Family Genogram Reflection

I've embarked on a new chapter in my professional life and have decided to get my master's degree in school counseling. While I still enjoy teaching, I've recently been feeling like there is more I could do. I was drawn to counseling because connecting with students on a personal level is one of my favorite parts of being an educator. I sincerely want to help students discover who they are and how to be the best student, friend, adult and citizen they can be!

In this first week of my 2nd course, Career Development and Exploration, we were asked to complete a family gengram, tracing the career path and vocational attitudes of at least three generations. Wow! What an experience this was! I have included the basic information below.

Highlights:

• My parents were divorced while I was still an infant and my mom had custody of me, so my family connections are traced through my mother's side of the family.
• Most of my family completed high school and some college. As such, they have chosen career paths that do not require a college degree, or at least did not require a college degree at the time they entered the job. Most advancements and/or promotions were achieved through experience in the field.
• My family is very female dominated and it is expected for women to have careers outside the home and contribute to the family income.
• It was important for me to find a mate that shared the same educational and career goals and attitudes. As such, it is interesting to note that both my husband and I are currently pursuing our master's degrees.

Insights:
I quickly saw that while a pattern of careers is difficult to determine (my family's career paths are highly varied, from small business owners to corporate office workers, to a commercial truck driver and a teacher) patterns of beliefs and attitudes were evident. It is instilled in all members of my family to work hard and always, always, always give your best effort. Perfectionism is a strength and being thorough and attentive to details is expected. In fact, many of my family members expressed that they believed any job worth doing is worth doing well. While I did know this about my family members before, this assignment was also very eye-opening. I have always viewed my perfectionism as a strictly personal quality and this genogram project showed me that perfectionism is indeed a family trait that has been passed down through generations. As I grow and evolve in my new role as a parent, it will be important for me to teach my daughter the importance of hard work while also taking care not to place too much pressure on her to always be perfect in every way. (Although, let's be honest... I already think she's perfect in every way!) :)