From Kid to Pro: Phases of Identity Development by Elisabeth

From Kid to Pro: Phases of Identity Development by Elisabeth - June 2017 Scholarship Essay

Six years old can be a great age. Playgrounds are a wonderland of imaginary play, almost every meal holds the potential for calamity or satiation (at least from the perspective of a picky eater), and friendships are fast and furious until someone takes your Polly Pocket without asking. Among the day to day joy of mud pies, playing with snails, and watching mom cooking in the kitchen, the heart of every child, 6-year-old or otherwise, is forming a dream. As we observe our parents, friend’s parents, teachers, and other adults in their roles, we begin to grasp the idea of a purpose beyond the present moment. Feelings based on interactions, television shows, and cartoons influence this image of what we can be when we become adults. In my case, my observations led me on a path to satisfy hunger, and gradually evolved into helping the person feel fulfilled and whole.
I like food. My earliest memory is watching my mother wash strawberries in the kitchen. I was fascinated with the colors in the produce section, the flavor boost from a little bit of olive oil and garlic, and of the importance of proper measurement in baking. Within a year, I received an Easy Bake Oven and was sold on being a pastry chef. The ability to create a tiny muffin with a light bulb was amazing! I quickly outgrew the toy and my mother promoted me to using the real oven. My baking skills improved continually as cooking magazines and cookbooks became a common gift from my family and friends. The kitchen felt like home, but being creative and expressive with food wasn’t enough. Between Elementary School and High School, I cycled through being a teacher, a military therapist, and a social worker. At the core description of each pathway was a desire to help.
Even with culinary arts, there is an element of improvement or help. I enjoyed helping others understand concepts and new information. I had fun educating peers on wound care, why my cakes tasted amazing, how cheese and hummus was a good flavor combination in the right circumstances, and on other topics related to sports, fitness, cartoons, and anything else that was a trivial pursuit for the adolescent me. I was helping them gain something, and that was thrilling. A comment from my Mother years earlier prompted my career dream to shift during these formative High School years. When I was 8 years old, she made a comment about a feelings doctor. I wondered what that was, and describing a job where you made someone’s feelings “feel” better moved something into place. I felt what I now understand to be a calling or sense of purpose forming. At that point, all I could think to do was identify the helping professions.
After speaking with the social workers and military members, I realized I did not want to pursue those pathways. I finished High School and began a rotating journey of trying out ideas until they presented clarity or disaster. After 2 years in community college, I enrolled in culinary school to obtain a degree in pastry arts. After working in a bakery for 6 months, I returned to college to complete a degree related to behavioral science. During college I found a job teaching after school programming. Once I realized that there was no single career path, I was able to accept my past and eagerly consider a future. One thing was certain: I liked working with families.
Participating in community service activities kept the desire to serve families and communities strong in my heart. Each experience helped to cultivate a deeper understanding of what help could look like for a group or the individual. Working in sexual assault education helped me understand mental wellbeing and physical safety are interrelated. Working in church ministry helped me to understand how to support spiritual formation growth, and organizational leadership principles. Supporting diversity initiatives and professional developments presented understanding of lifespan development and cultural competence. These experiences in my adulthood helped to refine this idea of helping to what it is today – a desire to support the holistic wellness of individuals.
I have met few people who are occupied with the same role they envisioned as a 6-year-old. I have come to appreciate the journey from conception to realization, and I value the evolution of my own understanding of calling and purpose. At its core, my 6-year-old self only knew that it was fun and important to create. Reflecting on my experience, I recognize that those initial ideas of creating and growing helped propel my exploration into the helping professional I endeavor to become.