Introduction of Meranda, future Social Worker!
Hi there!
I am a full-time student, wrapping up my senior year as a social work student. I graduate with my Bachelors of Social Work, BSW, this May. In June, I will begin the Graduate program, which is an accelerated Masters of Social Work program that I will complete in 12 months. I am very excited about this. VERY. I am a non-traditional returning student, age 34 going on 25.
I am also a flight attendant and based in Chicago, which makes things so much more interesting for me. I live and go to school in Oklahoma, but I work in Chicago. I have been an FA for 9 years. It has been an exhilarating career and has allowed for so much personal growth. It has also created a way for my to remain financially stable while going to school, yet not requiring me to work very many hours. It is a dream job to have while going to school, if you have the seniority within the company to control your schedule. Once I graduate with my MSW in 2020, I plan to continue working as a flight attendant. It will be tough to hold the job down, while working full-time in my field, and I may not be able to do it. However, I just can't give up those flight benefits :)
My favorite activities, besides procrastinating and being stressed about school...
- Reading! I love reading so much, and because of this I cannot read novels or books during the semester. I will completely ignore any school work, not leave my couch (or Bed!), and just read all day until I devour the book whole. I am a greedy monster when it comes to good books, and I love reading so much that I rarely consider a book not good enough to inhale.
-Eating! As you can see from my "favorite place" post, eating is so very important to me. It was a main reason we visited Italy. I am also slightly controlling about where I eat on vacations. It can be annoying- I know this- my fiancé knows this, but almost always we have very memorable experiences. I will never eat at a chain restaurant on vacation. It can be inconvenient, but always worth it. I also LOVE trying out new restaurants
I am a full-time student, wrapping up my senior year as a social work student. I graduate with my Bachelors of Social Work, BSW, this May. In June, I will begin the Graduate program, which is an accelerated Masters of Social Work program that I will complete in 12 months. I am very excited about this. VERY. I am a non-traditional returning student, age 34 going on 25.
I am also a flight attendant and based in Chicago, which makes things so much more interesting for me. I live and go to school in Oklahoma, but I work in Chicago. I have been an FA for 9 years. It has been an exhilarating career and has allowed for so much personal growth. It has also created a way for my to remain financially stable while going to school, yet not requiring me to work very many hours. It is a dream job to have while going to school, if you have the seniority within the company to control your schedule. Once I graduate with my MSW in 2020, I plan to continue working as a flight attendant. It will be tough to hold the job down, while working full-time in my field, and I may not be able to do it. However, I just can't give up those flight benefits :)
Me, at work.
My favorite activities, besides procrastinating and being stressed about school...
- Reading! I love reading so much, and because of this I cannot read novels or books during the semester. I will completely ignore any school work, not leave my couch (or Bed!), and just read all day until I devour the book whole. I am a greedy monster when it comes to good books, and I love reading so much that I rarely consider a book not good enough to inhale.
-Eating! As you can see from my "favorite place" post, eating is so very important to me. It was a main reason we visited Italy. I am also slightly controlling about where I eat on vacations. It can be annoying- I know this- my fiancé knows this, but almost always we have very memorable experiences. I will never eat at a chain restaurant on vacation. It can be inconvenient, but always worth it. I also LOVE trying out new restaurants
I think it's so dope you're a flight attendant. Being a flight attendant has always sounded super cool to me. You get to travel to different places for your job and that awesome. What made you get into it in the first place? I also respect the fact that you don't eat at chain when you travel. This allows you to try different restaurants that you would have never had the chance to.
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to finally get to "meet" you here in the introduction, Meranda! I don't think I have ever known someone who was a flight attendant before. And how great about your career shift: I am such a fan of the social work program at OU, and I am really glad to hear that they have a program that meets your needs so that you can get the background and experience you need to launch your new career soon. That is really exciting! And how cool it would be if you could carry on with a mix of careers like that. One of the things I like best about teaching online is being in control of my schedule... although I like to use my extra time for SLEEPING (I am a serious sleeper), not another job. Well, sleeping and reading (I'm a bookaholic too, as you have probably guessed!) It took me a while to get settled into my career too, and I didn't start working at OU until I was 35 after I finished grad school, but I sure am glad I ended up on the path that I did. I hope you have an exciting and satisfying path ahead!
ReplyDeleteHi Miranda! So nice to meet you! I think it’s really amazing how you’re juggling both school and work. It’s really impressive because I’m sure it is a lot of work and dedication to put into.
ReplyDeleteI’m also a fan of reading. However, my reading isn’t compose of big, thick books. I’m more of a poetry-reading kind of gal. What kind of books do you read? Do you have a favorite author?
Hi Miranda!
ReplyDeleteI am the same way on vacation, or even if I go to a different city. I don't want to eat something I can have at home when I can eat something new! Doing this has allowed me to try so many different types of foods and I do not regret anything. It is so cool that you're a flight attendant (based out of Chicago!. That has always seemed like a hard but a rewarding job. You can see so many different places so often.
Hi Miranda,
ReplyDeleteI think it is really amazing that you're a flight attendant. I absolutely hate airports and cannot imagine having to be around them all of the time. However, I love traveling so I can definitely see the upside of being an FA. I think you being a non-traditional student is fantastic. I am constantly feeling like I am running out of time to do anything, and I am only 21 so seeing you accomplish your dreams in your 30's is inspiring and eye-opening.
Hi Meranda,
ReplyDeleteI love that you are working in something you are so passionate about. Honestly from your picture, I though you were younger. It must be so fun to be a flight attendant. I bet you have traveled to so many places. Honestly you favorite activities are my same activities. I am so jealous you got to go to Italy. Pasta is one of my absolute favorite food group. I want to eat authentic pasta. My sister has been to Italy and cannot rave enough about the pasta made from scratch. I wish you the best on Graduate school!
Hey Meranda! It is awesome to hear someone excited about what they're studying! I always admire it when people are excited about the subject they're learning about and are passionate to get a job in that field after school. Also being a flight attendant is one of the coolest jobs! My cousin was a flight attendant and she loved it.
ReplyDeleteHello Miranda! I think it is so cool that you are a flight attendant yet still chasing the dream of a social worker. From what it sounds like, you are not too far from catching that dream. Social work is such a cool thing and you will be able to help so many people. I love what you said about not going to chain restaurants when you are on vacation. Part of being on vacation is eating at places you cannot eat at anywhere else!
ReplyDeleteI just realized that I spelled your name wrong Meranda. I apologize!
DeleteMeranda,
ReplyDeleteWow! That is so cool that you are a flight attendant! It is very interesting how you are based in Chicago, but attend school here in Oklahoma. Do the airlines work with your school schedule or do you get to pick which flights you go on? I am extremely curious about this! Your life sounds very interesting and you have a great head on your shoulders! Have a great semester.
Hi Meranda! I find it awesome that your able to balance going to school and being a flight attendant! How often do you go on flights for work? Do you limit it to weekends or nights? I'm so jealous that you've been to Italy, that's one of the places I've been dying to visit. Also, I like how you chose Social Work to be your future job, I hope you enjoy it and I hope you can leave a positive impact on lives of those who you will help in the future! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHi Meranda! I absolutely love your honesty about possibly not being able to hold both jobs down at once. How did you get into the flight attendant game? Is it true that the way they make passengers sit is actually to make death the least messy while FAs get a bunch of straps and sit differently? Where is your favorite place to travel? Why did you end up coming to OU? So many questions. So little time.
ReplyDeleteHi Meranda! You sound like such a cool person! I am currently a senior about to graduate, still a little unsure if I should go to graduate school or work while saving some money then go. I always try to remind myself to do what I feel is best for me and not compare myself to others. I had a friend who ended up taking 2 years off before graduate school and lived in a different continent for a year, working there. But more importantly, going back to school and doing what is best for you is bad-ass! I have heard the perks of being a flight-attendant are really nice too. You even convinced me to look into it lol! I look forward to reading more
ReplyDeleteHi Meranda!
ReplyDeleteI think it's awesome that you're pursuing Social Work while also being a flight attendant! I bet you must have visited a lot of amazing places and have a lot of interesting stories to tell. It's amazing how you can balance both at the same time. I'm glad you have a career that is so flexible it works with your school schedule. I also admire you returning to school to pursue a field that is interesting to you! I really liked reading your introduction. It's so interesting to me to see all the different backgrounds that students have.
Hi Meranda,
ReplyDeleteI think it is awesome that you have found something that you love (outside of a social work career) What do you plan on doing with your MSW? I love reading also! I am the same way, I got nothing done this Spring break because I was busy sitting on my couch with all of the windows open, reading every book I could get my hands on. I completely agree with never eating at chain restaurants on vacation, finding new places to eat is half of fun! It was nice to meet you.
Hi Meranda~
ReplyDeleteI love that you love reading! I feel like I meet fewer and fewer people that actually enjoy it. Since I started at OU though I haven't been able to read nearly as much as I used to. For similar reasons to your own- there's not enough time in a day to get everything done that I want to. Do you read anything on Wattpad or AO3? Sometimes I like to see what's there just because it's easy to pull out my phone and read a chapter while waiting for class to start.
I hope you're able accomplish all that you wish! Good luck on the rest of the semester, May will be here too soon!
Hi Meranda!
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who is also graduating/ doing the accelerated program for social work so I have heard a lot about it! I admire you for doing it, it will be such a rewarding job. And on top of that, my cousin is a flight attendant! She lives in New York and has only been working as a FA for about a year, but she loves it and how she has the ability to travel so much. I think that would be such a fun job to have, with the best benefits!!
Hi Meranda,
ReplyDeleteYes. Food is very very good. Sometimes it gets a little too good, but that's a problem for the individual moments. Working as a flight attendant before being a social worker sounds like an amazing opportunity to see if you can handle the constant interaction with others and communication with others. Doing that, finishing your BS and then your MS seems like it shouldn't be possible, so it's amazing that you're doing it. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you can work both as a social worker and flight attendant. Gotta keep those benefits!
Hi hi Meranda,,
ReplyDeleteI like food. I am very hungry right now.
You seem to have very lofty goals. I respect that. I hope you are successful in your future endeavors. You seem to be quite hardworking, getting an accelerated masters and being a flight attendant would be quite the achievement. I'm rather impressed. Good Job.
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Hi Miranda!
ReplyDeleteI think it is really good you are going to be a social worker. I think it is also amazing that you are able to work at a job you really like while going to school. I think this because I think it helps people to feel better in other spheres of their life so long as they like what they are doing.