What made you choose psychology as your major and made social work your overall career choice?

I think I’ve always felt like I should do something big in the world, and I wanted to help people. So, I guess when I started working at the school, I realized how much I like working with kids. I think being a good role model is really important to me because not only does it help them or help build a better future for our world, but it also helps me better as a person.

I know that you juggle a lot with school, work, and online classes. What would a typical day look like for you?

Oof…I wake up, I get ready, go to work, and then I’m there, what is it, eight hours a day? Seven and a half? I don’t really get to work on homework during that time because I’m helping these kids. And then I get home, and then I start doing homework, and then I take notes, and then I ask questions, and then I come home and I review or annotate the notes I just took so I could study for my test. I guess the only free time I have is probably on the weekends or during my lunch break.

What’s been a hard part of balancing everything, and how do you deal with the burnout?

I think the hardest part is finding time for me because I overwork myself or I don’t really put myself first. How do I deal with burnout…Um. I don’t know. I think I, I hug my dog, and my dog helps me calm down.

Have you ever had any major experiences from being a paraprofessional that influenced how you saw your future as a social worker?

I think it’s the relationship with my kids, because it’s not helping them with their education. It’s more like helping them be better people, like having them step out of their comfort zone or just hearing about their day. I feel like that does, that does a lot said than done.

Have you ever second guessed your career choice? And why?

No, I don’t think I have. I’ve always… I mean, the only thing I’ve ever second guessed was…the level of age, the age group that I would like to work with, because right now I only work with middle schoolers and that’s 11 to 14 and I want to know if I’m able to do it with younger groups or older groups, but I’m pretty set on what I want to do in social work.

There’s a lot of rumors that people that go into social work get emotionally drained. Do you worry about that catching up to you or how do you feel about that?

I do feel like it’s gonna catch up to me because I’m very…I’m very empathic. Like, I feel, I feel everyone else’s vibe and I get attached very easily. I don’t think I will burn out or, like…What was that word you used? Yes, drained. Only because I like to make jokes here and there. Like even today, the kids I work with, I’ve known them since sixth grade, and now they’re in eighth grade. And I think I’m slowly preparing for them to go to the high school. I just, I don’t know, I find things that I don’t like about them that way, I don’t get too attached. I probably shouldn’t do that, but that’s how I do it.

What do you hope to achieve as a social worker in the future?

I’ve always had like a good home life, a good childhood. I mean, it’s not perfect. It wasn’t perfect, but I don’t think anyone is perfect. I don’t know, I believe if I could somehow be the person that my parents were for me, for someone else, I mean. I feel like I’ve done my job. I want to be there for them. Either it’s them getting them to believe that they could do something impossible or just showing up. I just want to be there for them.

Has working at a school setting taught you anything new? Would you recommend others to work at a school?

One thing I learned from this job is that not everyone’s gonna like me. No matter how much I try and do I recommend it? If you have a lot of patience, yes. If you get mean or are not patient or you just like snap here and there, no, this is not the job for you. This is (hand gestures to the door) get out.

How do you deal with stress?

My dog. I think I just hang out with my dog. I hang out with my family too. I recently like to make food, and I feel like that’s been like an outlet for me. I watch TV that I would watch with my dad and that makes me happy.

What makes you unique?

I think it’s the way I view my life. My dad passed away last year, and I felt like, before that, I felt like my life was very bad, you know? I felt bad for myself but then since losing him I’m like, no, this is. This is what feeling bad is. Then I realized that, that wasn’t something that I could control. So, I guess it’s my past experiences shaping me to the person I am today. I think that’s what makes me unique.

Do you have any accomplishments you’re proud of?

Yeah, I’m accomplished of I guess how I’m living life. No, I’m not a bum. I have job. I’m going to school, I pay bills. You know, I’m getting there, I have goals and I’m achieving them.

What’s your motivation to keep going?

My parents. I’m first generation to go to college and I think right now my biggest motivation is to graduate for my grandparents to be there, for my graduation, and for my mom to be bragging about me. I want her to brag. I want that attention.

Would you rather watch movies or read books for the rest of your life?

Watch movies. I grew up watching movies. When was it? Every weekend, my family and I would go to the, I forgot what it’s called, but it was I think it’s like a DVD [store] where the liquor store was. We’d go there every weekend. We would all pick out a movie, and my dad will always give us each a quarter, and we’ll try to get the black eight-ball gum machine and if you go that, you get to pick out another movie. From there we would go to Family Dollar. We’ll fill up our carts full of snacks and junk food, like raviolis, popcorn, chicharrónes, coke, and candy. Then we’ll come home and put our blankets on the floor, Then our snacks and eat them. We were all forced to watch these movies, and I say that, but my dad always fell asleep within the first movie, and that first movie was his choice. Looking back now, it was kind of unfair.

Do you know what a gap year is? Would you recommend it?

Yes, absolutely. I mean its self explanatory, you know, to gap within a year. Yeah, I do recommend that cause a lot of people don’t know what they want to do in life. I did that and what was it before what I wanted to be, a vet? Now I want to be a social worker, and I feel like that gap year, I kind of had the opportunity to figure that out.

Would you consider yourself to be sociable?

No, I’m not sociable. It doesn’t help that apparently, I have a RBF (resting bitch face) and that doesn’t help my social life.

Would you like to say anything before the interview is over? Any quotes, any inspiration to spread? Anything you want to say or leave at the end?

I’ll say toodles.