The Journey

The Journey

Grace Howrigon

Career Development and Mentoring (AA)

Doctor Loughran
The Journey

Table of Contents
The Journey

Introduction

Since the completion of my undergraduate degree, life has become clearer. I spent four

years at Siena Heights University playing basketball, consumed in its’ every aspect. I lived it,

loved it and breathed it. Due to this, my focus was not so much on life after basketball and

making ends meet. This left me to figure it out on my own. Two years and some change later, I

feel anew. I had to live to get it right, personally and professionally. It took some soul searching

and being on my own to understand who I am and what my strengths and weaknesses are. While

I am still not a completed process, as I hope to never be, I am headed in the right direction with

confidence. I attribute to this to the education I am receiving in my master’s courses, and the

work experience I have gained since being an undergrad. As I navigate through this paper, you

will see my journey and how the CASVE cycle has helped propel to be the decision maker I am

today.

Communication

Ever since I was five years old and joined my first recreational basketball team, I knew I

was in the right place. I grew attached to the sport the minute I picked up a basketball. As time

went by, competition intensified and my intriguement with the sport grew. From years of

recreational ball, I decided it was time to play competitively and I joined a travel team. It

exposed me to hundreds of new athletes across different states who were just as hungry for the

game as I was. Travel ball grew into high school ball which then brought collegiate choices to

the table. I chose Siena Heights University and became a 3 year starter, two time MVP, two time

all conference player, and one time Honorable Mention All American. After I graduated and my
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career had come to an end, it was as if a piece of me had been lost. I did not have the game I

loved anymore as part of my life. I took a year off and went down to Marshall University in West

Virginia; I spent a year there selling tickets in the athletic department, 8am-5pm every day. I

spent a year feeling unfulfilled with little value; I knew I had to make a career decision. I have

always been an undecided individual: someone who is not committed to an occupational or

educational choice, considering options but for very appropriate reasons (Reardon, Lentz,

Peterson, & Sampson, 2012). I know my passions and the direction I am headed, however, I do

not have a set agenda or an end all dream. With my passion in the back of my mind, I decided to

come back to my alma matter and pursue basketball, in a new light. Now that I am here, in

graduate school, I again am facing a decision making process; where am I headed after I

graduate in May, 2017? This class has brought so much clarity to my life. I have spent my first

year of my masters coaching basketball at the college level. There have been moments of limbo,

wondering if I am where I am supposed to be or if I wish to be at the next level. This class has

allowed me the leeway to really explore myself and delve into some new ideas and experiences

which have opened my eyes to who I am as a professional and what motivates me day in and day

out. After finishing this course and reflecting, I have found that what I was not sure of, I am now;

I intend on climbing up through the ranks of collegiate coaching in women’s basketball after I

graduate.

The gap that I experienced at the beginning of this class was mainly an internal feeling

which pushed me to feel the need to reduce that gap between my reality and my desired state.

The external factors in my life are nothing but supportive: my family, significant other, friends,

peers, coworkers – everyone in my life has been supportive of every step I have taken in my

journey thus far. I feel the need as an individual to continue to grow and better myself in both a
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professional and personal manner. Thus, I decided to address this gap I was feeling head on. The

most beneficial assignment for me in this class was the interview assignment with our dream job.

I debated for a couple of weeks in the beginning of this class how I wanted to approach this

assignment; should I coast by and interview a low division 1 head coach, because that would be

the easy way out? I know a lot of these women due to my part-time job, Midwest Girls

Basketball Report (MGBR). I meet coaches throughout the entire summer and build relationships

with them. It would have been easy for me to reach out to one of those coaches and ask to meet

with them. I decided to reach outside of my comfort zone, and go for my number one dream job,

Michigan State University’s head coach, Suzy Merchant. Internally, I justified this because I had

feelings of wanting to know the difference in every aspect of collegiate coaching at the different

levels, Division 1 and NAIA Division II. The difference in every day duties, recruiting, work/life

balance, etc. is vast and identifying those differences appealed to me. I needed to know. Thus, I

reached out to a contact I have known for years who knew Suzy closely, and pushed myself to

step outside of my comfort zone. Essentially, I desired to prove to myself that the woman I sat

across from on June 28th was no different than myself 20 years ago. After I left her office, that

gap I felt at the beginning of this class did not exist. She proved to me that what she is doing and

the culture she has created is the culture I crave. Division I is where I belong.

This class has completely exceeded any preconceived expectation I had coming in. I was

hoping for clarity; clarity in knowing that I am either content at the level I am in coaching or

clarity in knowing that I need to try to go higher after I complete my master’s degree.

Analysis

I have learned a lot of beneficial information about myself throughout the entirety of this

class which has helped propel me to the shoes I am in today and the clarity I have in making
The Journey

future career decisions. The self-assessment assignment really shed light on my personality and

my interests in professions. I took part in two assessments: The Big 5 Personality Test and the

O*Net Interest Profiler. With The Big 5 Personality Test, I scored 80% in openness to

experience/intellect, 79% in conscientiousness, 95% in extraversion, 74% in agreeableness and

11% in neuroticism (Potter, 2015). This assessment helped me understand what I decide to give

my time to and what I do not bother with. A high score in openness to experience/intellect was a

good feeling because as a coach in this profession, you can never know too much. It is important

to always continue to grow and refuse to stay stagnant. This test also showed me that in

conscientiousness I am able to connect with my players, in extraversion I am able to make that

connection with recruits that we wish to join our program, in agreeableness I can talk to my staff

about situations without unnecessary arguments, and neuroticism allows me to remain calm in

moments of high stress. The O*Net Interest Profiler results came as a surprise. It was a list of

180 occupational examples and you were able to fill in whether that job appealed to you, did not

appeal to you, or neutral. I had no problem deciphering which occupations I liked and/or did not

like. The results, however, all came up in the fields of academics or counseling: counselor,

curriculum coordinator, school counselor, clinical therapist, secondary school teacher, and more

(O*Net, 2016). While these results came as a surprise, it also helped clarify that maybe education

is a strong suit of mine. This brought me back to education in coaching. Coaching involves

teaching and molding young people both on and off the court. Thus, both of these assignments

brought me back to that initial gap I felt in class and helped me decided which aspects in life I

am willing and excited to delve into.

Since I graduated from college with my undergraduate degree, I have learned a great deal

about the world of work that influences my decisions often. I think everyone develops their own
The Journey

individual view on occupations and what is attractive to them, but for me it includes a sense of

personal fulfillment. The most attractive occupation to me is the one in which I feel value and

worth in others’ lives. As said before, I spent a year in West Virginia passing the days not feeling

much purpose. I developed work relationships, however, I felt no desire to sell tickets for a

living. When I moved back to Adrian, and began coaching the sport I love, I knew I was home. I

have created relationships which will last forever, I have impacted the lives of young women, I

have learned how to put the philosophies and concepts in my mind onto the court, and the list

goes on. So now that I know what profession I feel most value in, through this class I have been

able to pinpoint which level in this profession appeals most to me; that being division I

basketball. The lifestyle and the certain type of athlete you get at that level appeal to me; the

work ethic necessary, the competition, all of it.

I have learned my decision making process in the CASVE cycle sometimes involves

external cues such as family, location, loved ones, etc. I go back to West Virginia because it was

a pivotal year for me. I lived eight hours away from anyone and everyone that I loved at a job I

felt no value in. I knew, from that experience, that it is crucial to weigh external factors when

making career decisions. If I had to pinpoint what stage I am in in the CASVE cycle, I would say

the “valuing” stage: the “choosing an occupation, program of study, or job” phase (Solutions,

2016). I know this because I know I have surpassed the stages before that. I have passed

communication because I am aware that in a year, I need to be able to make a vital career

decision. I have passed analysis because I understand myself and my strengths and weaknesses

and know that I have options. I have passed synthesis because I have expanded and narrowed my

list of options since being in the workforce; I know which occupations appeal and which do not
The Journey

to me. That leaves me at valuing, just before the execution phase. I am happy where I am for

now.

Synthesis

I believe I have done a very good job in my current and part-time job in establishing

relationships as a resource for aiding in alternative occupational choices. As said before, I work

with MGBR, a recruiting service for high school girls who aspire to play at the collegiate level.

Through this experience, over the past three years, I have developed meaningful relationships

with college coaches at each level of basketball there is, NCAA Division I, II, and III, NAIA

Division I and II, and JUCO. These coaches know my face and that I run the tournaments and

thus know that I am interested in the field of basketball. Due to this, if I needed a job in

Michigan, my boss at MGBR could call these coaches and speak on my behalf and if they have

attended our events, they will know me. I have also made sure to reach out on social medias to

certain coaches, travel teams, recruiting services, etc. Networking through twitter in the

basketball world has proved very beneficial. Living in this day and age, technology is an

incredible tool if used appropriately. I am in charge of Siena’s women’s basketball page and I

follow numerous high school basketball pages, travel teams, travel team coaches, and more. This

allows me to post pictures or motivational quotes and reach an audience that either is aspiring to

come to Siena Heights or is affiliated with the program already. It grows our audience and gets

our name out there. This in turn allows me to build more relationships which could serve as an

aid for me in the future in deciding on an occupation. In my sit down interview with Suzy

Merchant, she explained to me the qualities she looks for when hiring new staff members. A

large portion of what she said is able to use technology in such a way that appeals to recruits and

reflects our program in a positive manner.

The Journey

Educational and/or career alternatives that I may consider:

a. Midwest Girls Basketball Report Owner (Recruiting Service)

b. Secondary Education
c. Attorney
d. Administration

This is the extent of the list I could make when trying to narrow it down to 3-5 potential

alternatives. To be honest, none of these necessarily appeal to me because both my head and

heart are so into my current love, collegiate coaching. These are a stretch and MGBR would be

the most realistic for me to fall back on.

Valuing

My values and carrying that with me throughout every institution I work for is crucial to

me. Just as feeling fulfillment is important, so is feeling part of something working with an

ethical compass. Factors important to me in making a career decision include an organization

that has high work ethic, that treats employees well and equally, that allows input on all levels,

that fosters a creative atmosphere, encourages a community feel, etc. I crave to be a part of

something that I am actually a part of, not someone on a lower level passing the time. I want my

voice to be heard and accounted for and part of the group movement. There are also practical

values that I carry close to me that I carry with me in decision making. Family is everything to

me; they are my rock and my support system. In an ideal world, I would live five or less hours

away from my family in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Salary as a practical factor is a no brainer. While

I do not need all the money in the world, I need to be practical and realistic and able to

eventually support a family as that is the vision I have for myself in the future.
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The costs and benefits to these positions would definitely be different than my current

occupation of choice, collegiate coaching. With each of these professions, I would be able to

have more of a work/life balance and stick to a more structured day. College coaching is so all

over the place with no structured hours. It can be an entire day long before you know it and you

are getting home at 12am or later due to trips, recruiting, etc. In these other jobs, it is more

realistic to have a family and get time at home with them. Salaries are also a major difference. It

is no secret that there is not much money in coaching unless you are at high level schools.

MGBR, attorney and often administration would pay better on average compared to the jobs I am

talking about pursuing. However, money is not everything and I know that to be the best me, I

need to follow my heart.

Educational and/or career alternatives ranked:

1. Midwest Girls Basketball Report Owner (Recruiting Service)

2. Attorney
3. Secondary Education
4. Administration

Execution

In order to implement my first choice I will need to pay my dues. In the world of

collegiate coaching that is how it is done; work your way up the totem play. Even the great Suzy

Merchant had to take her time to get where she is now. It is my goal once I graduate to obtain an

assistant coach position at a Division II school for two to three years. In order to move up from

there, my dedication needs to far exceed my dedication to my current program in that I need to

always refuse to stay stagnant. I need to continue to grow and better myself at each position I

hold in the present so that I am more prepared for any position that may come my way in the

future. After I assist at a Division II school, I either want to climb my way up in assisting or head
The Journey

coaching at a high Division II school, or take a low Division I assistant coach position. At this

position, the same needs to happen; unparalleled work ethic, resilient recruitment, long hours in

the office, etc. After a couple of years at this position, I will apply for a head coach position at a

Division I program and hopefully continue to propel myself from job to job to position myself as

either an assistant or head coach of a solid Division I program with the ability to compete for a

national championship.

To get to where I want to be, it will consist of endless effort. I will have to be relentless in

my work ethic, recruiting, scheduling, planning, budgeting, building of relationships,

maintaining athletes’ academics, etc. Everywhere I go in this industry, I need to go guns blazing

every day. That is something I am willing and eager to do.

Communication

Right now, I feel in a state of clarity in both my educational and occupational choices. In

an educational sense, I am thriving; my undergraduate studies never really challenged me or

made me feel enlightened. The first couple months of masters’ courses I had felt the same. In this

class, however, the tide has completely changed. I was challenged to really delve into who I am

as a person both personally and professionally. From the skills assessments, to the occupational

outlook I did on collegiate coaching, to this last interview assignment, my eyes have been

opened to myself and the professional world around me. I took this course seriously and it has

helped give me clarity and a sense of “everything is going to be okay” in my future. Making a

career decision is trying and weighs on you at times with the uncertainty of what is ahead,

debating whether or not you are in the right profession. At the beginning of this class, I felt those

feelings. The skills assessment let me know who and what I give my time to in an occupational

setting. The occupational outlook helped me break down this profession in terms of women in
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coaching, technology as a resource, training problems and how turnover occurs, etc.; it gave me

a broader scope to analyze and really break down so the numbers were in front of me. The

interview was the most crucial piece to my development over this course. It pushed me to exceed

expectations and step outside of my comfort zone so that I could live a day (or 45 minutes) in my

dream jobs’ shoes. It helped bring clarity to the gap I experienced at the beginning of class. I am

happy where I am educationally and occupationally, in June of 2016. I graduate in May of 2017

and my hope for then is that I have built and sustained relationships with other college coaches

throughout this next year and that I feel confident in the direction I am headed. I hope to have a

job solidified at this time next year and to be contributing to a programs desired goal.

Both my internal and external cues are telling me I am right where I should be right now.

I am satisfied: I am 24 years old and less than one year away from getting my masters. I just sat

down with the head coach at Michigan State University. I am networking all the time, loving

school, and enjoying being a part of the program I am now. I have no discomfort about the

situation I have put myself in, if anything I am proud of myself. I have an amazing support

system at home who pushes me yet is happy for me no matter where I land. I am satisfied.

While I am satisfied, I know that eventually I will need to ask myself, “What program is

the right fit?” That will be the toughest part for me come next spring. I wish to find a program

that fits me as well as possible for my first job out of school. One in which will push me and

challenge me daily, yet also has a team centric, family feel to it.

Conclusion

Life is filled with ups and downs, especially at the age I am now. It is filled with

uncertainty, moments of being unhappy of my present situation, feelings of being unfulfilled. I

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know that in less than a year a crucial life decision awaits me. I feel that when the time comes,

and I am another year deeper in my education, I will be willing and confident to make that

decision. So long as I carry my morals and values with me, continue to work hard in every

situation that I face, and continue to feel value and passion in my occupation, I will be satisfied.

References
Dicentra Client Solutions, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2016, from
http://www.stlouisgraduates.org/sites/default/files/files/CIP