Using his background in SEL, Brenden aims to become a mental health advocate for schools across America.
Roadmap.
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"If you are still unsure of a career pathway, give yourself 15 minutes a day of silence to just let your mind wander to see what possible paths you may take. Define the pros and cons of each. This may take weeks if not months to think about."
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Pictured here is our school's Wellness Room, which I managed and maintained throughout my time at AOC!
MILESTONES
My career roadmap has been all over the place.
Learning that I enjoyed making friends and being helpful to others.
Ever since elementary school I always wanted to connect and make a difference on my campus.
Joining the ASB at my middle school allowed me to have a chance to impact my campus through activities, clubs, and dances.
Being introduced to mindfulness in freshman year by Mrs. Garvar and Dr. Shapiro showed me methods to de-stress while transitioning to a larger work environment.
Attending my first Wellness Forum held at AOC, I realized the need for wellness on our campus and others across the country.
Being introduced to Social-Emotional Learning through AOC, I have been inspired to pursue a career focusing on mental health advocacy and spreading the need for mental health support in schools. Being in charge of caring for the Wellness Room gave me the inspiration to bring this experience to other schools in the country.
Now, I look forward to furthering my knowledge in the realm of Social and Emotional Learning at UC Irvine.
EXPERIENCE
Here are my extracurriculars relevant to this pathway
DURING MY HIGH SCHOOL CAREER
The Social-Emotional Learning elective has given me the opportunity to create a change on my campus as well as help shape my current career path.
Cracking the Guy Code has allowed me to learn how to effectively express my emotions and taught me the importance of vulnerability and balance.
Attending and later volunteering for Wake Up Stand Up has shown me that one individual can create change for hundreds of people if they put their mind to it.
DURING MY COLLEGE CAREER
Currently waiting to step foot on campus!
CAREER
What I'm currently doing/hope to do
Although I entered UCI as a Psychology major, I am still researching what pathway is the best for my career path. Since Health and Wellness is a relatively new career path I will need to define that myself and build experience in order to have myself certified. At the moment, I am still considering different career paths in the realms of Psychology, Cognitive Science, and Psychiatry. I intend to spend my years at UCI networking and exploring what options and opportunities I will have to gain experience for my career.
ADVICE
How to maximize my time in high school?
Advice #1: Take a variety of social science courses like psychology, sociology, and personal interest courses to gather information about yourself, your interests, and to see if Health and Wellness is really a career path that you want to take.
Advice #2: If you are still unsure of a career pathway, give yourself 15 minutes a day of silence to just let your mind wander to see what possible paths you may take. Define the pros and cons of each. This may take weeks if not months to think about.
Advice #3: If possible try to engage with the campus by joining clubs and electives such as ASB or SEL.
