How long have you been at Dominion?
Three and a half years.
Did you go to a high school in the area?
[I went to] South Lakes high school for one year.
What college did you go to? What degree did you get?
George Mason. It was in English but back then it was primarily on English literature. My interest was in writing at the time, but they only had a couple courses for writing. I did some editing, but currently they have a whole division on languages and writing so they really expanded it.
Did you always plan on helping with career planning?
I didn’t even know that a career center existed in the high schools.t is fairly new. I don’t know exactly when they offered it but I was interested in training [at] the corporate level. I started teaching early childhood education and from there I found out about the career center and that was even more interesting to me.
What did your career look like before becoming a career specialist?
I started out in banking, became a bank manager for many years. [I] started my family and stayed home and during that time spent a lot of time volunteering, organizing things, and working with the Girl Scouts, running or early childhood programs. Then [I] came back to work as a TA for preschool.
Where did you do most of your volunteer work?
The Girl Scouts [and] at my local church, McLean Bible at the time. We created programs for the kids to do. We called it [a] mission possible.
How long have you been in the career center?
For three years.
When is the career center open?
I have an open door policy, so basically I arrive here at 9. Sometimes I have students who will just come in around the time when I’m carrying my bags and I’ll help them. I’m here from nine to four thirty, usually the last student to walk out is [at] four. I do encourage students to make appointments with me.
How do students make an appointment with you?
Through our website. I have a QR code on the door there. I have a little link on there on Schoology, you can click on my picture and that should send you to the bookings link.
What are some useful tools in the career center for students?
SchooLinks. Also look at Schoology because I’ll put in any available opportunities. And my website, you’ll find even additional resources. SchooLinks is the big one. I really enjoy teaching kids how to use [it] because they can really go on their own and explore careers and how to prepare.
Any upcoming opportunities or events coming to the career center soon?
There’s career talks, which is our career week. We have some mentor groups [which] are individuals who help with career coaching. They help students get to where they want to be and that could be in the trades or professional areas. Then we have skilled trade professionals arriving on Tuesday and Wednesday to talk with students. They’ll be set up out here in our main hallway. Military [recruiters] will be here in the cafeteria. We have three different branches coming in on both days in the cafeteria. My favorite one because it is fun [is] competitive physical training during PE classes. Next week, NOVA will be here Wednesday through Friday and they are a great resource for students really exploring what they want to study and the different colleges or even trades.
To book an appointment, send Mrs. Rivera an email or find helpful resources visit the Career and College Planning resources on the school website
