Health and Human Services Professional Development

True Grit: Do you Have What it Takes to Succeed? by   Mikki Sherwood   on   July 24, 2013   Do you want to know the single most important key to success? According to Angela Lee Duckworth (via Ted Talks) you need to have GRIT. Grit surpassed economics, educational achievement, and even intelligence and talent, as the single most important predictor of success. One key aspect of grit is a “growth mindset.” According to researchers at Stanford University, an individual with a growth mindset understands that the ability to learn and grow can change with a change in circumstance and effort. If you have a growth mindset you are much more able to persevere if you fail because you know that failure is temporary, and success is still an option if changes are made. Do you have GRIT? blob:https://embed.ted.com/0cce5d24-4711-4703-a368-832606b7140c *Originally posted on the Career Skillet website (Permission granted by Jill Bowers).

WHAT IS GERONTOLOGY? Many Human Service Program Administration programs offer or are affiliated with gerontology undergraduate degrees or minors and or graduate degrees in gerontology. Gerontologists can be found across disciplines (e.g., social work, nursing, medicine, optometry). Students who are gerontology majors learn about physical, cognitive, and social changes in individuals as they age, as well as the influence of environment, culture, social policies, and public policies on aging. Issues that students in gerontology may study include, but are not limited to: Age-related illnesses Ageism Death and dying WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A GERONTOLOGY DEGREE? Jobs that one can get with a degree in gerontology (some may require Master’s Degrees in Gerontology or related field) include, but are not limited to:Gerontological or geriatric social worker Senior services assessment specialist Home health aide Nursing home administrator Manager of public/private residential community...

Privileged College Student, Are You Grateful? By Shaun Hurdelbrink and Jill Bowers, PhD  on   April 28, 2015   Many view a higher education as the ultimate gateway to success, but seemingly few students express the gratitude tertiary education deserves. Unfortunately, the opportunities and privileges of being a college student may easily be overlooked or taken for granted. As a university student, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a fellow student complain about the amount work that needs to be done for a class, or how much someone is dreading the next difficult section. I’ve also been asked many times, “what’s the easiest class to take?” If anything, students should be excited to take on academic challenges instead of avoiding or dreading them. Understandably, this is not the view of every student, but my experience has demonstrated that many students may be in a counterproductive mindset. Throughout my life, higher education was viewed as an expectat...

Teaching FCS, A Fulfilling Career by   Kathleen Clark   on   May 12, 2015   Would you like a career that is rewarding, challenging, and no two days are ever the same? Have you ever thought about becoming a family and consumer sciences teacher? Experience and training in culinary arts and nutrition, child development and care, family relationships, consumerism, and fashion merchandising are just some of the areas you could possibly teach. Currently, there is a shortage of highly qualified family and consumer sciences teachers in half of the states across America (see AAFCS –  Werhan’s article on continued demand for FCS teachers ). This is a great opportunity to get certified and make a difference in the lives of young students, their families and the surrounding communities. You will need to earn a bachelor’s degree in family and consumer sciences education, student teach, and get a state certification or license. You can teach the youth of today how to...