Thoughts and opinions (simple) on numbered responses. Please number and separate them so as not to cause confusion.

For example, I agree with your post and include valid points.

1. My ideal job consists of me obtaining a master's degree in counseling.The job is a school counselor. A school counselor deals with academic counseling as well as providing crisis- counseling services to students dealing with personal issues, because this job requires a master's degree, it would be unfair to say Umass has not equipped me with what I need to succeed in the job. I am sure once completing my master's I will feel like Umass has given me the opportunity to build all KSAO's needed to prepare me for my ideal job. I will have to say there already have been some KSAO's that have been provided. The job requires verbal abilities such as oral and written comprehension, as well as the ability to communicate important information to parents, students and staff, in which I believe Umass has helped me improve in significantly. Deductive and inductive reasoning is also abilities that Umass has helped prepare me with. Umass has taught me to come up with logical answers I will need as a counselor. Finger dexterity is also something I will need for this job, and with these weekly discussions and papers we have written here at Umass, I am surely keeping up with that precise coordination. I am sure there are many more KSAO's provided that I am leaving out that have been provided but I feel comfortable saying Umass has helped me immensely in my personal life as well as preparing me for a dream job.

2. To be a better mom and give my kids the emotional, mental, and physical support they deserve, I need to ensure I am taking care of myself first. My cup has been overflowing for years and I recently decided it was time to think about how to take care of myself so I can flourish in all areas of my life. I have been having a really difficult time in my personal life and it has been making me incredibly unhappy, so I started a job and working out for the first time in almost four years for my sanity, which in return, makes me a happier and better mom. Taking care of myself also means focusing on educational growth. I have put several years of hard work into college, and I am at the finish line for my bachelor's degree. My career goal is to become a therapist, which means I need to receive my master's and do an internship. I hope to own my own practice one day. One of my purposes in life is to help children who have been in similar situations like I was as a kid and be a part of their support system. I especially would like to make an impact on kids who have been adopted. I am currently making a difference in my job as a paraeducator, and it is fulfilling and purposeful. I hold myself to a high standard of ethics and morals.

A job that I would like to have that is in the area of Psychology is a therapist. I am unsure whether I want to be a LMFT or a play therapist. I still need to gain experience and find my niche.