A part-time stint working at McDonald’s notwithstanding, my first adult position was for Fleet Bank (later acquired by Bank of America). At first, I worked full-time processing and reconciling mortgage loan payments. Then, the department manager started relying on me for certain administrative needs. This position spanned most of my first two years of college. During these years, I worked and completed coursework simultaneously, but admittedly, my grades suffered a little, and I left with a 2.8 GPA.

The reality of trying to do it all, without having learned the tools necessary to manage the workload yet, is clear through a hindsight lens. As a consequence of working full time, I had to take night classes, and, as Murphy’s Law would have it, the school didn’t offer all the classes I needed for my degree during those hours. To maintain full-time status for loan funding, I had to take classes I didn’t need for my degree plan. In the end, I couldn’t graduate before we made the monumental move from New York to Houston. Despite the challenges, I completed 55 hours toward my Associate's Degree.

After the move, it took me a little while to find a job. With a car that spent more time inoperable than functioning, student loan debt, and a rent payment (with utilities) that had tripled compared to what we were used to, we limped along. Then we started to get our footing, and I was able to commit to my first Houston position at a company researching criminal backgrounds of apartment rental applicants. My department manager also leaned on me for ad hoc administrative tasks to help him meet the demands of his position.

I enjoyed the work for a couple of years. Unfortunately, the company closed our small group down and we were to be reassigned to an area that I had little interest in, so I started looking for my next adventure. That’s when I found Paul, an attorney. I ran the office and served as his legal secretary. It was a great opportunity for to me use what I learned in college, and support a busy business owner in achieving his goals. Though I was making more from an hourly rate perspective, the hours he needed me were often around 30, and after a major life event, it became necessary for me to find a position that brought in more income.

After leaving, he and I stayed friends, and I continued to have lunch with him while I was working for my new employer, Donna, an American Express Financial Advisor. Shortly after I started working with Donna as her direct-reporting assistant, she sold her practice to Sergio, and I transitioned with the company in the administrative assistant's role. Though I respected him greatly, the transition required a location move for the newly merged practice, right when we were buying our home. The distance simply became too great to justify the travel at the pay offered.

Following a brief period of unpacking and settling in, I found a position with John's civil engineering company, which was much closer to our new home. It was a fortuitous partnership. I was able to grow in my income, and we finally found ourselves in a position to start a family, which we did when we welcomed our son in 2005. Of course, parenthood can have a significant impact on a person's career, and I was no exception.

My son didn't thrive in daycare, and it became apparent that we needed a change. I left John's company to create an environment that would support our son's development. During this time, he improved dramatically, and I started taking college classes again. In the end, being unemployed was not sustainable due to the changing economy because HP (as it was then) lowered everyone's salaries across the board. It was once again necessary for me to return to work. This time, my mother came down to care for my son, and as fate would have it, John needed a new administrative assistant, so they hired me back. It was an honor.

This was a great time for my family. My mother was here, my son was happy, and my husband and I were able to support our household financially. However, the demands of now being a working mother took its toll, and I was only able to complete 27 hours of my Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Studies. Though I'm happy to share that I maintained a 3.9 GPA during that time. Then, my mother's life circumstances changed after a couple of years, and she needed to leave.

Our son aged into public school around the same time and started kindergarten. Once again, there were issues. By mid-year, my husband and I tossed around the idea of homeschooling, which we ultimately decided was the best fit for our family, so at the end of his first year of school, I left work again to create the opportunity for our son to succeed.

During the “time off” from my own professional pursuits, I homeschooled my son through eighth grade. This year (2024), my son graduated with his high school diploma and his Associate’s Degree in Applied Science. He earned spots in the National Honor Society and Phi Theta Kappa. My son achieved Eagle Scout Rank in Boy Scouts and is off to a new adventure at his four-year school in the fall. We couldn’t be prouder, or more certain that we made the right move. The time off was well worth the reward. But those are his accomplishments.

Now, it’s time for mom to focus on mom again. My years off were a busy time of personal growth and learning for me. I served in several leadership volunteer positions, completed another 12 hours of Bachelor’s Degree work (this time in Cybersecurity), during which I made the President's List with a 4.0 GPA, earned my Google Project Management Certificate, and started self-publishing fiction romance. I've written, edited, published, and promoted six books under a pen name so far, with more works in progress. My time away from the working world wasn't a period of retreat, it was an opportunity to broaden my horizons and learn more than I could have ever imagined.

As I reenter the workforce, I ponder what short-term success may look like for me. I’ve been successful in supporting business owners and executives in the past, and I was happy to do it. Therefore, a similar position feels like a natural fit. But I’d love to find an executive or team who I can grow with. To build on my skills and abilities. Looking forward to my future, I'm excited to reenter the workforce with a new perspective, and bring my years of experience to help create a solid foundation for the executive, the team, and the company to succeed.