Praise God!  I've finished my course work and graduated on Friday, May 9,2008 Summa Cum Laude with an Associate Degree in Business with a Paralegal Specialty! 

I am most thankful to my wonderful husband, who is my inspiration. He has encouraged and supported me every step of the journey. Thanks also to the rest of my family for their love and prayers and patience.

I also want to thank the many professors and staff of Lansing Community College, especially Professor Elizabeth Nobis. She has been a terrific mentor. I've enjoyed getting to know my classmates of all ages and being part of the college community, and especially the LCC Paralegal Associaiton. Thanks, too, to Atty. Doug Chalgian and all the staff of Chalgian & Tripp Law Offices for your help during my internship at your firm. There are so many great people, I wish I could name them all!

  I'm back in Michigan after being in Ohio off and on for the past several weeks. Sadly, my husband's step-father suffered a severe stroke on March 18th and passed away after four weeks of uncertainty. The final service took place Saturday, April 26th. It's been a stressful time for the family, particulary my mother-in-law. It's difficult to live so far apart during these situations and to return to the business of life, when we feel we should be with family.

Be that as it may, I now have two weeks of classes left before graduation!  It's time to really get busy on completing my resume and getting it out to prospective employers. I will be contacting my career mentor, Bob, to continue with that task.

In my previous journal, I mentioned that I was going to do a call-in radio interview. I thought the interview went well. It was quite short, but I managed to give all of the information about the contest. A week after the interview, I was shopping with my "Dream Job" gift cards and the woman who was waiting on me had heard me on the radio!  I was pleasantly surprised.  My community college newspaper printed a nice article about my winning the contest .It's really strange to have people recognize me from the article and offer congratulations.

Another benefit of winning the contest came today, as I was given a tour of the Michigan AARP state offices in Lansing. The offices happen to be located in a building on the campus of Lansing Community College (where I am enrolled!) I was impressed with all of the resources that are available through their various programs.  I've signed up to take part in the Day of Service on May 8th and received a bright red AARP Day of Service 2008 t-shirt to wear that day. If you haven't heard about it...contact your local AARP and get involved. In Michigan, call 1-866-227-7448. 

I have also been invited to participate in two Work at 50+: A new Age of Possibility & Purpose Informational Forums, sponsored by AARP. One will be held in Grand Rapids, MI on June 24th and the other in Battle Creek, MI on July 11th. If you live in either on of those areas, you will be receiving information. Be on the lookout for advertisements! I would encourage anyone who is seeking employment to attend one of these FREE forums. You will gain valuable job seeker information.

I have a lot of catching up to do...I have had several people comment on my journals both on my page and at "The Water Cooer" and "The New Worker" groups. I will answer everyone who comments or contacts me. Thank you for the comments and encouragement!

In my previous journal, I talked about working on my resume and beginning to target the firms and business that I would like to work for. Well, right in the middle of all of that, tragedy struck our family. Four weeks ago (the Tuesday before Easter) my husband’s step-father suffered a severe stroke from which he never recovered...he passed away this week. Family took precedence and my focus was on helping however we could. We were able to spend time with him and my husband’s mother before he passed. We will be travelling next week for the services.

When I return, Bob (my career counselor from RetirementJobs.com) and I must get to work and complete my resume and decide where I am going to apply. Hopefully, I will have the opportunity for several interviews and secure a paralegal position with a firm or company in the field of elder law. Graduation is three weeks from tomorrow!! I am elated to be completing this goal that I have been working toward for five years. Five years to earn a two year Associate Degree seems crazy, but I am praying the time and effort will pay off.

I continue to revise my resume with the help of AARP's "Dream Job" counselor Bob from RetirementJobs. com. As I said in my previous journal, I am investigating and listing the firms, business, companies, etc. to target when my resume is complete.

I have five weeks to go until graduation! My internship has afforded me the opportunity to attend a seminar "Trust Administration in Michigan" which is part of my chosen field of Elder Law. The law is continually changing, so my education won't stop at graduation. I am registering for two other community education classes concerning long term care and estate planning being offered through a local township. The opportunities for learning are everywhere. I highly recommend taking advantage of every opportunity. Lots of classes are offered through local senior centers and state and local AARP groups at reasonable rates or even for free.

Although I am thrilled to be earning my Associate Degree in Business/Paralegal, I have the desire to continue my education at some point. Right now, I need to focus on searching and finding my paralegal 'dream job'. Once I accomplish that, I hope to take evening and weekend classes and work toward a bachelor's degree. There are a couple of accredited programs in Michigan for a Paralegal Bachelor degree, but I'm thinking perhaps Business Administration may be helpful. But, I will think more about that at a later date.

For now, I need to focus on some other fun activities that are happening as a result of winning this contest. Tomorrow morning I am participating in a 'call-in' radio interview with Michael Patrick Shiels who hosts a morning talk program, "The Big Show" on 1240 AM WJIM Lansing. I must admit I am a bit nervous, but my husband reassures me that I am never at a loss for words and will do just fine.  I pray he is right! Wish me well...

As part of our preparation for journaling our experiences, I and my fellow "Dream Job" winners have had telephone conferences with our state AARP representatives and training on how to set up our profiles on this wonderful new community site. 

I have begun my career counseling with Bob from RetirementJobs.com. We had a phone conversation and thoroughly discussed my career goals and aspirations. Since I will graduate with my associate degree as a paralegal this May, we've decided that now is the time to seriously begin formulating a plan for my job search. One of Bob's suggestions is for me to compile a list of prospective employers...organizations and/or companies where I would like to work. In my chosen field of interest in elder law as a paralegal. I am seeking employment with an organization who works for the benefit of the elderly. However, during our conversation, Bob asked me if I would consider any other law speciality. Quite frankly, with two step-daughters in college and my own school loans to start repaying this fall, if I don't have any viable offers in the area of elder law, I would be willing to work in any field. Since my husband works at Michigan State University in East Lansing, I am going to limit my search to the Lansing area for now.

 Bob also suggested that I get in touch with a fellow winner, Jeanette, who is a paralegal supervisor for a large law firm in Chicago. I intend to do just that. She may have some tips and suggestions which would be helpful in seeking my "Dream Job".

In addition to the above, I am continuing my studies. I have a class in legal interview and investigation and I am performing an unpaid internship in a local law office whose main practice is elder law. I am taking advantage of any learning opportunities that come my way. I will be attending an all day seminar given by the firm where I am an intern regarding trust administration in Michigan. I am also investigating an online class to attain a certification in Social Security Disablity rules and regulations. Though I have been well trained in my classes, I have much more to learn.

Bob and I will be talking several times in the coming weeks. I am looking forward to those conversations. He is helping me to think 'outside the box', as the saying goes. If you as a reader have any suggestions, I would love to hear from you. We are all in this journey together!

After sending the "My Dream Job" essay through cyberspace to AARP, I had two weeks of classes left in the fall semester.  With papers to finish and exams to study for, I virtually forgot about the contest.  As soon as the semester ended on December 14, 2007, I was engrossed in preparations for Christmas and travel to visit family and friends. It was quite a surprise when I returned home December 28^th to find e-mail and phone messages telling me I was a finalist in the ‘Dream Job’ contest!

The next step was a telephone interview on January 2^nd with Marci, Bob, and Julie.  I was so nervous, but these three people put me totally at ease as we talked about my ‘dream job’ and the steps I’ve been taking toward achieving my dreams.  At the conclusion of the interview, I was told that a decision would be made by January 4^th.  I would be notified whether or not I was one of the final winners.  I must confess that I stayed home all day Friday in anticipation, praying that I would get good news.  At about 4:00 p.m., having NOT received any phone calls, I checked my e-mail.  I had received a note from Marci stating that a decision had not yet been made, but, I would be notified the following Friday, January 11^th.  I was a bit disappointed. What could I do but wait? I tried not to think about it, telling myself that my chances of winning were remote.

Tuesday, January 8^th my phone rang. I was expecting a call back from a party concerning another matter, when Marci introduced herself and told me I was a ‘Dream Job’ contest winner!  It’s a good thing I was sitting down…I couldn’t believe it!  Praise God!  She told me the rest of the winners were being notified and I would receive more information via e-mail. There were acceptance forms and releases to complete and return.

Since learning the news, I and the five other winners have had a conference call with Marci and Bob.  We shared our ‘Dream Job’ stories with one another. I am so impressed with the aspirations of my fellow ’Dream Job’ winners! We also learned what the coming year is going to entail for us as winners. We’ve also had the opportunity, via another conference call, to share our stories with our AARP state office representatives.  I am fortunate that Michigan’s state office is located in a building on the Lansing Community College campus. I am anxious to meet Jacqueline Morrison, the Michigan office liason. In yet another conference call, we were guided through the process of setting up our personal profiles in this terrific new AARP web community. All of the staff in the AARP Washington, D.C. office are knowledgeable in their fields and have provided excellent advice and support. I appreciate all the encouragement and support I am receiving from all of these wonderful people. 

While the prizes are great, I am mostly going to enjoy the opportunity to share this experience with others via the AARP Community site.  I really believe that we can all benefit from hearing the successes and failures of others 50 and over who are on the same journey toward attaining their “Dream Job”. I  hope you will share your experiences with me and the rest of the gang as we gather ’round "The Water Cooler".  We’ve got a lot of living to do!

I noticed the ad for the ’My Dream Job’ contest on AARP.org.  I regularly check for items of interest and to do all the cool puzzles.  I printed out the rules and put writing an essay on my ’to do’ list.  At the time, I was enrolled in five classes at my local community college and nearing the end of the fall semester.  I was so busy that I almost missed the deadline.  I was actually sitting in a computer lab on campus working on a project for my Word 2003 computer class when I realized  the deadline was that day .  So, sitting at that computer, I composed the following:

"I completed one year of college when fresh out of high school.  Circumstances prevented me from returning after my first year. I subsequently married and raised my first family. After a divorce and re-marriage, I helped raise my second family. At the age of fifty-two, I grew weary of working for minimum wage and few, if any, benefits. With my husband’s support, I decided to pursue an associate degree as a legal assistant.  For four years, I worked and commuted 25 miles to a community college part time. Last spring, my youngest step-child graduated from high school.  My husband and I moved from his children’s hometown to the city where my school is located and he is employed. I resigned from my job and became a full time student. Finally, after four and a half years, I am close to graduation! In two weeks, I will have completed all but one requirement and my internship.  However, if I can attain full time employment in a legal setting, it will count as my internship!  I am eager to begin the search for my “dream job”.  I have tailored my instruction to work in the field of Elder Law, which serves our aging population. I am among the ranks of a generation of Baby Boomers who are quickly moving toward retirement age, but do not particularly want to retire. My desire is to work for a firm or organization that champions the cause for seniors, particularly those who are being taken advantage of in any way. I experienced challenges with the health care system and probate when dealing with my mother’s illness and death. Knowledgeable help at that time was invaluable.  The timeliness of this contest opportunity from AARP is amazing!  The resources that will be made available are just what I need to begin the search for my dream job.  A consultation with RetirementJobs.com will undoubtedly launch my search.  My wardrobe definitely needs a professional update and having a new laptop will enhance my ability to provide quality documentation (and keep my journal!).  I have kept journals of other meaningful events in my life. When I review them, in retrospect, I can see my successes and failures.  Journaling this job search can do the same for others. It is beneficial to see what has and has not worked in similar situations.  My goal in my dream job is to provide quality services that benefit fellow seniors.  Winning AARP’s Dream Job Contest will be instrumental in helping me reach my goal."