My specialties includes academic advising, career development, program management, admissions recruiting and more. I am currently an Academic Advisor at Gateway Technical College. Previous positions include: Health Professions Specialist at Gateway Technical College, Academic and Career Advisor at University of Wisconsin-Parkside, and Career Counselor at Racine County Workforce Development (for almost 10 years!).
In 1998, I received a Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, where I majored in International Studies and minored in Sociology and Art. After college, I became employed at Kaiser Group Incorporated, a former contractor at the Racine County Workforce Development Center. I was hired as a Bilingual Career Workshop Presenter and a few months later after my employment I became the Workshop Coordinator of the department. Serving as the Workshop Coordinator, I met many people and facilitated an array of Career Development, Employment Search, and Personal Growth workshops. After four years as the Workshop Coordinator, I applied for another position within Kaiser Group Incorporated; this was the Career Counselor position. This position offered me the opportunity to provide more individualized assistance to the diverse population in the Racine community. After growing in the Career Counselor position I wanted my career aspirations to progress, so decided to go back to school for my Masters Degree. In 2006, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville with a Master of Science in Education, with a concentration in Adult Education. I enjoy spending time with husband, family and friends. I also like volunteering at my church.
I am proud to be a Career Development Facilitator! CDF is an essential aspect of my current position and my previous positions. I enjoyed the blend of face-to-face and online curriculum. I really enjoyed my CDF experience. I found the program to be extremely interesting, especially the online interaction. The instructor, Marie Smith, has extensive knowledge, I learned a lot from her. From this experience, I was able to obtain new resources for my students. I strongly recommend CDF! I also participated in the Advancements and Trends in Career Development program (2011, 2012, and 2013!). I highly recommend this program. I enjoyed the comprehensive overview of career development information. The resources and ideas were incredibly valuable to me, both personally and professionally. The information was highly relevant to my career. I especially appreciate my instructor’s knowledge and enthusiasm. ~Michelle Nevarez-Larkin