Rebuild. Retrain. Sustain.
Positionality: I listen to compelling stories. I value enduring conversations integrating harmony and discerning its collective meaning. I choose to bring joy into my legacy. The Four Agreements (by Don Miguel Ruiz, 1997) rings through. A self-help book, words resonate powerful forces, “be impeccable with your words, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions, and always do your best.” Below I offer my upbringing, approaches, analysis, and sum-up:
Upbringing: I am consciously filled with adequate capacity to do good with blended settings often braided with true inspirations. I am an immigrant, bilingual, and raised in the Philippines with English as my primary (home and school) language. I identify with my rich past knowing my today equates to a high regard for lived experiences and my desire for lifelong learning. Both my parents held college degrees and being brought up Christian, I identified with roles of educators, social workers, entrepreneurs, and professionals. I am grateful knowing my journeys have given rise to a strong foundation. Throughout my coursework with University of Southern California Doctor of Social Work, San Diego State University M.S. Rehabilitation Counseling, University of the Philippines Diliman B.A. Broadcast Communication, and my network of professional relationships, I learned core leadership, management, decision-making, and problem-solving skills. I acquired generous sparks of wisdom around complex concepts, rules, policies, procedures, authorities, and laws. When crossing large systems of education, healthcare, environments, language, childcare, and cultures, I focused on the need for thoughtful planning and preparing for those who may need it the most. While remaining respectful for the unknown, my continued survival depended on my ability to adapt.
Approaches: For decades living and working in harsh Alaska environments, appreciating lifestyles demonstrated for me the need for a clear mindset. Imagine surrounded by a cauldron of cosmopolitan citizens while residing in Southcentral, North Slope, and Northwest regions of Alaska. These environmental settings have provided me with both comfort and joy. My credo is to introduce a paradigmatic effort in healthcare services inspired by a community-based economic development model. Braided together by connections deemed approachable with intentional journeys, I am blessed through grace. The way I model my actions reveals an appreciation for interfacing with alliances and partnerships. With activator, analytical, relator, strategic, and connectedness assessed strengths, I am moving forward with a career mission destined to be realized through this exciting opportunity. With faith, I am where my Higher Authority put me. My blockbuster story is found just outside my door.
Analysis: For this purpose, I prepared an innovative idea specific to human services discipline. As you read through, please understand this is a pivotal idea. Entitled Story Outside My Door: Becoming a Traditional Helper, it centers on Tribal members in Alaska who are identified as under-represented. My idea focuses on a wicked problem of the lack of responsive inter-relationship support systems for members willing to be productive Traditional Helpers (TH). TH functions as a personal-building construct not a system. My idea seeks to inject a sense of well-being through self-discovering an individual’s definition of who and what a TH is. By silently identifying who it is a member recognizes as a significant TH, brings forth a means by which he/she can emulate their recognized THs fulfilling a sense of mission. My idea pays attention to intersectionality exercising a Tribal solution that is achievable for its members. A core challenge is to interpret accomplishments past a limitation within view of the Tribe, whereby intentionally addressing coachable barriers faced by those who seek meaningful engagement. A conceptualization of persistent gaps, its solidarity enlists holistic tasks with discerning strategies within a logic model inspired community-based schematic plan. Successively, a needs assessment report is one solution. It ascertains barriers, challenges, limitations, and gaps thus creating safe spaces, honoring its members, and eliciting voices not part of decision-making. Relying on methodical processes, this needs assessment report is ultimately a key element designed with powerful forces. All encompassing, my idea is a structure with the ability to capture useful data to justify community-based endeavors designed to address unresponsive inter-relationship support. A provocative idea with an unselfish synchronization of missing voices and clear driving forces that matter. The above is my no-nonsense interpretation of self-determination.
Sum-Up: I have been characterized using all sorts of adjectives, “little woman with a big heart,” “astute,” “energetic,” “fireball,” “tenacious,” “do not fit,” and yes, “lazy.” In hindsight, these showcased situation specific perspectives. I am humbled with positive energy. What are the challenges of a public servant’s role, and how do I stimulate real-time learning? To those without it all, my overarching purpose is to instill renewed knowledge, skills, and understanding of the vision of life and its full meaning. Its interpretation is a fulfillment dependent on interfacing the right-sized tools nurtured through an organic program of study. In search for what works, vis-à-vis ethical considerations, it is use an interpretative strategy and its thoughtful infusion that mimics authentic career pathways. In closing, please allow me a moment of poetry to share On Love from Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet (by Alfred Knopf, 1923), “and think not that you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.” With the above touchpoints, I look forward to responding with clear direction. Thank you so much.
