Danielle Noelle Alexander

I would say I really started becoming who I am after my mom passed away about 4 years ago this November. After her passing, and I had just had a child - he was only 8 or 9 months - my whole life shifted. If you've ever had a parent or anybody you love pass away, that affects your life tremendously. I had to relearn and rethink what's really important in life. When you have something like that happen I really was like, "okay, I have to change, I have to do something better for myself, my son, and my career in general". So honestly, after that, that's when I was really like, "Alright Mom, I hear ya". I took that moment and decided to really accomplish something beautiful and help others, and I'm extremely proud to know that I'm making a difference in others' lives on a daily basis. I wanted to make my mother proud, and when she passed, it was an important shift that truly pushed me to move forward in making a better life for my son.

The best career advice and mentorship I've received came from two incredible women who have shaped how I approach my work. Kimberly Watkins, who I worked with when I was with pregnant and parenting teens, shared an office with me when I first started out. She had acquired years of experience and we became really good friends. She taught me so much about how to be empathetic and just how to handle people. We're still friends today and she was a huge influence on how my career evolved and helped me move on up from that job. My current boss, Heather Beaufils, she hired me in, has also been an amazing mentor. She's been doing this kind of field for 20+ years, so she has an abundance of information. The biggest thing she taught me is to slow down, be open-minded, and try to put yourself in their position. She's really shown me that work is very important, but you also have to understand your employees have their own life, and we need to work around that as well. Both of these women have taught me the importance of bringing empathy to this work and understanding that there's always something to learn from those who have been in the industry.

If I had to put it all together, I would say remember when going into this field, be open-minded and be ready for anything that might come your way. I was lucky enough to have coworkers who were experienced, so they were very influential and taught me the ropes. If you have a chance to be mentored by somebody that had been in the field for a while, go ahead and take that. Don't take it as intimidation or that you don't know as much - they know way more than you think they do. You have to be empathetic, and especially open-minded, because there is a large variety of people out here, and you never know what somebody's going to throw at you on a daily basis. You do not know what people have experienced, so treat them with the respect they deserve. Another thing I think a lot of people struggle with, especially in this field, is try not to take your work home and find a good way to process the things that you deal with on a daily basis. That is something that a lot of people have to learn, including myself. Continue to support yourself and advocate for yourself by surrounding yourself with people who are supportive that you can learn from. There is always something to be learned and to attain from the relationships you'll build with other colleagues and those who have been in the industry.

Danielle will be jumping in to add more detail regarding her personal experiences and what keeps her inspired and motivates her to continue her path, She will add detail as she sees fit in regard to those who have inspired her and impacted her career, How she would like to connect with other incredible women within her industry or region through our network, and how she would like to inspire others to do what they can to impact their communities and those in need of resources.

What inspires me most in my work in social services is the opportunity to support individuals during some of the most challenging moments in their lives. Being able to advocate for people connect them to resources and watch them regain stability and confidence reminds me why this work matters. Knowing that even small efforts can help someone move forward keeps me motivated to continue growing and making a meaningful impact in my community.

The most important value to me, both in work and in life, is following through on what you say you're going to do. If you're going to tell somebody you're going to do something, make sure you follow through with it. Especially in the social work field, people need somebody to be their rock and to make sure that you follow through with what you've promised. People are always being let down on a daily basis, so especially in the social work field, if you are going to tell anybody you're going to help them with something, just follow through with it. In my personal life, I'm a single mom to my 4-year-old son, and most of my time is dedicated to him and being able to enjoy our quality time together. We honestly just watch movies together and spend time together. His father does have him 3 days a week, so I do get to take a break during the week, and during that time I like to do a lot of self-care - turn on a movie I really enjoy, because as we know with kids, we watch what they watch, so I finally get to turn on my own show or a movie, and cook a nice dinner and relax.