Lakola Andrews:  

e AFTER GRADUATION, I MOVED TO NORTH CAROLINA WHERE I FIRST BECAME AN HIV/AIDS CASE MANAGER. I REALLY ENJOYED THE ONE TO ONE TIME WITH SOME OF THE CLIENTS ON MY CASELOAD. I ENJOYED HELPING THEM AND FELT LIKE I WAS DOING SOMETHING WORTHWHILE. THEIR PAYMENT SYSTEM SUCKED SO I HAD TO LEAVE. I CAN'T HELP ANYONE ELSE WITHOUT KNOWING HOW TO HELP MYSELF. I THEN DID COMMUNITY SERVICE AND RESTITUTION ON THE JUVENILE LEVEL. THE CONCEPT OF THE PROGRAM WAS REALLY GOOD. THE ONLY THING WAS THAT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH TO DO. AGAIN I SWITCHED, THIS TIME, WORKING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES. I FIRST WORKED IN INTAKE AND CRISIS. I LIKED THIS BUT IT DID NOT GIVE THE SAME REWARD THAT WORKING WITH CLIENTS ON A LONG TERM BASIS DID. AT THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY FOR ADVANCEMENT, I APPLIED TO THE FOSTER CARE UNIT. I THOROUGHLY ENJOY IT. IT CAN BE STRESSING MOST OF THE TIME AND THE HOURS ARE LONG, HOWEVER THE REWARDS OUTWEIGH THE SACRIFICE. SINCE i HAVE STARTED A FAMILY, I HAD TO CHANGE JOBS YET AGAIN. i AM NOW PROVIDING CASE MANAGEMENT TO CHILDREN WHO ARE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED OR AT RISK OF BEING DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED. I REALLY LIKE WHAT I DO. IT IS JUST AS REWARDING AS MY OTHER CASE MANAGEMENT POSITIONS. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I CAN FOCUS ON WHAT'S IMPORTANT IN MY LIFE, MY HUSBAND AND DAUGHTER. THE NEXT MOVE I MAKE WILL BE AT HOME. WE'LL SEE HOW IT UNFOLDS!!!!