New Beginnings

I know that Spring is usually seen as the time of new beginnings, however, the fall is when school starts.  Children start and go back to school.  Adults take classes at colleges and universities.  I see fall as a time for new beginnings.  What better time to set a goal and begin a new life?

So, what do you want to do?  There are many tests out there that give some guidance on what you might be good at.  There are also tests to help you decide what you like.  I have included links below to some of these things.  I would suggest looking at things you have done in the past.  What has made you happy, what kinds of things make you feel good.  Do you like to help others? Do you like doing crafts? Do you like to be creative? Do you like to see how things work?  Do you like science?  The answers may help you in finding a career that you will love.

It also is important that the career give you enough money to live on, and support your family.  It is very satisfying to know that you can take care of yourself and the family that you love.  There is nothing wrong with having something better.  People who can take care of themselves are much happier.  You have more control of your life.  You can do things that make you feel good.  You can buy the things you need.  This goes much beyond the basics of food, shelter and clothing.  This means you can go out to dinner when you don’t feel like cooking.  You can buy nice things to put in your home to make it a nice place to be.  You can pay for things such as dance lessons, karate lessons, gym memberships and music lessons that give you a little exercise and make you and your family feel better.  This contributes to your mental and physical well being.  It makes for a better life.

I have always felt that learning new things is fun.  There is nothing I enjoy better than sitting in a class and learning something new. Whether it be something about how your brain works, how a computer works, how to build a web page, how to make something or how to cook something new.  I really enjoy learning.  I think this is something that most humans do, once they have had the opportunity to do it.  Think of something you would like to learn.  Do you like to help others? (nursing, doctor, psychology,) Do you like to build things?  (computers, engineering, architecture) Do you like to be creative? (web design, architecture) Do you like to organize? (project management, legal assistant) These are just a few.  There are so many other things.    How can you change what you like into a career?

Take some of the tests below.  Check out some career choices and decide what you want to do for the rest of your life.  Start now to make a life you love.  If you need help, get in touch with us at Arizona Career Pathways to see what we can do.  http://www.azcareerpathways.org/

Choosing a career:

https://www.thebalance.com/steps-to-choosing-career-525506

http://www.careertest.net/

https://www.123test.com/career-choice/

http://www.businessinsider.com/great-careers-college-kids-often-ignore/#court-stenographer-2

https://www.free-online-aptitude-test.com/career-aptitude-tests.htm

https://www.careerfitter.com/free_test/careerbuilder

https://www.sokanu.com/

https://www.livecareer.com/career-test

Freedom

In the month of July, we celebrate the birthday of our country.  A free country that gives us as citizens many freedoms that others in the world do not have.    The declaration of Independence, set up by our forefathers says:

“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

 

In the pursuit of happiness, we are able to do things that will make ourselves better.  When I look at what truly makes me happy, I see that it is the things that allow me to grow and learn.  It is being able to take care of myself, reaching goals.  The ability to read and learn.  I’m proud of my education and what I have been able to accomplish. These are the things that make me free. The more you are educated and the more you understand, the more you are able to make decisions for yourself and your family.  The more educated you are, the better you understand what is good for yourself and society.  You are also much better at being able to contribute to society.  We should be thankful that we live in a free country and take advantage of the choices we have.

Never take your freedoms for granted and always fight hard to keep these freedoms.

Kaylie Love Success Story

        I’d like to start by giving thanks to every individual who has made Arizona Career Pathways (ACP) what it is today.  I would also like to thank these individuals for blessing me with the opportunity to be a part of this program and provide me with many of the tools necessary for academic achievement. The success I have had in this program is a direct reflection of the program’s success, itself.

To begin, ACP has made the load of being a full-time Dental Hygiene student a million times lighter for me, by eliminating a great deal of financial stress.  ACP is an amazing foundation that has provided me with a support group to help me stay motivated throughout the demanding Dental Hygiene Program.  Kerrie,  ACP’s Director/Counselor is one of the most caring, outgoing people I have ever met.  She is so warm and welcoming and extremely easy to talk to!  In fact, after talking academics at Peer Support Group Meetings, we often find ourselves sharing recent restaurant or entertainment experiences with one another.  Peer Support Group Meetings are the perfect little discussions to help get me refreshed and ready to take on another segment of the Dental Hygiene Program.  I would like to, again, thank each and every individual who has helped mold ACP into such an amazing foundation, to help students in need of a little extra help here and there.  I would not have the academic success I do today without this amazing program!

Confidence

It is time again to  re-strengthen my confidence.  I have done plenty in life, finished high school, got a college degree, taken care of myself for many years.  I know I can do it but every, once in a while I have to reboot the system and rebuild my confidence.

What is confidence?

The Dictionary: A feeling of self-assurance arising from one’s appreciation of one’s own abilities or qualities.

“Self-confident people tend to see their lives in a positive light even when things aren’t going so well, and they are typically satisfied with and respect themselves.”

https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/5-powerful-ways-to-boost-your-confidence.html

So, what do you do, if you don’t happen to be one of those self-confident people?  How do you make yourself a self-confident person?

Theodore Roosevelt said, “Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing.”  So, in other words we need to face our fears and that will improve our confidence.  Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right.”  We have to take control of our lives.  In doing that we take control of your self-confidence.

Found in a Huffington Post article, here are 8 Tips on How to Improve Your Self-Confidence

1. Know Your Weaknesses and Strengths
2. Accept yourself
3. Remember Your Successes:
4. Read Positive Affirmations:
5. Think About Your Future
6. Create Goals:
7. Talk To Others
8. Be Persistent:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stan-popovich/8-tips-on-how-to-improve-your-self-confidence_b_8021946.html

I have also found that it helps to do something that I know I am good at.  An art project, a craft.  The feeling of accomplishment helps me to remember that I can do anything.  Exercise also helps.  Gives your endorphins a jolt and makes you feel better.

So, get out there, set some goals, accomplish some things and improve your self-confidence.

Girls in STEM

I have a niece living in Australia pursuing a Masters degree in Marine biology.  I am very proud of her.  The entire family has learned about marine biology, but it has been a fun ride.  She has wanted to be a marine biologist since she was 2 years old.  She fell in love with Willie the whale and that was all she could think about was working with whales.  My sister was also very good at helping her dream the dream. My sister has worked very hard to help her see her potential.    She let her know that to work with whales, she would need to be a marine biologist.  They learned all they could about whales and marine life.  Many vacations were to whale watch, the ocean and places where they could watch marine life.  They played science games, entered science fairs and made elaborate science projects in school. It was all fun.  In high school, she took science and math classes that would get her into college.

When it came time to go to college, they researched schools and she ended up at Stetson University where she met many more people that helped her dream the dream as well as helping her broaden her horizons.  She learned how to scuba dive.  She spent a summer in  Bonaire learning about the barrier reef.  A summer in Africa learning about sharks.  In 2016 she graduated with a degree in Marine Biology.

She started school at University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia in March of 2017.  She is doing great and living the life. A life given to her because of science. She also has several girl friends who also have or are working on science degrees.  One is working on her masters in nutrition, others ins Psychology, Veterinary Medicine, and Medicine.

My purpose for telling you this, is to let girls know they can be anything they want to be. Even in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  Parents, grandparents, teachers, friends can help to cultivate the dream. Do things that cultivate the excitement and thirst for knowledge.  Let them know they can do it. Go to science museums, attend science fairs, look for meet ups where kids can build robots and use the things they learn. There are a lot of things to do.  Just have fun and keep on learning.

Suggestions of degrees in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

Science – Clinical Laboratory Technician, Veterinarians and Veterinary Assistants, Environmental Scientists, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Technician, Aviation science, Fire science, Nurse, Doctor, Phlebotomist, Microbiology, Psychologist, Epidemiologist, Biochemist, Forensic Science, Anthropologist, Archeologist, Geographer, Botanist, Microbiologist, Neuro-scientist, Herpetologist, Zoologist, Nutritionist, Biochemist, Ecologist, Naturalist, Oceanographer, Paleontologist, Archaeologist, Pathologist, Geographer, Physicist, Chemist, Geographer, Geologist, Petroleum Geologist. Radiology, Speech Language Pathologist, Marine Biologist, Researcher, Astronaut, Astronomer.

Technology – Computer Programmer, Computer Repair, Database Administrator, Data Analyst, Data Scientist, Computer Security Engineer, Software Design, Software Analyst, Software Quality Analyst, System Administrator, Web developer.

Engineering – Aerospace Engineer, Agricultural Engineer, Architectural Engineer, Biomedical Engineer, Chemical Engineer, Civil Engineer, Computer Engineer, Construction Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Electronics Engineer, Environmental Engineer, Geo-technical Engineer, Industrial Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, Marine Engineer, Materials Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Metallurgical Engineer, Mining Engineer, Network Engineer, Nuclear Engineer, Packaging Engineer, Petroleum Engineer, Process Engineer, Project Engineer, Quality Engineer, Sales Engineer, Safety Engineer, Software Engineer, Solar Engineer, Systems Engineer, Structural Engineer. Astronaut.

Mathematics– mathematician Statistical Analyst, Bio-statistician, Assistant Professor (Mathematics), Data Analyst, Data Scientist, Astronaut,Architect, Statistician, Researcher.

Places to find activities:

https://azscience.org, http://www.thebakken.org/science-studio, www.blossomscholastic.org/robotics, https://www.scientificsonline.com, https://www.sylvanlearning.com, http://engineeringforkids.com, https://www.eventbrite.com, http://www.nationalmathfestival.org, http://www.msri.org/web/cms, http://www.madscience.org/special-events.aspx, https://mitmuseum.mit.edu, https://www.childrens-museum.org, http://ashevillescience.org/education/kids/, http://www.sparksfoundation.org/, http://education.jlab.org, http://www.walkingmountains.org/, http://www.citizensciencecenter.com, http://www.fun4thebrain.com/science.html, http://seaaffinity.org/programs/homeschool.html, http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/fun-with-science-games-16336594/.

Look up on google for many other ideas and online games.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why Education Is Important

Education is important in society.  It’s the thing that gives us self-respect, allows us to be kind and help others. It makes for a better world.

Check out this article I found on buzz that shows why education is important for a society. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/why-is-education-so-important.html

 

It is our responsibility to get educated, help others get educated and help our nation progress.

 

“… Every single one of you has something that you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.”

US President Barack Obama

How Education Affects Income

Here is a great article that shows how getting an education can affect your income and what kind of life you can have for you and your family.

“Education can change lives — instilling leadership, a life-long work ethic and a global perspective. But it can also change one’s economic circumstances, and the level of income one can earn post-college is perhaps the easiest-to-measure return on investment in education.”

http://dailyedventures.com/index.php/2013/06/21/education_income/

 

They also have a great chart showing the kinds of jobs and education and how it affects income.

Check out the article at

http://dailyedventures.com/index.php/2013/06/21/education_income/

Donations

Arizona Career Pathways is a Qualifying Charitable Organization! That means that when you donate to ACP, you could qualify for tax credits that provide a dollar-for-dollar reduction on your Arizona State taxes. In 2016, Governor Ducey and the Arizona Legislature partnered to increase giving opportunities for qualifying charitable organizations!

This means that you can now donate as follows:

Through the Qualifying Charitable Organizations tax credit; you may donate any amount, depending on your filing status, up to $800. This amount has increased from previous years to $400 for an individual and $800 for married couples.

By donating to ACP you are helping to make a difference in the lives of individuals trying to get ahead through education. The tax credit is available only to individuals and residents who file taxes in Arizona, and donations can be made until 4/15/2017 for the tax year 2016.

For more specific information on the Arizona Qualifying Charitable Organizations tax credit, consult your tax advisor or the Arizona Department of Revenue at (602) 255-3381. Or, visit https://www.azdor.gov/TaxCredits/QualifyingCharitableOrganizations.aspx

Please remember any amount you can afford is appreciated.