P.O. Box 3047One College AvenueGrantham, PA 17027

www.messiah.edu/departments/family/717.766.2511

department of humandevelopment and family science

We would like to acknowledge Sarah Weaver ’07, who interviewed the alumni and wrote the profiles for this publication, and Anna Swenson ’07,who helped secure photos and release forms from our graduates.

Academically prepare yourself to “make a difference” in the lives of children, youth, adults, and theirfamilies by declaring a major or minor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science.

MAJORSHuman Development and Family ScienceFamily and Consumer Sciences Education

MINORSChildren and Youth Services

GerontologyHuman Development and Family Science

Pre-Marriage and Family TherapyMulticultural Families

Women’s Studies strong families —make a difference

D E P A R T M E N T O F H U M A N D E V E L O P M E N T F A M I L Y S C I E N C Eand

help build

A degree in Human Development andFamily Science or Family and ConsumerSciences Education prepares you for exciting

professional possibilities.

D E PA RT M E N T O F H U M A N D E V E L O P M E N T F A M I LY S C I E N C E

This booklet presents information about the career journeys of 20 Messiah College alumni who graduated with adegree from the Department of Human Development and Family Science [HDFS].* Their experiences of choosinga major, finding a job after graduation, and continuing their careers can provide valuable insight as you discernGod’s call for your life. These alumni also offer advice on how to make decisions concerning your career and waysto get the most out of your college experience.

Although some of these alumni have received additional education through graduate school, workshops, orother training, many of the alumni in this booklet have secured and maintain fulfilling and excellent positionswith their bachelor’s degrees. Our curriculum emphasizes the understanding of interpersonal dynamics and paysparticular attention to individual development within the family context. Our focus is on relationships. Whetheryou desire to work with children or aging adults, couples or families, the HDFS department will prepare you toenter the field with a unique set of skills that can be applied in a variety of professional contexts. Each of ourcourses helps you develop expertise (e.g., interviewing, observation, listening, family analysis, family life educationprogram development), which will be invaluable in your future profession.

For additional information about specific courses and opportunities available within our department, pleasevisit our website at www.messiah.edu/departments/family or contact the chair of the Human Development andFamily Science department at (717) 766-2511.

* In the fall of 2003 our department changed its name from Family Studies to Human Development and Family Science (HDFS). We now offer two majors, Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) and Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Education. Both majors offer unique perspectives and skills for working with individuals and families. HDFS majors are prepared to work in a variety of social service and family agencies, and our FCS majors are certified to teach K–12 in public schools in topic areas like interpersonal relationships, child development, nutrition, and family resource management.

and

Think you might be interested in a ‘caringcareer,’ one that focuses on enhancing individual development and fostering interpersonalrelationships, particularly those between parents and children, husbands and wives?

Pursuing her interests—Lynell’s career journeyLynell chose to major in HumanDevelopment and Family Sciencebecause she liked the emphasis on thefamily unit as a whole. She always had aninterest in foster care and adoption, soshe decided to pursue that field as acareer. During her time at MessiahCollege, Lynell did an internship for afoster care agency, working to recruit fos-ter families and help them through theapproval process. That internship led to ajob as a family consultant, where shefocused on therapeutic foster care, work-ing with children who had mental healthand behavioral problems. In 2002, Lynellwas hired by COBYS Family Services todevelop a program for post-adoption

families. She was successful in develop-ing the program, and continues to workas an adoption caseworker for COBYStoday.

Working in adoptionLynell spends about 70 percent of hertime working in her office, with the restof her time devoted to working withchildren and families in their homes. In the office, she works on writingreports, making phone calls, and doingother paperwork tasks that are part ofcase management. In family homes, shehelps children to prepare for adoption,assists families with the certificationprocess, and assesses families and chil-dren to determine if they qualify forpost-adoption services. Lynell also

attends training sessions to continue her growth and education, and she goesto court for adoption hearings.

While working in adoption and foster care, Lynell often sees familieswho are struggling and going throughdifficult times. Her compassion and herability to relate to others and empowerthem helps her to succeed in her career.

Lynell’s advice“Shadow or interview someone who works in the field that you are considering. Even just a few hours with somebody can help you see if that job is something you could see yourself doing or not.”

 I always had an interest in children . . . Working in adoption helps me combine my love of children with my desire to help families.Ê —Lynell (Frey) Shawaryn ’00

Left: Caseworkers assisting with foster care and adoption processes serve families and children at critical points in their lives.

ADOPTION CASE WORKERCOBYS Family Services

Following the call to help others —Rachel’s career journeyRachel chose to major in HumanDevelopment and Family Sciencebecause she liked that relationships andfamily systems were a focus in the cur-riculum. When she graduated, all sheknew was that she wanted to help peo-ple in some way. Her first job was atHoffman Homes, where she worked withadolescents and children with behavioraland emotional problems. After spendingsome time in this position, Rachel beganto see patterns in her interaction withthe residents. She enjoyed helping themreach their goals and potential. Afterdoing some self-reflection and talkingwith another Messiah graduate, Rachelbecame interested in career counselingand thought the job would be a good fitfor her desires and skills. Rachel earned a

master’s degree in counseling fromShippensburg University, with a special-ization in student personnel services.This degree allowed Rachel to acquirethe position she has now as a careercounselor at Dickinson College.

Being a career counselorIn Rachel’s job, she works with both stu-dents and employers. She meets withstudents to help them clarify careergoals, correspond with potential intern-ship sites, write résumés and cover let-ters, and engage in job searches. Sheworks with employers primarily toencourage them to develop internshipopportunities for Dickinson students andalso to develop networks with students.

Rachel sees her job as rewardingbecause it is exciting for her to see students gain confidence and an under-

standing of how each person has talentsto share. When she encourages studentsto use their gifts, she feels successful.Rachel’s job also challenges her to con-stantly learn new things and stay aheadof the trends. She likes that every day isdifferent, so she rarely gets bored.

Rachel’s advice“Use the resources available to you in the Career Center for Vocation andDevelopment and Internship Center—they can be very helpful. Think aboutyour learning style and what things youenjoy learning—that can help give yousome direction. If you have difficulty,there are specific steps that you can taketo determine your skills, interests, andvalues, and the Career Center can helpyou with that. Be prayerful and reflect onyour gifts, and God will bless your steps.”

Left: Career counseling is one field in which Messiah College Human Development and Family Science graduates put their people skills to use.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AND INTERNSHIP COORDINATORDickinson College Career Center

“ I love working in higher education and I don’t see myself leaving.The environment is very stimulating, and I really enjoy the interaction with students.” —Rachel Spier ’99

Working towards a goal—Marcus’s career journeyFor a long time Marcus has wanted to bea high school guidance counselor. Hechose to major in Human Developmentand Family Science because he felt itwould be the best preparation for thatcareer. He graduated from MessiahCollege in 2005 and took a summer jobas a camp director for the YMCA inVirginia. When summer ended, he tooka job with the YMCA in Carlisle, Pa. andhas worked there ever since.

Marcus likes his job, but he plans to go back to school for a master’s degreein order to achieve his ultimate careergoal — becoming a guidance counselor.He also hopes that he will have an opportunity to coach youth athleticsin the future.

Working with teens at the YMCAMarcus begins work in the late morning.He spends a few hours in his office tak-ing care of e-mails, making phone calls,and meeting with people in the YMCAand other organizations. He also doesplanning and preparation for the pro-grams he directs. Around 3 p.m., kidsstart showing up at the YMCA, and hisjob changes. He spends the rest of hisday hanging out with the youth. Hemight play some basketball in the gymwith them, or watch TV in the youthlounge. His job is to interact with thekids and be a mentor.

Marcus’ love for people and his abili-ty to relate to youth really help him tosucceed in his job. He knows what it’s like

to feel as though you don’t have anyonethere for you, and yet he also knows whatit’s like to have a good mentor. Thisknowledge enables him to relate to kidswho fall into both of those categories. His heart goes out to people who needhelp and that motivates him to succeed in his career.

Marcus’ advice“Think about what it is in life that you love doing, and start there. Then seek the counsel of others. Talk with your professors and make use of the resourcesavailable to you at the Career Center.They are helpful even after graduation.”

YOUTH AND TEEN DIRECTORYMCA Carlisle, Pa.

Left: Building relationships is an important part of most human services jobs.

“When I was a youngster, it meant a lot to me when adults took the time to work with me… I want to be able to help these kids have a wonderful childhood and to impact their future.” —Marcus Washington ’05

Following the call to ministry—Andrew’s career journeyAndrew was planning to go into ministrywhen he started at Messiah College. Hefelt called to ministry as a result of theopportunities that he had growing up inthe church. He chose to major in HumanDevelopment and Family Science becausehe felt it would prepare him to help peo-ple. After graduating, Andrew earned amaster’s degree in religious communica-tion from United Seminary in Dayton,Ohio. He then worked in youth ministryand Christian education. He became apastor so that he could incorporate youthministry into the whole church and pro-vide young people with the same positiveexperiences he had growing up. Andrewcurrently works as a part-time pastor inthe United Methodist Church, while alsoworking on a master of divinity degree at

Wesley Seminary in Washington D.C.When he completes his degree, he willwork full-time as a pastor.

Working in the ChurchAndrew’s job as a pastor varies widelyfrom day to day. He sees the variety as ajoy in ministry because he never knowswhat the day will bring. He may spendhis time writing a sermon, visiting a sickperson in the hospital, or working on hisstudies. Andrew spends much of his timeplanning the Sunday worship service. Hefinds it an enjoyable challenge to selecthymns and put together all the elementsof the service to make a cohesive whole.Andrew’s ability to be at ease and commu-nicate with people of all ages is helpful because he works with people across thelife span and in different life stages.

Andrew’s advice“If you are thinking about going into min-istry, do an internship. The internshipoffice can help you set one up. An intern-ship will help prepare you for working inministry by showing you what it’s reallylike and by helping you think of thingsyou wouldn’t have thought of before. Ifyou can’t do an internship, be as involvedas you can in your local church. Talk withthe pastor of the church you are attendingabout your call to ministry. Your pastorcan share his or her story with you andgive you some advice on where to go fromthere. Even if you’re not considering min-istry, you should talk to people who workin the career path you are considering.You can learn a lot from them.”

PASTORReward and Salem

United Methodist Church

 We all have different gifts and graces. God gave us those gifts for areason…We’re all meant to be in ministry in one form or another, whether ornot it’s a fu ll-time career.Ê — Andrew Thomas ’00

Left: Pastors deal with parishoners when they’re getting married, starting families, experiencing marital turmoil, or grieving the death of a loved one—all issues with which HDFS majors are well versed.

Utilizing connections—Chris’ career journeyIn Chris’ own words, he had no ideawhat he was getting into when he choseto major in Human Development andFamily Science. But he’s glad that he didbecause it has worked out well for him.He always liked working with youngpeople, especially as a part of Young Lifeduring college. Chris looked for jobs thatfit this interest, and through connectionswithin the agency, he found a job withBig Brothers Big Sisters where he workedas a case manager for more than twoyears. Through connections that he hadmade at his previous job, Chris heardabout a position with Communities ThatCare where he currently works as ayouth prevention coordinator.

While Chris enjoys his job, he has thought about possibly going intoschool counseling or school psychology.He likes working in the schools andwould like to be more involved in theeducation system.

Working in prevention educationAs a Youth Prevention Coordinator, Chris’ job consists of traveling to schoolsand delivering a detailed and well-researched drug prevention program. He works with 5th and 6th graders andusually does the program for two or threeclass periods a day. Chris has been able to use some of the skills and knowledgethat he acquired in the Strategies ofFamily Intervention class at Messiah.

Chris has learned that in a job likehis, you have to be able to work with dif-ferent types of people who have very dif-ferent personalities. When working withthe school system, politics often getinvolved, and he has found the ability tocollaborate with all types of people veryhelpful.

Chris’ advice“Find out what’s out there before you makeany big decisions. There isn’t necessarilya rush when searching for the rightcareer. Take your time, talk to people, dointernships, and decide what you want todo before starting anything, so you don’thave to go back and fix your mistakeslater on.”

YOUTH PREVENTION COORDINATOR

Communities That Care

“Sometimes in my job things aren’t always well-defined or clear-cut . . . You need to be able to adapt to different situations in order to accomplish the goals that you’ve set.” — Chris Paredes ’02

Left: Knowing how to develop prevention programs—skills developed in a course known as “Strategies”—helps professionals prevent drug use, bullying,gang involvement, and pregnancy in teens.

Doing what drives her—Courtney’s career journeyCourtney began her career journeyknowing only that she wanted to workwith people. After taking some classesand talking with some advisors, shedecided to focus on working with chil-dren. She also always had an interest inthe hospital setting, so she did someindependent research related to careers inchild life. After doing some informativeinterviews and volunteering in a hospital,Courtney realized that the position of achild life specialist seemed perfect for her.During her senior year at MessiahCollege, Courtney did a full-time internship in the child life department at Penn State Children’s Hospital.

Her first job was as a child life spe-cialist at Temple Children’s Hospital. Sheworked there for two years in the emer-

gency room and intensive care unit. Shethen went to Johns Hopkins Hospital,starting in the pre-surgery and recoveryunits. Courtney currently works in theintensive care unit, where she feels thather talents are best utilized.

Working in child lifeAs a child life specialist, Courtney’s pri-mary goal is to help reduce the stress andanxiety of being in the hospital. Sheworks with the whole family, but focuseson the needs of the child patient. Herdaily activities include meeting with families to asses their psychosocial needs;providing distraction and alternativefocus during a procedure; helping fami-lies who are experiencing grief and loss;helping families to build a legacy; prepar-ing patients for procedures; engaging inmedical role-play with children; and

working with siblings to help themunderstand the hospital experience.Courtney enjoys working on the inten-sive care unit specifically, because shelikes being able to work with families for a longer period of time and has thenatural ability to help families deal withissues of grief and loss.

Courtney’s advice“If you are interested in a career like this,start with volunteering in the hospital.This will help you discover if you are thekind of person who can be comfortableworking with children in a hospital setting. Some people handle this well, others don’t.

Do what you love. It is important todo what you love, because if you don’t,you’re going to be miserable.”

CHILD LIFE SPECIALISTJohns Hopkins Hospital

“There is something about being in the hospital . . . I find my skills are so muchbetter when I am in a crisis or trauma situation. I really feel that God hasblessed me with that talent.” —Courtney (Brennan) Young ’02

Left: Specialized settings, such as hospitals, offer opportunities to put your understanding of child development and family dynamics to use.

Moving upward—Kim’s career journeyKim chose to major in HumanDevelopment and Family Sciencebecause she was excited about the coursework and the opportunities that existedwithin the department. She minored ingerontology because she feels drawn tothe aging population. In particular, she isintrigued by the aging process and agingindividuals and feels a strong desire towork with older adults.

Naturally, Kim looked for a jobrelated to gerontology and found one atBethany Village Retirement Center. Shehas worked there since graduation in var-ious positions. Kim’s first job was as atherapeutic recreation assistant in askilled nursing unit. She was then pro-moted to activities coordinator. Kim’s

current job as marketing director givesher the opportunity to see more of thefinancial aspects of running a facility forolder adults. This position serves as agood stepping stone for her to moveupward in her field.

Working in a retirement centerKim’s job as marketing director for aretirement center takes her in a lot of dif-ferent directions. She assists with toursand meets with potential customers;manages advertising, communication,and public relations for the center; assistsin processing applications; meets withoutside vendors to help promote the cen-ter; participates on several different com-mittees that handle issues within theretirement center; and works with otheragencies in the community to meet com-mon goals.

Kim’s compassion and love for olderadults helps her to succeed in her careerand sets her apart from other individualsin the field. She cares deeply about thehappiness of others and enjoys helpingolder individuals and their families makedecisions that increase their happinessand quality of life.

Kim’s advice“Make a list of things you enjoy doing,types of people you enjoy being with, and areas you feel strong in, and then try to find particular jobs that pertain to those things. Take advantage of oppor-tunities that are available to you while you are in school, such as internships andpracticums, so that when you graduate,you’ll have a better idea of what youwant to pursue.”

MARKETING DIRECTORBethany Village

Retirement Center

“The opportunities that I took advantage of in college and the things I learned in my classes really helped me confirm that I wanted to work with the aging population.” —Kimberly (Arva) Valvo ’04

Left: The older population is increasing— by 2040, 1 in 4 people will be over 65— and so are career options in aging.

Helping others—Gail’s career journeyGail chose to major in HumanDevelopment and Family Science atMessiah College because she had a desireto help people and an interest in counsel-ing. Her first job after graduation was as acounselor for the United MethodistHome for Children. She worked at thisjob for three years, and then felt that shewas ready to move to another position.Gail realized that the best way for her tomove up in the field was to attend gradu-ate school, so she completed a degree inschool counseling from ShippensburgUniversity. While working on her mas-ter’s, Gail did an internship in theMechanicsburg School District. She wasoffered an available position in the dis-trict, working at Mechanicsburg MiddleSchool, immediately after finishing her

master’s degree. After two years there, shemoved to Mechanicsburg High School,where she has worked as a school coun-selor for 10 years.

Working in school counselingAs a school counselor, Gail’s primaryobjective is to help students. She seesanywhere from 15 to 30 students in asingle day. She helps students with whatever concerns they may have —whether that be a friend problem, aschedule change, a family issue, or an academic concern. Gail spends a lot of her time talking with parents, either on the phone or in person, helping toaddress their concerns. She also workswith administrators and with the specialeducation team.

Student concerns are a priority inGail’s job. She has to be flexible. She may

have a very long to-do list for a certainday, but if a student walks into her office upset, she will take as much timeas she needs to help that student, beforemoving on to her other tasks. Therefore,the ability to be flexible is very beneficialwhen working as a school counselor.Gail has also found that a loving spiritand empathy help her to be a more effective counselor.

Gail’s advice“The most important thing to do is get out in the field with someone and do jobshadowing. The more you experienceexactly what the career is like and become informed about the positives and negatives of a job, the better able you will be to make a career choice that is right for you.”

SCHOOL COUNSELOR Mechanicsburg High School

“Educators are very powerful in the lives of kids . . . In one instance an educator can make or break a kid by making them feel great and special, or by making them feel unimportant .” —Gail Hiestand ’89

Left: Involved school counselors provide guidance for students at critical moments in their lives.

Ambition and possibilities—Heather’s career journeyHeather majored in Human Developmentand Family Science at Messiah Collegebecause she was interested in studying theintricacies of close relationships, especiallyrelationships in the family. After graduat-ing, Heather earned a master’s degree fromthe University of Maryland in family stud-ies with a specialization in marriage andfamily therapy. She then began to work inMessiah College’s counseling center andtaught for the Department of BehavioralSciences. Heather also ran her own privatemarriage and family therapy practice.

During this time, Heather began tosee the value of research and came tounderstand how clinical work andresearch fit together. Five years after beginning her work in counseling, she went back to school to earn her doctorate in human development and

family studies from Pennsylvania StateUniversity. Heather then became a faculty member at University of North Carolina–Greensboro.

The life of a professorAs a faculty member at a university,Heather juggles multiple roles. She teacheshuman development and family studiescourses —both graduate and under-graduate. She is also involved in mentor-ing students in teaching and research. Sheattends regular meetings with faculty andother school administrators.

Heather is also very involved inresearch and scholarship. At any giventime, she is working on about five publi-cations and two active research projects,so she spends approximately 50% of hertime writing, supervising research projects,and conducting statistical analysis. Shemeets frequently with her research team to

discuss home and phone interview collec-tion, to supervise the management ofincoming data, and to provide consulta-tion regarding statistical analysis. Heatherwrites grant applications, which are neces-sary to fund her research. Currently she isworking on a major research project aboutthe marital and family experiences ofLatino immigrant couples.

Heather’s advice“If you can find a way to get a paycheck to do what you naturally love to do, that is just a really nice place to be. Figure out what your passion is, and keeps yourinterest easily, and then find a way to get paid for that. Sometimes that meansdelaying gratification because you have to go to school or not make a lot of moneyat first, but in the end, it’s worth it.”

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

AND FAMILY STUDIESUniversity of North Carolina

“ I was so well prepared that my first semester of graduate courses felt likereview . . . My courses at Messiah trained me to write, think critically, and take the perspective of others .” —Heather Helms ’87

Left: Scholars in family science teach about and conduct research on important family issues.

Wanting to make a difference—Jeff’s career journeyOne of the first jobs that Jeff had wasworking with children who were inemotional support classes. Beinginvolved with the children helped Jeff torealize he wanted a career that workedtowards making a difference in chil-dren’s lives. However, he felt that inorder to truly help children, he wantedto focus on an area more intimate thanthe classroom: the family. Thus, Jeffchose to major in Human Developmentand Family Science at Messiah College.

After graduation, Jeff was hired byCatholic Charities, where he worked ina shelter for runaway teens for a yearand a half before starting in foster care.Jeff has worked in the foster care field

for over 17 years, and has held variouspositions. He really enjoys what he isdoing along with the relationships thathe has formed at his workplace. At thispoint, Jeff plans to work in foster careuntil retirement.

Working in foster careLike many social service workers, Jeffdivides his work hours between time atthe office and time out visiting childrenand families in their homes. On anygiven day, Jeff might give inquiring fami-lies information regarding foster careand adoptions, receive referrals for childplacements from a children and youthservice agency, or discuss with co-work-ers possibilities for helping children andresource families through their prob-

lems. After providing training classesand doing family interviews, he writesprofiles for approved families who arewaiting to provide foster and/or pre-adoptive care. All of these tasks, andmore, are part of Jeff’s job as a fostercare caseworker.

Jeff sees a lot of his job responsibili-ties as similar to those of a pastor. Hefinds it helpful to be able to be trulyempathetic and give encouragement andadvice to families who are struggling.

Jeff’s advice“Find out what it is you’d like to do, pursue it, and objectively determine if you are successful. Then see if you can get paid to do it!”

FOSTER CARE CASEWORKERCatholic Charities

“ I wanted to make a big impact on kids’ lives. I knew that wasn’t goingto happen just in the classroom, so I decided it was better to try and impact families .” —Jeffrey Park ’87

Left: As a critical context for healthy child development, foster care caseworkers try to provide loving families for children.

Finding her calling—Jennifer’s career journeyJennifer chose to major in HumanDevelopment and Family Sciencebecause she found the coursework to beextremely interesting and she liked thatshe was gaining knowledge in so manydifferent areas. Her first job was at anafter school program for children, butshe was looking for something full-timein the human services field. Jenniferanswered a job advertisement for a childadvocacy position and got the job. Inthis position, Jennifer learned moreabout domestic violence and sexualassault, and she felt drawn to the field.She sensed she had found her calling, soshe changed careers and began workingas a domestic violence counselor, andlater as the director of a rape crisis

center. Jennifer is pleased with her cur-rent job because she had always wantedto work at the national level. She callsthis job a “perfect opportunity” andwouldn’t want to be doing anything else.

Working to end violenceMuch of Jennifer’s work is based on theinternet. She spends time researchingweb-based resources on the topic of sex-ual violence. After selecting and summa-rizing the documents, she adds them tothe National Sexual Violence ResourceCenter website. She also provides sexualviolence content for VAWnet —theNational Online Resource Center onViolence Against Women. Jennifer’s jobalso includes traveling throughout theUnited States and Canada to attend con-ferences where she conducts trainings

and workshops on sexual violence pre-vention, sets up display booths, andhands out resources.

Jennifer found that her backgroundtraining in domestic violence and sexualassault provided a foundation of knowl-edge that helps with her current job.She also finds it helpful to have an opti-mistic and persistent attitude, becauseworking to end violence is such adaunting task.

Jennifer’s advice“Keep your options open and don’t get discouraged. Everyone has a talent or gift to use. There is something out therefor everyone; it may just take you a littlewhile to find it.”

ONLINE RESOURCE SPECIALISTNational Sexual Violence

Resource Center

“ It is a daunting task to work to end violence because it is so pervasive in ourculture and society . . . It takes somebody who is optimistic and passionate aboutending violence.” —Jennifer Grove ’97

Left: With a deep understanding of relationships, Human Development and Family Science graduates try to end violence and promote healthy interactions.

Gathering experience—Jennifer’s career journeyJennifer chose to major in HumanDevelopment and Family Science becauseshe was interested in relational counselingand therapy. She graduated from MessiahCollege in 1995 and dedicated the nextseveral years to building her own family.She stayed home with her children anddidn’t work outside of the home duringthis time, but she remained active in herfield through volunteer work in herchurch and community. Jennifer wrotepamphlets for parents on talking to kidsabout sex and spoke to mom’s groupsabout relational issues. After having herfourth child, Jennifer went back to schooland earned a master’s degree in marriageand family therapy from the EvangelicalSchool of Theology. She is currently anintern working towards completing the

requirements for being a licensed mar-riage and family therapist. She is alsoenrolled in a post-graduate program forcertification in sex therapy.

Working in marriage and family therapyIn a typical day at work, Jennifer spendsabout six to eight hours in clinical con-tact, doing therapy with couples and indi-viduals. She sees clients once per week,semi-monthly or monthly, in 50-60minute sessions. During a session,Jennifer will assess risk behaviors, processfeelings, engage in dialogue with herclients, and facilitate conversationbetween couples. Her goal is to help couples have a new experience in therapy,rather than the same fight that they haveevery day at home. She usually leaveseach individual or couple with a home-work assignment or intervention that shewill follow up on in the next session.

In her work, Jennifer has learned thatthere are several qualities that make agood therapist. First, she says you have tobe a good listener and people need to feelsafe talking to you. Second, you need tobe able to maintain a level of clinicalassessment in the midst of emotional con-nections with your clients. Third, a goodtherapist must be able to leave work atwork. Therapists hear a lot of pain, tur-moil, and brokenness from clients, butthey cannot let that negatively affect themas a person or affect their family.

Jennifer’s advice“Look for indicators of where you are sup-posed to be. Do what you have a heart forand what gives you the most joy. You canalways change your course. There’s nomagical age where you have to be set inyour career.”

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST

Marriage and Family Center

“My dream would be to open a clinic, a weekend retreat center, and do marital work there. I think that could be a great experience for couplesdealing with tough issues.” —Jennifer (Hemphill) Ransil ’97

Left: Marriage and family therapists address more than personal problems—they seek to change and help the way the family members relate to each other.

Following her mother’s example—Joanna’s career journeyJoanna has known for a long time thatshe wanted to work with children withspecial needs. Her mother works withpeople of all ages who have specialneeds, and seeing the work that she doesinspired Joanna to pursue a similarcareer. She chose to major in HumanDevelopment and Family Sciencebecause she thought the courses wereinteresting and they complemented herabilities. After graduating in 2004, shewas fortunate to find a job in early inter-vention (a very competitive field). Sheenjoys working in the town where shegrew up.

Joanna really likes her career, butisn’t sure where she’ll be in five or tenyears. She has thought about other job

possibilities that involve working withchildren with special needs such asnursing and special education. If shedecides to change careers, she will takewith her valuable knowledge and expe-rience that she has gained throughworking in early intervention.

Working in early interventionJoanna’s job consists primarily of homevisits. She works around the family’sschedule, which means she may workweekends, evenings, or have to travel to adaycare center or a grandparent’s homein order to visit a child. She spends aboutan hour and fifteen minutes in eachhome, working with the child and theirfamily to overcome speech, physical, orcognitive delays. Joanna also works withchildren who may have social and emo-tional delays and difficulty adapting to

their environment. She likes that everyday is different. She gets to see differentfamilies, work with different children,and plan creative activities to help meetthe children’s goals. Joanna has learnedthat in order to be successful in earlyintervention you have to love children.You have to have compassion for theirneeds and the needs of their families.

Joanna’s advice“Be open to experiencing and learningabout different careers. Often studentsdon’t know about all the job possibilitiesthat exist, or they may know of careersbut don’t think they will be good at them.So just be willing to experience newthings. Meet with someone one-on-one tosee what it’s all about. You may be sur-prised at what you find.”

EARLY INTERVENTION TEACHERThe Mifflin/Juniata

Special Needs Center

“ I can see myself growing and coming out of my shell more as a result of my job.I’ve grown in my ability to communicate and interact with people, even peopleI ’ v e neve r met before.” —Joanna McKalips ’04

Left: Graduates of the Human Development and Family Science Department are prepared to help children with special needs.

PRESIDENT AND CEONational AIDS Fund

“What has kept me working in the field of HIV is that I see it as the greatestpublic health and social justice issue of our time. History will judge us by how wedealt with the HIV epidemic.” — Kandy Ferree ’91

Left: Knowledge about relationships, the core of family science, is key to being a successful leader and organizer for a public issue like AIDS/HIV.

Supporting her cause—Kandy’s career journeyKandy chose the Human Developmentand Family Science major at MessiahCollege because it gave her a rich back-ground in the full cycle of human devel-opment and a broad perspective on familydynamics. She also completed a gerontol-ogy minor because she was interested inworking with older adults. Kandy earneda master’s degree in community psychologyfrom Pennsylvania State University in1998.

Kandy’s first job out of college in theHIV/AIDS field was as a family case man-ager for the Division of AIDS Services inNew York City. She worked in variousother capacities in the field includingserving as program director for a commu-nity resource center, working with a non-profit consulting company on a diversitytraining curriculum, and serving the

Greater Harrisburg Foundation andFoundation for Enhancing Communitiesas program officer. Kandy came to theNational AIDS Fund to be the director ofprograms. After one year, she moved toher current role as president and CEO.

Working in a non-profit organizationKandy spends the majority of her timebuilding strategic relationships andfundraising partnerships. She takes thevision of the National AIDS Fund andtranslates it into opportunities that inspirepeople to become engaged as donors,companies to become involved, and foun-dations to support a particular program-matic vision. Her tasks also include pro-gram development, administration, beinga spokesperson for the organization, andmanaging communications and visibility.Skills that are crucial to Kandy’s jobinclude the ability to see all sides of an

issue without judgment and to formtrusting relationships with all kinds ofpeople. She must also be organized andan effective leader.

Kandy knows that she will always beinvolved in issues of social justice, genderequity, and public health. Her vast experi-ence and the opportunities she has hadthrough working for a national organiza-tion, will contribute to her future success,no matter what path her career may take.

Kandy’s advice“You are exactly where you are supposed to be, wherever that is at this moment.Whether it’s your “perfect job” or a job that you are struggling through, seizeevery opportunity to learn whatever youcan. I believe all of us can be successful.People who are exceptionally successfulseize opportunities rather than waiting for things to happen.”

Choosing education—Kathy’s career journeyKathy chose to major in HomeEconomics Education (now Family andConsumer Sciences Education) atMessiah College because she enjoyed thecontent area and had enjoyed home eco-nomics in high school. She also complet-ed an early childhood education minorbecause she liked working with youngchildren. Kathy’s first job was as a substi-tute home economics teacher inPennsylvania. She had a long-term sub-stitute job that eventually became a full-time teaching position. Kathy beganteaching preschool when her familymoved to California. After her familyrelocated to Tennessee, she continued toteach at the preschool level until a direc-

tor position opened up at a nearby pre-school. She decided to take this positionbecause she wanted the opportunity tofurther her career and a make a biggerdifference in the preschool setting.

Working in early childhood educationKathy oversees the operations of her pre-school which includes 120 children and16 teachers/aides. She observes class-rooms to make sure that her teachers aremeeting their job responsibilities and thatthe children are having their needs metin a safe environment. She also keepstrack of all the records and paperworkrequired of the teachers and children atthe preschool. She is responsible for hir-ing and training new teachers, planningcurriculum, managing tuition and regis-

tration, and finding substitute teacherswhen necessary. Kathy also does regularassessments of the children, teachers, andthe center.

One of Kathy’s biggest accomplish-ments in her career is earning NationalAssociation for the Education of YoungChildren (NAEYC) accreditation for hercenter. Less than 5 percent of early child-hood programs in the country have thisaccreditation, so Kathy feels a strongsense of personal accomplishment andfulfillment as a result of this achievement.

Kathy’s advice“Go where your passion is. Pick a fieldthat you are interested in and test thewater there. When you find your passion,you’ll know.”

DIRECTORFaith Lutheran Preschool

“ I love helping my teachers be the best that they can be and helping the children to learn what they need to learn in order to move on and be successful in their education.” — Kathy (Long) Musser ’77

Left: Early job experiences can pave the way for future opportunities.

Working to help others — Faye’s career journeyFaye chose to pursue HumanDevelopment and Family Science becauseshe thought the major would be applica-ble to many different kinds of jobs shewas interested in exploring. Her firstposition was as a family service directorfor the Salvation Army where she wasinvolved in activities such as managing asoup kitchen, writing grants, and coordi-nating holiday assistance projects for localfamilies. While Faye worked in this posi-tion, she saw hundreds of individuals andfamilies who were trying to get their basicneeds met. She began to realize that theirproblems were more extensive and thatsimply meeting their basic needs was likeputting a Band-Aid on a large wound.

Wanting to be more effective in help-ing others, Faye decided that the next

step in her career path would be graduateschool. She earned a master’s degree inmarriage and family therapy from AntiochUniversity. After completing her degree,she worked for a time with a family stabi-lization team. Faye took her current jobat EMQ Children and Family Serviceswhen her family moved to California.

Working as a children’s therapistFaye works with eight school children,grades 1-4, who have difficulty participat-ing in a regular classroom because ofemotional or social issues. She has regularindividual therapy sessions with eachchild, as well as group therapy sessions.During a therapy session, Faye helps thechildren with issues such as learning toappropriately express emotions, under-standing social cues, regulating self-esteem, and dealing with anger in healthy

ways. She works to meet the children’sindividual needs so that they can have anemotionally healthy school experience.

Faye also does some family therapywith the parents of these children. Duringfamily therapy sessions, she tries to helpparents understand their children’s needsand provides them with strategies theycan use at home to help their children’semotional adjustment.

Faye’s advice“Gather all of the information that you canabout the jobs you are interested in, andexplore all of your options. When lookingat graduate programs, decide first whatyou are looking for and what you hope toget out of your graduate degree. By know-ing what you want first, you may saveyourself frustration in the future.”

CHILDREN’S THERAPIST CLINICIANEMQ Children and Family Services

“Something that really helps me in my job is that I don’t pretend to be theexpert. The family or the child is the expert, and I am there to help them.” — Fayette (Hancock) Oakes ’95

Left: Individual and group therapy sessions help children have an emotionally healthy school experience.

Finding a good fit—Laura’s career journeyLaura chose to major in HumanDevelopment and Family Sciencebecause she knew that she wanted towork with people, especially children.After Laura graduated, she saw a jobadvertisement in a newspaper for a posi-tion with Head Start. She explored thepossibility because it looked like itwould be a good fit for her and a goodway to use her degree. Laura was hiredand has been with Head Start for thepast seventeen years. Laura’s first job atHead Start was as a home-based visitor,providing parent education. After tenyears, she switched to her current posi-tion where she works in the daycare set-ting, rather than the home setting.

Working for Head StartLaura is responsible for working withHead Start children, teachers, and centeradministrators at six day care sites inher area. Her ultimate goal is to encour-age the day care site to improve thequality of care that they are providing.Laura helps day care sites meet HeadStart performance standards by offeringcurriculum suggestions, modelingteaching activities, and working withcenter directors to address issues presentin the centers. She is also responsible forthe educational screening required of allof the children enrolled in Head Start ather sites, meeting with parents twice ayear, and keeping updated paperworkand case notes.

Laura’s ability to interact well with bothchildren and adults has been especiallyuseful in her job. She is more successfulin her work because she is able to develop rapport and relationships with the individuals at the centerswhere she works.

Laura’s advice“Think about things that you have experienced and enjoy doing. Don’t compartmentalize job opportunities.Think big! There are so many jobs outthere, so don’t limit yourself to just a few possibilities.”

EARLY LEARNING CONSULTANTHead Start

“My ultimate goal is to improve the quality of care that these children arereceiving . . . It is very rewarding to see progress in the teachers and childrenwith whom I work.” —Laura Charlesworth ’89

Left: Early learning consultants prepare children and their families for school success.

Fulfilling her childhood dreams—Mary Ellen’s career journeyMary Ellen was a Home EconomicsEducation (now Family and ConsumerSciences Education) major at MessiahCollege. Since she was a young childshe knew that she wanted to be ateacher, but she wasn’t sure what specif-ic subject area she wanted to teach.Mary Ellen took a careers test at theCareer Center in order to help herdetermine where her strengths and abili-ties were. Her test came up very high inhome economics education, so shechose that major and loved it!

Since graduating from Messiah,Mary Ellen has worked as a family andconsumer sciences teacher. She hastaught at Nazareth Area High School for

ten years. In addition to teaching, MaryEllen earned a master’s degree in humanecology with an emphasis in childdevelopment and family relations fromMontClair State University.

Working in family and consumer sciences educationAs a public school teacher, Mary Ellen’sschedule is very structured. She teachesthree class periods a day and has oneplanning period. Mary Ellen teachesclasses such as Interior Design, ChildDevelopment, Fashion Design, andDiscovering Foods. During her planningperiod she creates lesson plans, makesparent phone calls, answers e-mails,grades, and writes progress reports.

Mary Ellen has found her strong organi-zational abilities extremely helpful inteaching. Her creative abilities are alsohelpful when she needs to come upwith new activities and keep her stu-dents interested.

Mary Ellen’s advice“Use the Career Center. The tools theyhave available can be very helpful whentrying to decide what major and careerare right for you. Also, be patient.Sometimes the really good classes don’tcome until later on in your college years.Sometimes things come across your lifepath that can give you direction as towhat is right and wrong for you, so giveeverything a chance.”

FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES

TEACHERNazareth Area High School

“ I loved my third grade teacher, Mrs. Mitchell . . . Ever since third grade Iknew I wanted to be a teacher.” —Mary Ellen (Widrick) Caracappa ’95

Left: Family and Consumer Sciences teachers are in great demand and teach content areas like child development, family resource management, andgood nutrition.

Following God’s direction—Rachel’s career journeyRachel chose to major in HumanDevelopment and Family Sciencebecause she knew that she wanted to dosome kind of counseling or work in thechurch, and this major seemed to be themost applicable to those goals. BecauseRachel’s dad was a pastor she had a lotof connections in the church and knewthat’s where she wanted to somedaywork. The summer immediately follow-ing her graduation from MessiahCollege Rachel participated in an intern-ship, which eventually led to the job shenow holds. She calls this her “ideal job”and was fortunate enough to be able towrite her own job description. Rachel isvery content in her current job, but

knows that in the future God could leadher in another direction.

Working in family ministryRachel’s schedule is very flexible andchanges a lot. She spends a lot of timein her office doing Bible studies, prepar-ing lessons, planning workshop, andplanning and organizing her variousministries and programs. Rachel alsovisits children, leads worship, facilitatesBible studies, and leads creative events.She serves alongside commissions, bothwithin her church and at the regionallevel in her conference. Rachel works as a counselor at a church camps andnational youth conferences during the summer.

From her work in family ministry,Rachel has learned that there are specificskills and abilities which help her to beeffective in her job. Being a good listen-er and being patient are helpful whenworking with children and families.Understanding youth and family devel-opment is vital to her work. Rachel hasalso found that her abilities in music,creativity, teaching, and organizationhelp in her ministry work, because herjob is so flexible and variable.

Rachel’s advice“Explore all of your options. Don’t be discouraged and don’t settle for somethingthat isn’t what you want. God has pre-pared a work for you to do, and when you find it you’ll know.”

DIRECTOR OF FAMILY AND YOUTH MINISTRIES

The Bare Memorial Church of God

“My job is unique from any other job in family ministry because every church is different. I like working in ministry . . . it’s a good fit for me.” —Rachel Neely-Sleasman ’00

Left: Family and youth ministers can provide family life education programs on healthy relationships, marriage enrichment, and positive parenting skills inorder to strengthen families and prevent problems.

Gathering experience— Sheri’s career journeySheri chose to major in HumanDevelopment and Family Science becauseshe had an interest in human develop-ment over the life course and the inter-generational aspects of life. Through hercourses, she discovered that she had astrong desire to work with older adultsand aging issues. Sheri has held severaldifferent jobs in the field of gerontologysince graduating from Messiah College.Some of these positions include directinga senior center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania,working as a marketing director for aretirement community, and working atthe State Department of Aging inCalifornia. Sheri also earned a master’sdegree in gerontology and education fromthe University of California.

The combination of experience andeducation that Sheri has in the field ofgerontology helps her to succeed in hercurrent job as vice president of researchand strategies planning for Eskaton.Eskaton is an independent not-for-profitsenior residence and service provider inNorthern California. Although Sheri findsher current job extremely satisfying andhopes that she can stay there for severalyears, she still has aspirations for herfuture. She would love to be a CEO of anon-profit company such as Eskaton.Until then, she will continue to learn,grow, and gather experience in her field.

Working in gerontologySheri works primarily with external part-ners, outside of Eskaton, who aren’t nec-essarily familiar with gerontology and the

needs of older adults. Her job is to edu-cate individuals about the experience ofolder adults and communicate with exter-nal partners to help them design productsand services that can truly meet the needsof older generations. For example, Sherifrequently works with home builders,encouraging them to change their busi-ness practices to allow a growing numberof older adults to be able to live in theirown homes, and be safe, as they age.

Sheri’s advice“Gather as many experiences as possible.Get out there and do something like aninternship, volunteer work, or servicelearning. You’ll learn quickly if the fieldyou’ve chosen is something you can reallydo. Look for something that fits yourinterests and lifestyle.”

VICE PRESIDENT OF RESEARCH AND STRATEGIC PLANNING

Eskaton

“The field of gerontology is both challenging and rewarding at the same time . . . My goal is to help improve the lives of older adults and help meet their needs.” —Sheri (Stouffer) Peifer ’95

Left: Career opportunities in the growing field of aging are endless, and the gerontology minor offers specialized training.