My Unicorn

I learned recently (thank you Kelly! LOL) that in the nursing world, a "unicorn" is a position that is maybe a little on the far-fetched side, but is, in essence, a dream job. 

I'm really happy to say that I have, at very long last, found my unicorn. 

It's not that I haven't found great fulfillment in all of my previous jobs. I'm proud of where I have been over the last decade of my life, because each job installment has provided me with innumerable experiences- good and bad- and I well and truly believe I have carried pieces of those experiences from one to the next. At UK, where I had a difficult supervisor and long work hours and a lot of meticulous prep work, I learned the importance of asking for help, and realized that I was in fact capable of doing hard things. At Grow Appalachia, I learned the importance of community in the workplace, and how a meaningful and caring support system speaks volumes and genuinely motivates you to be the best you can be. I learned to think on my feet, especially while troubleshooting over the phone. Working at EKU really gave me my first taste for working with students, and the most valuable lesson I have learned in that time is that, more often than not, students just need someone to listen to them. Even my year-long stint in the retail world I was able to appreciate working with the entirety of the human spectrum: the good, the pleasant, and the just downright miserable and unpleasant! 

Earlier this semester, I had a general studies student reach out to me (I advise some College of STEM gen studies students as their primary advisor); they were wanting to switch over to Criminal Justice but they were also interested in social work. This wasn't the first time they'd changed majors, either. We met a few times to sort of hash things out and talk about next steps, career prospects, courses, etc, and we finally decided on a criminal justice major with a social welfare minor. I emailed them before spring break to just check in and see how they were doing- they loved their classes and were making good grades at mid-terms, and felt confident that they had finally made the right choice! 

Last week, I got a call from a former student who was interested in possibly returning to EKU to get their degree. They had racked up a lot of credit hours but never quite made it to graduation. I won't spare any of the details, but they came to meet with me and we talked for a while about various options and next steps, and guys...They are going to be getting their degree very soon, after well over ten years! At one point I told them "This is what I love doing, I love just talking things out with students." 

I dreamt and prayed for many months to be doing what I do now, and to be living it out and helping students- current and former- is nothing short of surreal. Knowing that I'm here now for such a time as this, helping these students in a crucial and exciting time in their lives, it is indescribable. It is a great joy but it is also a great responsibility, one that I pray I never take lightly.  Pretty soon, I will be taking on another rein of helping students- working with first-year students and their schedules during orientation, and in about a month's time, I'll get to celebrate graduation with these students. I have learned so much in a short amount of time, and I know I still have so much to learn! I hope that I never stop learning. 

I know and believe God answers prayer. I've seen it more times than I can count. But I've never taken time to appreciate, in hindsight, the things I've prayed for coming to fruition as I'm living out those answered prayers day by day. All the more reason to give Him glory! He is faithful. He has never left me without! And I hope that my story is a source of encouragement and hope for those that may be left wondering if their "big break" will ever come.