Career Roadmap
Nina's work combines: Law, Business, and Learning / Being Challenged
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Mt. Diablo High School
Bachelor's Degree
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
Arizona State University
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Paralegals & Legal Assistants:
High School
Bachelor's Degree: Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I had my dream career in mind before I graduated high school.
2.
I started working to help pay my way through community college.
3.
I found a great paying job... just not in the field I wanted to work in (finance/real estate).
4.
Lost that job due to layoff, then bounced from job-to-job.
5.
Stabilized myself within a company that offered tuition reimbursement.
6.
Attended and graduated from ASU in May 2016 with a BS in Justice Studies and a Minor in Business.
7.
Realized that I outgrew my current job and decided to search for a new one.
8.
Landed my current job that coincidentally is in the field my dream career is in (immigration law).
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
Law school is expensive.
How I responded:
If you have found something you're passionate about, whatever it is, that should be your loudest noise. No matter what anyone else tells you, your passion will always lead you where you fit perfectly. Even when you get to work your passion, that road isn't easy either, but it makes the challenge worth while and something that you will always be proud of.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
My parents either made too much income for me to receive sufficient financial aid or they made too little income to sufficiently cover tuition and materials, so I had to work while I was both in community college and finishing at ASU.
My parents attended and graduated from college abroad, they didn't have financial aid and had to finance their education on their own. They didn't understand how financial aid here worked, so they assumed they were carrying the burden and the stress.
Most of my path involved constant lack of focus. However, I held on to my personal dream of finishing my undergraduate education. Years later, I found the drive of my focus to finally graduate.