Mother, daughter, employee, student, Catechist, friend, and lifelong learner. These titles are all facets of a life spent embracing the gifts given to me and have been indications of where I have been and where I am now. The experiences in my life have provided me with excellent people skills; real-life customer service training is a necessary proficiency in the field of education as well as every other career path. During all these periods, it has been most important to give 110% in order to fully realize what each situation is offering to me and to others. Because of this internal push for excellence, it is also often necessary to go above and beyond what is normally expected, resulting in higher than average benefits.
Growing up in a two parent, stay- at-home mother, military type of family allowed me to pursue school interests without conflicting responsibilities. I was read to often as a child and my schooling was always a priority. I did well and was blessed with many teachers who showed true dedication to the education of the students in their classroom. My high school teachers encouraged me to test for college credits (before it was an established practice) and applauded me when I scored higher than the teacher did on the English exam. I enrolled in college and began my first fall semester with fifteen hours of credit at the age of seventeen.
Soon after my second year of college I became a mother and, as often happens, was unable to continue my education. I did, however, continue the practice of reading and making education a priority with my own five children, one of whom is now a teacher of high school English. Raising children is, indeed, one of the most important responsibilities ever undertaken and I am still working hard to see that my two youngest are able to achieve high levels of success in order to be valuable assets to their communities.
Throughout my years of employment I have worked in many different fields, all of which require customer service in various degrees. In the retail field, I have had direct contact with customers who are pleasant (or not) as well as co-workers with many differing personalities. Competence and compassion are of major importance in dealing with the many situations that occur and, with just a little effort, an attentive ear and a desire to offer someone the best solution, successful accommodation can be achieved. In the medical field, as a nursing assistant, correct technique is important but the underlying care on an individual level allows a much higher level of service. In dealing with older people, some of whom are seldom visited, I found that a kind word or a question about the day’s events went a long way. As a Catechist, working with children who are beginning their faith journey has been extremely rewarding. In order to keep the shorter attention spans of first and second graders interested, I have been challenged to provide more than simply reading the text. I incorporate activities, games, readings and formation into a cohesive presentation that goes beyond routine study. This type of customer service, if you will, allows the children to grow at their own pace, while still learning the fundamentals in order to prepare for their sacraments. It is both time consuming and exhausting, but the results are worth all the effort.
My employment in an Ysleta elementary school has provided many opportunities for service outside of my job description. In dealing with nervous parents of first time younger students, I find sometimes a small tour of the campus eases many concerns. Students also like to be remembered by name and I make an effort to do so as often as possible. Special family situations can often be helped by adjusting a rule to help accommodate short term problems and this creates an environment of safety within our school. I volunteer as a child care coordinator during parent meetings, as a mentor for the nearby church confirmation students who need service hours and as an organizer for the students while their parents are involved in the actual meeting. This has been so successful that we are adding parent teacher conference dates to this year’s venue.
My own educational journey, while taking a vacation during the raising of my children, is back on track. Homework time at our house is now truly a family event and I find that my children are more willing to sit down to work on their own assignments when I am also working on schoolwork. Incorporating scouting, sports, church, friends and family events into a working schedule has been doubly challenged with the addition of completing my bachelor’s degree. During some of my classes I have been able to share the books we are reading and their accompanying projects with my children and we have all benefitted. Working on class lesson plans has the added benefit of a youthful perspective because of their suggestions and, this summer, my eighth grade daughter helped me with a “Celebrate Today” project that I have initiated at work. Each day is a special celebration of events, such as Collect Rocks Day and Grandma Moses Day. Several times a month, we work on an extra activity surrounding the day’s event and present it to a pre-selected class or offer a trivia contest to the school, with a small prize to the first class to obtain the correct answer or facts. It has been a great success, both at school and at home and the learning has been fun.
It is my sincere opinion that I am responsible for my presentation to those whom I meet each day. The families who enter the school doors daily may hold troubles or situations that I am able to ease with a smile, a kind word or an offer of assistance if I am able. The teachers, too, may have a difficulty that can be helped with a small gesture. This is where I must model myself as a customer service representative who will go as far as is needed in order to secure a positive and nurturing environment. It must start with me.
