Hi! My name is Jordan Caison and I am a senior at Longwood University. I am a Liberal Studies major and I have a Psychology minor so that I will be able to get at least a small insight into the field of psychology before I attend graduate school; so my academic preparation for my eventual career as a counselor is still in progress.  I am also currently considering picking up an additional minor in sociology because I believe that it would be beneficial to me not only  while I am attending graduate school, but also once I am a counselor.

I do not believe that I am supposed to be a teacher within the classroom setting— I am not supposed to teach children math, science, and reading. While I do not believe that I am meant to teach children, it is only in the sense of their education. I am meant to teach children other things, right from wrong, valuable life lessons and to be a friend to them when they are in need. As a middle school aged child, I had a guidance counselor who, by doing these things, made an everlasting impact on my life. I believe that I am meant to make an impact on children in the same way that my guidance counselor made an impact on me. Looking back on their middle school years, I want those children who I worked with to think of me in the same way in which I think of my middle school guidance counselor, thinking ‘wow, she made a difference’.

A personal philosophy I have about work is this— All of the work you do in life, no matter how big or small, is work that helps shape you into the working professional you will one day be.  For the past five years, I have worked with children in the day care setting, as a summer camp counselor, and as a private sitter as well. My experiences working with children started when I volunteered at a local daycare in high school. Back then, I had no idea how true my personal philosophy about work would be, or how greatly it would impact me.  Much like my personal philosophy on work, my philosophy on leadership also has to do with how your experiences shape you— Leadership is an opportunity to gain life experiences and grow as a person. I am in a sorority where I hold a position on our officer board; this experience has helped me to grow so much within this past year. Within this past year, I have had life changing experiences that can only be credited to the leadership abilities that I have gained within that time. I have been able to make the decision to no longer pursue a Liberal Studies degree with an Elementary Education concentration to be a teacher, and instead to follow my dreams of being a counselor and I have my ever-growing leadership to thank.