Her Story
About Mia
My journey in community service began in high school when I volunteered with the Teens Empowerment, Engagement, Neighborhood Services program in Santa Fe Springs. I completed 180 hours of community service and fell in love with helping the community and working with people my age. That experience inspired me to turn my passion into a career. I started with the city of Santa Fe Springs in Parks and Recreation, where I worked as a recreational leader at the Town Center Hall running an after-school program for teens. We provided daily activities, brought in organizations like LA County and Boys and Girls Club for resume help and guidance, and even provided food and lunches for the kids. I taught music classes there too, which combined my love of music with helping young people learn. After 3 years with the city, I got promoted to Community Services Program Leader II in October. Now I work at the Goswaleska Neighborhood Center where I've transitioned from working with teens to working with seniors. I direct staff, monitor recreational classes, handle registration and cash management, create daily itineraries, and help coordinate city events like summer concerts and holiday celebrations. I'm currently attending Cal State Fullerton where I'm minoring in music and pursuing HR and payroll programs. My goal is to continue growing within the city and eventually move into HR or finance roles while gaining more management experience.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Mia
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my drive and passion for what I do. I love going into work, I love seeing my coworkers. It's not like I'm coming in with a bad attitude that keeps everyone miserable and gives everyone a hard time. I actually love what I do, and I really want to keep growing in it. The positivity you bring into a room can affect many others. For the meantime, I really do truly enjoy what I do. I just want to grow and get more experienced within it, so that's why I'm not too much in a rush.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would just say some advice is to not listen to others and don't let people go into your head. Just follow through with your plans, because at the end of the day, the only person that's gonna know what you're really gonna go through is you. So just don't let anything go past you. Be always positive, be creative, and always come up with ideas. Ask questions - it doesn't hurt to ask. Even if you feel like you're behind or looking dumb, at the end of the day, you're the ones putting in the most effort. You can't let your personal life get into your work life. Stay positive, and if you have anyone to talk to, just come talk to me outside of work. I have to tell my employees this too, because we deal with new hires fresh out of high school, and I've been at high school for about 3 years, so I've kind of seen the growth between individuals.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty is a really important value to me. At the end of the day, you don't want anyone to catch you in a lie, or catch you doing something that you're not supposed to be doing. The dishonesty you see in a person just shows how their reputation is and how seriously they take accountability for anything. Another value is just being powerful, having the strength, having confidence. Whether or not you know you don't have the confidence, you know how they say, fake it till you make it. I would just say that - build that confidence up and don't allow anyone to cross your boundaries and tell you what you can do for your future. You pave the way for your future.
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