My Personal Narrative
Opening
This will be my personal narrative that will explain how my life experiences and
educational journies led me to the decision to start a career in Human Resources. I will list
those experiences chronologically and utilize some of the teachings I learned in my IDS 493
Electronic Portfolio class here at ODU. There will be a few stories, but my professional journey
will mostly lead me to where I am. I am an opening book and love sharing all the stories of my
life, both good and bad. A great example is how McAdams “argued that identity itself takes the
form of a story, complete with setting, scenes, character, plot, and theme.” (McAdams, 2001).
educational journies led me to the decision to start a career in Human Resources. I will list
those experiences chronologically and utilize some of the teachings I learned in my IDS 493
Electronic Portfolio class here at ODU. There will be a few stories, but my professional journey
will mostly lead me to where I am. I am an opening book and love sharing all the stories of my
life, both good and bad. A great example is how McAdams “argued that identity itself takes the
form of a story, complete with setting, scenes, character, plot, and theme.” (McAdams, 2001).
Nursing Home
I grew up with my parents, who were divorced. This truly shaped how I am, both good
and bad, from anxiety and depression to my strong family values. Because my mother was
raising my brothers and me by herself, I spent a lot of time with her at work after school. My
mother worked as a beautician in a nursing home in Mississippi. As a 10-year-old, being around
older people was a big part of my life. I would spend time in the game room watching my
favorite “grandmothers play Rook and Kanasta. I would meet new faces and have to say
goodbye to people who cared for me while I was there. I learned about their life experiences
and was able to grasp the process of aging at a young age. It was in this nursing home that
started my love of retirement communities and continued care.
Once Friday came along, I knew it was time to see my grandparents. They were pretty
much my parents growing up. On Saturday mornings, my grandfather and I would go out and
spread hay for the cows and then head over for “morning coffee” with the other farmers in the community. My grandfather taught me to live with a purpose and not do stuff just for myself.
I would see them make huge impacts on the community that we lived in. My grandparents
would volunteer their time to better the community even at an old age. My grandmother ran
the community center at the age of seventy, ensuring all the kids were cared for. My
grandfather would organize the largest Mississippi festival, the Sweet Potato Festival.
Thousands of people would attend, and there would also be around a hundred vendors who
would sell the things that they made. I grew up helping with the festival, which helped me work
on my people skills. He was my father figure because my biological father lived in Washington,
D.C. When I turned 13, I moved up there to live with him.
would volunteer their time to better the community even at an old age. My grandmother ran
the community center at the age of seventy, ensuring all the kids were cared for. My
grandfather would organize the largest Mississippi festival, the Sweet Potato Festival.
Thousands of people would attend, and there would also be around a hundred vendors who
would sell the things that they made. I grew up helping with the festival, which helped me work
on my people skills. He was my father figure because my biological father lived in Washington,
D.C. When I turned 13, I moved up there to live with him.
Depression and Anxiety
Depression and anxiety have been in my life for as long as I can remember. It has always
been a fight against myself to go out of my comfort zone, and when I do, my mind wanders.
“What is wrong with me?” “Am I making a fool of myself?” or “What do they think of me?”.
There were some dark times when my parents got divorced, and it led to some terrible
depression. My parents would fight between me and my brothers, and it was a constant pull. It
taught me the value of family. As I grew up, I had a lot of positive influences that helped me
battle my depression, but ultimately, it was not till I started to take medicine that I was able to
get it under control. I also feed off other people’s “vibes.” I love the aging community intensely.
“People who are driven to contribute to society and to future generations, he found, are more
likely to tell redemptive stories about their lives, or stories that transition from bad to good.”
(Smith, 2017) Growing up, I dealt with a lot and cared more for others than I did myself. This
trait led me to where I am, and I continue to grow in the Continued Care Industry.
been a fight against myself to go out of my comfort zone, and when I do, my mind wanders.
“What is wrong with me?” “Am I making a fool of myself?” or “What do they think of me?”.
There were some dark times when my parents got divorced, and it led to some terrible
depression. My parents would fight between me and my brothers, and it was a constant pull. It
taught me the value of family. As I grew up, I had a lot of positive influences that helped me
battle my depression, but ultimately, it was not till I started to take medicine that I was able to
get it under control. I also feed off other people’s “vibes.” I love the aging community intensely.
“People who are driven to contribute to society and to future generations, he found, are more
likely to tell redemptive stories about their lives, or stories that transition from bad to good.”
(Smith, 2017) Growing up, I dealt with a lot and cared more for others than I did myself. This
trait led me to where I am, and I continue to grow in the Continued Care Industry.
Continued Care Communities
When I moved to North Carolina with my wife, I could not decide where to work. I
applied to several places and was getting discouraged. So, I decided to go to a job fair and see if
any places were hiring. There were several people there, including Carolina Meadows. They
were looking for mostly wait staff and maintenance. I swore I would not go back to waiting
tables, but they hooked me in to check out the place and talk with the hiring manager for
dining. After a lengthy discussion, he offered me a good hourly pay. I started as a part-time
server, and within two months, they brought me on as a full-time server. Then, about six
months later, they asked if I wanted to be a supervisor, and I took the opportunity.
That serving job was the most rewarding job I had ever had. The love that those
residents showed me is what got me up in the morning to go to work every day. They would ask
about my life and always want me to bring my kids to work to see them. Some so many
residents would share their stories about love, war, and loss. The most significant impact on me
was when the pandemic was at its height, and all residents were locked in their houses. It was
so sad to see all those happy faces I had been working with for so long suddenly filled with
sadness because they could not see their families. My team and I decided that we should do
something to help boost morale, so we created what we called the Birthday Brigade. We would
go to the residents’ houses on their birthdays and sing Happy Birthday. Sometimes, there would
be huge groups of us. There were tears, smiles, and laughter daily; we were told we saved
many lives during that time.
applied to several places and was getting discouraged. So, I decided to go to a job fair and see if
any places were hiring. There were several people there, including Carolina Meadows. They
were looking for mostly wait staff and maintenance. I swore I would not go back to waiting
tables, but they hooked me in to check out the place and talk with the hiring manager for
dining. After a lengthy discussion, he offered me a good hourly pay. I started as a part-time
server, and within two months, they brought me on as a full-time server. Then, about six
months later, they asked if I wanted to be a supervisor, and I took the opportunity.
That serving job was the most rewarding job I had ever had. The love that those
residents showed me is what got me up in the morning to go to work every day. They would ask
about my life and always want me to bring my kids to work to see them. Some so many
residents would share their stories about love, war, and loss. The most significant impact on me
was when the pandemic was at its height, and all residents were locked in their houses. It was
so sad to see all those happy faces I had been working with for so long suddenly filled with
sadness because they could not see their families. My team and I decided that we should do
something to help boost morale, so we created what we called the Birthday Brigade. We would
go to the residents’ houses on their birthdays and sing Happy Birthday. Sometimes, there would
be huge groups of us. There were tears, smiles, and laughter daily; we were told we saved
many lives during that time.
These circumstances and experiences have led to who I am today and why I chose my Career. My grandparents were the beginning that gave me the building blocks. They taught me
about life’s hard decisions and how to respond to them.
I choose to help people every day and
to make an impact on someone I come in contact with. Even in high school and in the military, I
was always the person who sacrificed his time and energy to help others in need. Human
Resources allow me to help employees every day. My boss and I, the Human Resources
Manager, make it our mission to create events and ways to celebrate the employees so they
feel appreciated and necessary. That is my true calling in life and my career, and the time I
spent at Old Dominion University helped me increase my knowledge of the Human Resources
field to help people better. My ePortfolio will showcase how my classes helped me become a
better Human Resources Representative and leader.
about life’s hard decisions and how to respond to them.
I choose to help people every day and
to make an impact on someone I come in contact with. Even in high school and in the military, I
was always the person who sacrificed his time and energy to help others in need. Human
Resources allow me to help employees every day. My boss and I, the Human Resources
Manager, make it our mission to create events and ways to celebrate the employees so they
feel appreciated and necessary. That is my true calling in life and my career, and the time I
spent at Old Dominion University helped me increase my knowledge of the Human Resources
field to help people better. My ePortfolio will showcase how my classes helped me become a
better Human Resources Representative and leader.
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