of formal education in social media and all the education I had at the time was in Bilingual Education and Counseling. I felt appalled at the fact that most companies wanted someone with experience in social media but also with a degree in it. I determined then that I had to go back to school. I had started masters' degrees several times but I never felt the drive or the excitement to continue working on them. In my cemetery of masters I had started one in Business Administration, Counseling, and Marketing. I just never felt too excited about them and never continued with them. Now, I had to start looking for one that would both challenge me and benefit me in the long run.

So, my mission was clear as day: I was looking for both a masters degree and a job that could help me navigate through the next year (that's however long I figured we would be on lockdown- I guess I was right). I eventually found a very interesting job that while did not pay as well as a teacher, it offered the amazing benefit of working from home. I applied and obtained a job as a Student Success Advisor for an online school. I knew the future of education was in online schools for sure! I was beyond excited to put into practice my customer service skills and my knowledge of education in order to help students make the right choices in their educational paths. The job was fun and interesting! I made progress right away and soon, I was allowed to help build the social media presence for the company. It was not an easy task but it was a welcome challenge plus it was giving me the experience I needed. I had experience in social media but mainly part time and now, I was actually handling it full time. It was an exciting development!

Meanwhile, my search for a masters degree took me to Southern Utah University. I started exploring their website and I found a very interesting degree that would give me the chance to focus on several areas of interest. I found a Masters in interdisciplinary studies, where the student would focus on three different disciplines that would later interconnect and help the student land future jobs in such areas. I selected nonprofit management because I figured it would help and I would be great at it since I had been in education for a long time. My second discipline was Leadership, again because I always saw myself as a good and thoughtful leader so now I wanted to get some formal education for it to be applied. I had been certified as a Life Coach so I figure having Leadership could only help me market myself better for future job opportunities. My last discipline and a favorite of mine was Social Media and Public Relations. I was ecstatic to see that now I could offer future employers the fact that I actually had a a masters degree that included social media!

The process for the enrollment at SUU was not easy but I loved every minute of it. During the course of the next year, I met peers and professors who always enlightened my way. At the same time, things at work were going great. I met with my CEO to discuss an assignment from my master's degree and from our conversation, it was decided I should move on into social media and engagement event planning rather than to stay as a Student Success Advisor. Now, my role at my company was almost 100% social media and public relations. I was happy to finally move into a position that officially had me perform the duties I loved and the ones I was learning about in my masters degree.

The results I delivered continued to be good that eventually, it was decided that my role within the organization would change once again. Now, I was the Social Media and Customer Service Manager. I was in charge of all social media efforts, customer service and public relations for the company. This came with an added incentive of almost 10% more money that I was making when I first started in the company 6-7 months prior. My excitement was justified since I was now making more money than I ever made as a teacher and to top that off, I was doing something I always wanted to do full time!

So, now a class shy of graduating from my masters (Next August when coincidentally it will be a year since I started it), I am happy to report that I am a job that I enjoy doing. I am also still working from home since I work for an online school and on top of that, I am doing what I always wanted to do, which is work with social media and public relations. The job is not easy and it challenges me beyond belief. There are good and bad days but it is all about perspective. I do miss working with people and the camaraderie of working at a school or physical building with other people but at the same time, I feel very safe and I am happy. With that being said, I am hoping to eventually find a job that better suits my interests and obviously make more money.

Hopefully, I will find something in entertainment, nonprofit or education that will allow me to be challenged and more than anything to put into practice everything I bring based on my background knowledge but also everything I have learned in the last year. I am crossing my fingers so that at some point I can find that perfect job that will allow me to grow as a human and as professional. Honestly, excited to see where life takes me next! What about you? Are you where you want to be?