Her Story
About Anissa
My career in helping others find their path has been deeply personal from the start. As a third-generation recipient of public assistance, I grew up watching my grandmother and mother navigate the welfare system, and after my own divorce, I found myself in the same situation. Breaking that generational cycle became my passion, which led me to study sociology with a minor in psychology, and later earn my master's degree in human resource management. I started my career doing an internship with my local DFACS in Georgia, which turned into a full-time position working in child welfare, where I helped kids aging out of the foster care system identify career paths, develop employable skills, and build the life skills they needed to succeed. That work opened doors I never expected. One of the kids I placed into a charter high school led to me being offered a career coach position at a new school they were opening, which then led to job placement work in the private sector. Ten years ago, I finally landed at Florida State College Jacksonville, a place I had been trying to get into for years, and I knew immediately it was where I wanted to retire. Today, my typical day revolves around three main things: career exploration, resume writing, and interview skills. Students come to our advising center not knowing what they want to do, and I help them identify their path, whether through education, employable skills, or other opportunities. I also conduct workshops, coordinate career fairs, and recently, I've been incredibly proud of expanding our career closet program. We went from a small $5,000 TPC grant two years ago to receiving a $150,000 grant from Bank of America, which was publicly recognized at their wellness fair. This grant allows us to do more employer outreach and better serve our underprivileged student population. It's a full-circle moment for me, especially since I used to be a retail manager over 20 years ago, and now I'm bringing that experience back in a completely different role. What I love most about FSCJ is their commitment to professional development and their genuine desire to see us grow, even if that growth takes us elsewhere. I stay not because of the salary, because state colleges don't pay a lot, but because I'm passionate about what I do and the students I serve. People have always come to me for advice, even back in high school when my own life wasn't perfect, and now I get to do that professionally every single day.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Anissa
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my drive, my passion, and my refusal to give up. In spite of the adversities and barriers that come across, the falls that happen along the way, I always give myself grace, pick myself up, and keep it moving, because things aren't going to always be perfect. I don't focus on what went wrong. Instead, I look at what can I do differently, how can I make this situation better, or improve in this situation. I think that's the biggest thing that people fail at, because they focus so much on the failure and not on how can I overcome the failure. It's about looking forward and finding ways to improve rather than dwelling on setbacks.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Find you a mentor, for sure. Find you someone that's like-minded, or not, because they don't have to be like-minded. Always be open to other ideas as well, because you never know what those other ideas and where they could lead you to as far as your improvement. But definitely mentors, and be open to that. Don't think that you know everything, because you don't. Be open to constructive criticism as well. Always stay learning.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges I face is connecting with faculty and getting into classrooms to reach students. Because of clock hours requirements, it's difficult to conduct resume writing workshops and interview skills workshops during school hours when students are in class. We're trying to utilize more online platforms, but those would need to be after hours, and after 5 PM, most people have worked all day and have families to attend to, especially our large non-traditional student population. Getting students to attend workshops and understand the importance of getting these tools ahead of time, before they're at the point of internship or job search, is an ongoing barrier that will probably always exist for someone on the career services side. Our younger traditional students are harder to reach than our non-traditional students, who are more willing to buy into the value of these services. On the opportunities side, what I love about FSCJ is that they believe strongly in professional development training. They want to see us grow and expand, even if that growth leads us out the door to better opportunities elsewhere. They're not going to hold us back, and I love that about the environment.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The biggest value and takeaway for me is being your authentic self and not losing yourself in the process. It's okay to smile. Everything doesn't have to be taken seriously. I believe in staying true to who you are while doing the work that matters.
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