Adult Development Reflection
Reflecting on the developmental theories that we have covered in this course, my adult development most directly relates to the life events and transitions model. Thinking about my past and where I am today, my experiences have helped to shape me personally and professionally. The expectations and goals that I once had during my twenties have changed now that I am in my forties. According to Merriam & Bierema, (2014), “Adults are motivated by wanting to improve their situation in adult life, whether that situation is work-related, personal, or social/community-related” (p. 12). All these things have motivated me along the way.
The majority of my growth and development stem from after I completed college and had my first daughter. A series of life events and transitions; led me down a path of being a single parent and focusing on what I thought my career choice would be, to getting married and moving to another country, and returning back to the United States and completely changing my career.
Single parent & first career
Being a parent is never easy, but it is especially challenging when you are the sole person in charge of providing care and nurturing a child. As a single parent, I did not have a lot of obstacles that I have heard of others having. I have always had a strong support system in place with my family, so my parents were hands-on in helping me care for my bundle of joy. I can recall one of the most important factors for me during this time was being able to care for my daughter financially without any help. I was fortunate to obtain a great job and start my career with the County Office of Emergency Services. I specialized in the area of disaster preparedness and homeland security.
As I started my career, I was extremely motivated to utilize the knowledge I learned and obtained throughout my college years. According to Ambrose, Bridges, DiPietro, Lovett, & Norman, (2010), “motivation refers to the personal investment that an individual has in reaching a desired state or outcome” (p. 68). I was motivated to bridge what I learned in college to my current profession. I set a goal for myself to be viewed as an expert in the field. The more I learned, the more I became comfortable in my field. I enjoyed my interactions with the variety of people I came to work with such as Fire Chiefs, Police Officers, Environment specialists, Red Cross, etc.
Married & moving on
With a daughter and career in full swing, I started to focus on myself. What I was lacking at this point was companionship, someone that I could share all the different aspects of my life with. I dated and no one really sparked my interest, until I came across an old friend who I had not seen in a few years. He was the perfect addition to my personal growth and development, as he helped me find balance. We eventually got married and my husband adopted my daughter. Shortly after, my husband who was in the Navy at the time, received military orders to move to Japan. Of course, I was in awe at the news that we had to relocate to another country. I remember having an array of emotions at the thought of having to leave my extended family and the career that I worked so hard for. Once all the details were hashed out, I came to the realization that part of my personal development and growth was stepping outside of my comfort zone and experiencing something new. We packed up and moved to Japan.
Upon arriving in Japan, we had a game plan to embrace the culture and enjoy all the many experiences that would come our way. I hit the ground running and quickly found a job as the Ombudsman of NAF Atsugi and as a disaster preparedness consultant for the Navy base. As we started to settle into our new life, my husband and I decided that now would be the perfect time to add to our family. So we did just that, I had 2 additional children and my career flourished more than I ever imagined.
Just when I thought I had fully encompassed the meaning of transitioning and accepting change, I was called upon to assist a family to move back to the United States. Unfortunately, this was not a normal move-back situation. The family that was in need was dealing with the spouse being newly diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer. The diagnosis as well as prognosis, made it essential that the family be relocated as soon as possible. Diligently working with the family and developing a relationship with the spouse who was diagnosed was a turning point for me. About 3 months, after this situation my best friend was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer. At this point, I turned my drive and motivation to help my best friend find curative treatment options.
Career change
The time had come for us to move back to the United States, sunny Southern California. Though, I would miss Japan I was eager to get back and start anew. From my many experiences in Japan, I learned a great deal about who I am as a person. I have always had a readiness to learn but never imagined I would completely change my career. Smith and Taylor (2010) state, “It is often difficult for adults, who have years of investment in their current developmental perspective, to shift to a new way of knowing” (p. 56). By having these life events occur it shaped my development and redirected my focus, thereby giving me a sense of knowing that I would be able to succeed. These life events further developed a new purpose, which evolved around learning all about the aspects of cancer, the treatment processes, and how I could do my part to help provide support to those who are in need.
With my new career in mind, I preceded to find out that only two universities within Southern California actually offered the program for Radiation Therapy. Through further research, I discovered my new career choice was very specialized and would be within the Allied Healthcare field. Careers within the Allied Healthcare field are considered adult career and/or technical/vocational education. This would be a welcomed change for me, as my previous education was in Social / Behavioral Science.
As I progressed through the classroom and clinical setting that would lead to my new career, I noticed I started to develop a passion for education (specifically in healthcare) and teaching. As my passion grew, I sought out opportunities that would allow me to teach in any aspect. I began tutoring students who needed assistance, then I became a lab assistant for the X-Ray program, I went on a mission trip to Belize, and now I am teaching for my alma mater. I have had the pleasure to and continue to bridge the fields of healthcare and education.
Themes in My Development
According to Smith and Taylor (2010), “a life events perspective emphasizes adult development within a framework of the individual and cultural episodes occurring throughout a person’s life (p. 52). The life events of a person shape the hallmarks of themes in an individual’s adult development. The events that took place in my life as I developed into adulthood have marked the themes of my psychological and adult development. Based on a reflection of those events, I identify three major themes that include: work roles, relationships, and family roles. Most of these themes correlate with what Merriam, Cafferella & Baumgartner (2007) refer to as the components of life phases, “marriage and family, occupation, friendships, religion, ethnicity, and community” (p. 308). All of these components incorporated into themes represent key elements, which helped shape my life.
Work Roles
Like most people, I completed my first college education with high expectations of securing employment as the primary source of finances to cater to my needs as well as those of my daughter; who came during the time I had begun my college life. Securing my first employment, a short period after completing my college studies still gives me a feeling of great satisfaction and accomplishment. Working in general, has given me a sense of self-satisfaction especially when I can see, as well as feel that my efforts in the workplace have helped others.
Throughout my work roles, I have had a great of deal of energy and ambition to do my very best to be successful in my career. I focused mostly on bridging the knowledge I acquired in my college education with the tasks I was assigned in the workplace. Along the way, I learned to build rapport with both upper management and my colleagues for a favorable working environment for others and myself within the organization. Completing my job responsibilities efficiently, effectively, and promptly has given me the happiness and fulfillment that anyone could want or need in one’s career life.
Relationships
The relationships within my adult development vary from personal to professional. Personally, the emotional desire to love and be loved was originally at the centerpiece of my personal relationships. I wanted the Disney fairy-tale of being loved and the perfect relationship. I learned and identified though my life experiences and various events that love cannot be based on a fairy-tale and there is no perfect relationship. Developing that understanding early on, help me to embrace being a single parent and gave me a sense of what type of companionship I wanted and needed long term.
Professionally, my interactions and observations with various people have impacted my adult development immensely. I have had the privilege to learn from a variety of professionals on different levels. By developing and fostering professional relationships, I have been able to continuously grow through my experiences, as well as experiences from others. These experiences have directly taught me how become a better listener, team player, and leader.
Family Roles
According to Ross-Gordon (1999), a women’s gender development is directly related to a bi-directional sphere of influence by several factors, which include but is limited to her spouse, children, and family. The family roles that I focus on the most, is as a mother and wife. Though I never thought the first role I would have would be in motherhood, I’m glad that I had/have the opportunity to embrace and learn about parenthood. My role as a mother brings about a certain joy that melts my heart. Having the ability to influence and raise a child is an amazing experience. I truly enjoy watching my children as they grow and observing their development on a day-by-day basis. My role as wife, not only enables me to share my life experiences it also enables me to share in my husband’s experiences. Together our experiences have assisted in our growth as a couple. As a family, we are connected through the good and bad experiences that life begins our way.
Conclusion
Caffarella and Clark (2000) states that “ as a persons matures, his or her self-concept moves from that of a dependent personality toward one of a self-directing human being (p. 97). As I have matured my life experiences and transitions have directly and indirectly affected my adult development. I realize that not everyone has had the opportunities that I have had from living in another country, to furthering my education, and successfully changing career; I have self-directed my path through life experiences. I have gained many meaningful relationships, professionally and personally. Throughout my psychological development the themes that have shaped me into the person I am today, remain key to my success.
References
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