Hi there! My name's Wheeler. That's me on the right in front of the beautiful mountainous landscape. I am a recent graduate of Kansas State University from the Family Studies and Human Services program. I also obtained a minor in Conflict Analysis and Trauma studies. My strengths are primarily relational, which is why I chose FSHS in the first place. I saw a counselor during my high school years following my parents' divorce, and she inspired me to want to pursue a career in the field. While my career goals and interests have changed, my relational skills have continued to develop. I find purpose in meaning in walking alongside people to help them become who they were created to be. I know from personal experience that changes in family dynamics can be extremely stressful for everyone involved unless they have resources to know how to cope with changes and continue to grow and develop together. Not only am I passionate about the family system, but I have a soft spot (that has started becoming a burning passion) for learning about trauma and working with trauma survivors. While I am still discovering what my future plans will be and what direction I will take, I know without a doubt that I will spend the rest of my live serving, loving, and helping people into who they were always meant to be.
Please feel free to take a look at my professional resume!
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Strengths & Personality Type
(Click on the links to learn more about me!)
StrengthsQuest
Empathy | Developer | Restorative | Connectedness | Adaptability
MBTI
Extrovert | INtuition | Feeling | Judging
Enneagram
Type Six: The Loyalist
Empathy | Developer | Restorative | Connectedness | Adaptability
MBTI
Extrovert | INtuition | Feeling | Judging
Enneagram
Type Six: The Loyalist
"We won't be distracted by comparison if we are captured with purpose."
- BOB GOFF
Professional Philosophy
As a human services professional, I am a developer. I thrive when I get to be engaged in helping people realize and reach their full potential. I see potential in people and it draws me to them. I am energized by challenges and I run off being able to help others think through obstacles and how to overcome them, coming out stronger on the other side. This strength will allow me to constantly cast positive vision for whoever I am working with and to be more concerned with helping them answer their own questions and take their own steps than with ensuring that their growth process is “perfect” or fits my idea of what is right for them.
To me, being a Family Life Educator will mean being equipped with the skills and knowledge to educate the people in my life about all areas of family life and human development. I know with certainty that I want to work with trauma survivors in some capacity, but I am not sure where my specific career path is winding. However, all that I have learned up to this point can be applied in my day-to-day life. I am a highly relational individual, and I have an influence on those around me (whether I am always conscious of it or not). By understanding what makes people who they are and having the skills to empathize with their stories, I can teach others to do the same. I hope to have an influence on families in one way or another for years to come, whether than means interacting directly with them and creating educational programs to help them be better parents, or whether it means being a positive influence on their children and helping to build solid foundations for healthy interpersonal relationships.
My definition of family is fluid; it has changed and shifted many times over the years. I now understand family to be a group of individuals united by either blood, adoption, or a committed relationship (i.e., an intimate friendship). They do not necessarily all have to live under the same roof or be committed to one another’s wellbeing. This would be ideal, but we know that today’s families are much different from the “ideal” once thought about as the only legitimate family system. Family is important because the family you are born (or adopted) into lays the foundation for the way you will experience and contribute to relationships for the rest of your life. It is important because, as imperfect human beings, we are all in desperate need of a support system. We have an inherent need to be interdependent on others; to give and receive love mutually. Family is the context in which we first learn (or do not learn) to practice this exchange. Although my definition of family is somewhat limited to what my own experience has taught me, this working definition will allow me as a professional to cater to and serve all different types of families. My personal bias exists, and I do not deny that it will sometimes interfere with my work, no matter how hard I try to exclude it. However, I have a clear understanding that every family is different and every individual is different exactly because every family is different.
In terms of my strengths as a family life professional, I consider myself especially well-versed in the CFLE content areas of Internal Dynamics of Families and Interpersonal Relationships. These are the areas I will probably focus most on in my career. Working with trauma survivors means that I have to have an understanding of the dynamics of their family of origin. Without addressing this area of life, I will do them a great disservice and potentially cause them long-term harm. This ties back in with my strength of Restorative because I will always strive to see harmonious relationships come to fruition. Interpersonal relationships will also be key. Trauma survivors have an acute difficulty with intimate relationships, and they will need all of the healing and coaching they can get in this area. Interpersonal relationships, in my opinion, are the most crucial aspect of any individual’s life. They make or break who you are able to become. This area ties in with my strength of Connectedness. I have deep-seated belief that every person’s actions affect other people, whether they realize it or not.
Two areas in which I would like to especially continue to grow and improve are Family Law and Public Policy and Family Resource Management. I have a basic understanding of family law and policy, but I have only been present in a court of law once, and my understanding of how the judicial system affects families is limited to hearsay and what I read from the news. I would like to understand the laws that govern families and the processes which create and modify these laws. I would also like to dive deeper into what it looks like to exemplify healthy Family Resource Management. This is an area my family of origin is weak in, and I have inherited the mindset that “it will all work out,” which is not always true. Obviously, as a professional, I want to continue to develop in this area so that I can teach others. However, I have to be willing to set a positive example as much as possible if people I work with are going to listen to me.
My goals as a professional are important because they keep me moving forward with vision. My current plan is to move to San Diego, California to spend a summer working at a kids’ day camp and gaining ground in my experience with children. I will also be getting involved with a human trafficking rehabilitation program while I am there. I may decide to pursue graduate school in the next few years; school counseling and applied family science are a couple of paths I have considered. I am not sure what exactly will come to fruition in terms of a career, but I am content with taking the necessary time to step back and figure it out before investing my time and money in something I am unsure of. I know one thing: I will always be involved with helping people, and I have a heart for trauma survivors. I am fortunate to have gotten to put these heartbeats of mine to good work in these areas already.
To me, being a Family Life Educator will mean being equipped with the skills and knowledge to educate the people in my life about all areas of family life and human development. I know with certainty that I want to work with trauma survivors in some capacity, but I am not sure where my specific career path is winding. However, all that I have learned up to this point can be applied in my day-to-day life. I am a highly relational individual, and I have an influence on those around me (whether I am always conscious of it or not). By understanding what makes people who they are and having the skills to empathize with their stories, I can teach others to do the same. I hope to have an influence on families in one way or another for years to come, whether than means interacting directly with them and creating educational programs to help them be better parents, or whether it means being a positive influence on their children and helping to build solid foundations for healthy interpersonal relationships.
My definition of family is fluid; it has changed and shifted many times over the years. I now understand family to be a group of individuals united by either blood, adoption, or a committed relationship (i.e., an intimate friendship). They do not necessarily all have to live under the same roof or be committed to one another’s wellbeing. This would be ideal, but we know that today’s families are much different from the “ideal” once thought about as the only legitimate family system. Family is important because the family you are born (or adopted) into lays the foundation for the way you will experience and contribute to relationships for the rest of your life. It is important because, as imperfect human beings, we are all in desperate need of a support system. We have an inherent need to be interdependent on others; to give and receive love mutually. Family is the context in which we first learn (or do not learn) to practice this exchange. Although my definition of family is somewhat limited to what my own experience has taught me, this working definition will allow me as a professional to cater to and serve all different types of families. My personal bias exists, and I do not deny that it will sometimes interfere with my work, no matter how hard I try to exclude it. However, I have a clear understanding that every family is different and every individual is different exactly because every family is different.
In terms of my strengths as a family life professional, I consider myself especially well-versed in the CFLE content areas of Internal Dynamics of Families and Interpersonal Relationships. These are the areas I will probably focus most on in my career. Working with trauma survivors means that I have to have an understanding of the dynamics of their family of origin. Without addressing this area of life, I will do them a great disservice and potentially cause them long-term harm. This ties back in with my strength of Restorative because I will always strive to see harmonious relationships come to fruition. Interpersonal relationships will also be key. Trauma survivors have an acute difficulty with intimate relationships, and they will need all of the healing and coaching they can get in this area. Interpersonal relationships, in my opinion, are the most crucial aspect of any individual’s life. They make or break who you are able to become. This area ties in with my strength of Connectedness. I have deep-seated belief that every person’s actions affect other people, whether they realize it or not.
Two areas in which I would like to especially continue to grow and improve are Family Law and Public Policy and Family Resource Management. I have a basic understanding of family law and policy, but I have only been present in a court of law once, and my understanding of how the judicial system affects families is limited to hearsay and what I read from the news. I would like to understand the laws that govern families and the processes which create and modify these laws. I would also like to dive deeper into what it looks like to exemplify healthy Family Resource Management. This is an area my family of origin is weak in, and I have inherited the mindset that “it will all work out,” which is not always true. Obviously, as a professional, I want to continue to develop in this area so that I can teach others. However, I have to be willing to set a positive example as much as possible if people I work with are going to listen to me.
My goals as a professional are important because they keep me moving forward with vision. My current plan is to move to San Diego, California to spend a summer working at a kids’ day camp and gaining ground in my experience with children. I will also be getting involved with a human trafficking rehabilitation program while I am there. I may decide to pursue graduate school in the next few years; school counseling and applied family science are a couple of paths I have considered. I am not sure what exactly will come to fruition in terms of a career, but I am content with taking the necessary time to step back and figure it out before investing my time and money in something I am unsure of. I know one thing: I will always be involved with helping people, and I have a heart for trauma survivors. I am fortunate to have gotten to put these heartbeats of mine to good work in these areas already.