Magdelin Jimenez

I am successful because I have had the patience, the motivation, and the desire to be able to work for the things that bring me joy. The things that bring me joy on a daily basis are being able to serve in the community and help put smiles on people's faces. Putting a smile makes me happy, and I feel like everybody has a different purpose in their life, and my purpose is to bring smiles.

One of the most simple, yet helpful advice that I have gotten is to not be afraid to ask questions. When you're able to ask, you're able to gain knowledge. That has helped me move forward in life and move forward with everything that I have been working on. Just asking questions, not being afraid to speak up. Advocating for yourself is always a necessity.

My field is not easy. It requires a lot of time. My best advice is to build networks, to build a foundation where she feels comfortable and where she's supported in different ways, so that she's able to grow into the therapist she wants to be. Every therapist is different. Every therapist serves different things to different communities and populations. So, in order to be a good therapist, she needs to also know her identity. I would just say to focus on working on her identity before she's able to serve others and help others.

Every day is a challenge, of course, especially where I'm located. I'm in person at the moment, and just witnessing different individuals with different substances and different cases, having to understand where they're coming from, what their background issue is, so that I'm able to admit them into the rehabilitation, and so that they can have an opportunity to go back into the real world.

The values that come from home are most important to me, to begin with. The values taught by my parents, because if they didn't raise me the way they did, I feel like I wouldn't be the person I am today. Traditional values are important to me. My parents taught me to be respectful, not just to the people you admire, but to the people that serve you on a daily basis, not necessarily really high-status individuals, but the people who throw the trash can, who pick up the trash, who are there, the janitors, to be polite. Because everybody has a task. Without a team, there's no accomplishment. That's the value my parents have taught me, that no matter where I come from, to always remember where I come from, and to always respect each and every one of the individuals that's seen me grow as the person I am today. Professionally, the people that you hang out with are important too, because according to the people you meet in your field is how far you're gonna achieve more in your career.