In her own words: Kim Schaer, Family Service Worker

When I graduated from college in May 2009, I really wasn’t worried about finding a job. I was extremely confident in my abilities and thought to myself, “How hard could this be?” I was actually excited at the prospect of doing applications, completing some interviews, and finding my perfect job! Thinking back on it now, I have to laugh because I was utterly naive! That following summer was easily my most challenging ever, both mentally and emotionally. Four years of hard work and over achieving in college just to end up unemployed, broke, and depressed.

Finally, one day in October, my mother pointed out a job posting for a Family Service Worker with Prince William County Schools in the Head Start program. I knew it would be a long shot, but I decided this HAD to be my job. I was at my breaking point and I was worn out from being so unsuccessful. After two weeks and not a word about the job, I paid a visit to the Head Start office. I wanted to make myself known so that I was more than just a name on a piece of paper, but also show the administrator that I was serious about the job and that I was the best choice. I met with the Head Start Director and she said she was pleased that I had taken the time to meet her and I could expect an interview soon. Not even a week after my interview, I received a call from Human Resources saying they wanted to offer me the Head Start job. I have never been so overwhelmed by happiness and relief before in my life!

Since starting, the job has been wonderfully rewarding and unexpectedly shaped my future. The connections I make with my families are unlike any other relationships I have. Their success is my success. I remember one mother who was able to go back to school and get a great job after she completed a career building program in administration. She actually called me the day she graduated to convey how excited and thankful she was for my help in referring her to the program. However, my favorite memory will always be the day I spent working with my preschoolers on their first day of school. The sheer joy and excitement on their faces was so rewarding and gave me such an indescribable feeling of contentment. Of course there are days when I want to cry for my families and I feel the weight of their troubles on my shoulders, but those are eclipsed by the good days when I am able to help them with a problem or just listen to their troubles and feelings. I never realized that I had such a passion for social work until working for Head Start and after only a few months on the job it became apparent to me that this is what I wanted to do for a career. As a result, I applied and was accepted into a Master of Social Work program. I feel like I’ve finally found my rhythm and the path that I had been looking for since college. I truly consider myself blessed because I found a career that I love!

First appeared on the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center web site