This week the Goldbox Spotlight is Marie Armstrong I met her when I was a student athletic trainer at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU). She is a PV alumna and a Masters of Public Health graduate at Kansas State University. She is a federal government fellow in D.C., and is definitely up to much more, enjoy and thanks for your time!
What is the best advice you can give to someone starting out?
The best advice I would give a beginner would be to stay goal-oriented regardless if individuals don’t believe in you.
Before striving for your goal, it would be good to create a plan that involves the necessary steps to take to achieve a realistic goal. This plan should include short- and long-term goals such as graduating from school, learning new technical and/or writing skills, getting involved in professional organizations, going to conferences, applying for internships/fellowships/volunteering to see if you would like the work culture and get experience at the same time. I would suggest creating your own business cards with your contact information (phone number and email) and include your university along with your field of study, by doing this you will automatically be one step ahead of the next person.
It is imperative for you to have a mentor during your journey,
someone that is opened and don't mind giving you constructive criticism. You must have someone in your corner who believes in you and will give advice but yet allow you to make your own decisions. Although this process will not be a smooth path to take, remember to always keep GOD with you along the way. During this journey you will grow, therefore most individuals evolve and change their goals and/or plans to reflect their growth. Not only do you need to believe in yourself, but you should not be afraid to take risks and anything that you might have failed at, just use it as a learning opportunity. You have to work hard and practice your interpersonal skills to make networking with other professionals easier. At the end of the day, you have to focus on yourself and what would make you happy after obtaining your end goal.
What things inspire your process?
My process is an ongoing journey because after I complete a goal, I start a new one or my experiences sometimes change my ultimate long/short term goals. During my Journey throughout life, my inspiration has and will always be my loved ones. My family and friends have always believed in me, especially my little sister Victoria! I also keep in mind where I came from and the people I meet along the way that gave me advice, motivation, or just told me what I meant to them. I would not have made it this far if it wasn’t for those instructors, mentors, or preceptors that offered me the opportunity to work in their organization or projects even if I did not have all of the credentials, they took a chance on me by putting me under their wing and for that I am forever grateful. God will always show me the way and without him, none of this would even be possible!
Who are three people you look up to or inspire you?
It is really difficult for me to narrow the selection down to three people because I have so many influential role models in my life. To say the least, I would say, my mom, granny and my Ge-Ge are the three women I look up to. They are strong and powerful women, who have made sacrifices and raised me to be the respectful, determined, and fearless young woman that I am today!
