Welcome!
My name is Ashley
Graumann. I am a senior at OU hopefully finishing this Spring 2018 semester with
my bachelor’s degree in psychology. Initially, I was not sure what I was going
to be doing once I graduated with a degree in psychology. The last thing I
wanted to do was apply to graduate school to take more classes. However, the
best class that I took was a course in psychology called Intimate
Relationships. I really enjoyed learning about different intimate relationships
that people can and will experience throughout their lives. Learning about
different styles and communication techniques for partners was very intriguing.
The course even inspired me to apply to graduate school. I now want to become a
relationship counselor.
During the day, I work at
Southmoore High School in Moore as a Paraprofessional in Special Education. For
those that do not know a Paraprofessional is a highly qualified teacher’s
assistant. They work to help Special Education teachers in their classrooms or
can be one-on-one with a special needs student to help them succeed in school.
Since I am in high school one of the most significant issues educators run into
(not just with special needs students) is getting the students to focus on what
they are going to do once they graduate. College isn’t always the right choice
for every student. Not only do educators have to teach state curriculum but
they also have to help their students with life lessons that can help them
succeed in a future career. I have very high respect for all of our educators
and the major part they play in their students’ lives. Since my next profession
will require more school, and I will need a job to pay the bills I plan on
taking the teaching certificate tests this summer. This way I can get
alternatively certified to teach English starting in Fall 2018.
Since I am not very tied down, I can travel year around. I try to have some fun trips planned throughout the year so that I can get a little break from life for some excitement. PLus I am at the age of weddings, most of my traveling is wedding trips that also become a mini vacation. However, since I am trying to focus on getting my degree finished, I did not get to travel as much last year as I would have liked and I stayed in the United States. I have still never been out of the United States so, I think for my “I finally graduated” celebration I am going to travel outside of the United States. I put in for my first passport, I know they take a little time to get so I figure by summer time I should be free from college and ready to travel. Hopefully, I can find something affordable but still fun and relaxing. I thought a cruise would be the most fun because they are all-inclusive plus you get to visit multiple islands. However, I am a little worried I might get seasick though. If you have suggestions OR helpful travel advice, I would love to hear it!!
******
Image: Teacher Meme. Source: flickr by LeighAmy_PlusSize
Image: Doug and Jax laying on the bed. Source: Personal Photo (August 2015)
Image: Doug and Jax in Sooner Football gear. Source: Personal Photo (January 2016)
It is so nice to get to meet people AGAIN like this, Ashley! That blend of interests in psychology and in teaching should resonate with the stories you meet in the epics, and I am guessing you will definitely be interested in learning more about the jatakas, which are the teaching stories that the Buddha used in ancient India to help his followers with their lives and problems. There are some good stories about dogs in the jatakas too! Plus, as you will see, many couples in the epics are very much in need of relationship counseling: maybe you will be able to come to their rescue! :-)
ReplyDeleteAshley, I think that it is awesome how you ended up at your job at a Paraprofessional in Special Education. It takes someone with a lot of patience and compassion for that job, so I am glad that life led you to where you will thrive! I knew that jobs such as medical assistants and nurse technicians existed, but I had never heard of a position like yours! I hope that you continue to pursue what you love, because that is really important! Looking forward to the rest of your posts.
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley! Congratulations on graduating soon! Intimate relationships sounds like a really fun class, I am minoring in psychology so I have taken a lot of psychology classes myself. I really like your future goal and I admire the job you currently have as well. I am absolutely in love with your dog pictures and they sound wonderful! That’s really cool that you get to go on trips throughout the year as a stress reliever.
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley!
ReplyDeleteYour dogs are absolutely adorable! I can't wait to have some of my own!
I went on my first cruise the summer of 2016 to Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and the UK. It was amazing! I was worried like you about seasickness because I get nauseous in cars sometimes, but I didn't have any trouble with it. My partner's sister does get seasick though, but with dramamine and the Seabands you can get at CVS or Walgreens she does fine.
I hope that helps!
Hi Ashley! First off, your dogs are adorable. Fun coincidence, I also have a dog named Jax, but he is a boxer. Your career plan sounds so cool! It really takes someone with a big heart and passion to do jobs like that. I have only taken an intro psychology class, but I really enjoyed it. Congrats on graduating this semester! Nice meeting you.
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley!
ReplyDeleteI hope this semester goes well for you! I am also graduating this semester and it is very exciting! Those dogs are adorable! I had a rescue dog as well growing up that we found in an ice storm up in Tulsa may years back. My dog definitely feels like the king of our house too. He is a miniature pinscher and learned how to tackle the back of my knees to take me out very early on. I am living in constant fear when I walk my house back home, haha. Anyway, good luck this semester!
Hi Ashley! Wow, I am in awe of how precious your pups are. I think dog-lovers are the best. I also have two dogs. One is a miniature Australian shepherd and the other is a toy/mini mix Australian shepherd. They are the sweetest and also way smart. Also, fun fact: I graduated from Southmoore High School and still to this day love the special education program there. I used to help in Special Olympics and could never forget the assemblies we had to celebrate the kiddos. I love what you do and how meaningful your work is! I hope Southmoore continues to be an awesome workplace. Thank you for sharing your life with us!
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley! It seems like you know exactly where you want to go and be in the future, that's fantastic! It is awesome that you have found something that you are so passionate about. And your dogs are adorable! In my opinion, rescue dogs end up being the best pets! They always have the weirdest and best personalities. I also have a miniature dachshund and a rescue dog.
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley, I love your story about Psychology, I am also a Psy major. I love what you are going to do with your degree. Hopefully you find it fulfilling and meaningful. I love your puppies!! How adorable, I have two dogs also and they bring so much light into my life. Ohh I have some good places to travel. I recommend a cruise I have been on a few and you get to travel 3 new places in one week and all you can eat food for pretty cheap! Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley, it is nice to meet another psychology student! I have heard great things about Intimate Relationships class and have been thinking about taking it! I am glad to hear that it was this class that motivated you to go to graduate school to eventually become a relationship counselor. I agree with the amount of respect you give to teachers. Teachers do so much more than they are asked for but do not get as much recognition. Also, your puppies are adorable - they seem lucky to have a dog mom like you. When it comes to traveling, a cruise could be a great idea because you get to accomplish so much. Also, you could travel to Europe because once you are in Europe traveling from let's say, Italy to Switzerland, is quite affordable and you get to check off many countries on your list!
ReplyDeleteHello Ashley!
ReplyDeleteFirst, congratulations on receiving your degree! The image you uploaded seems accurate. I think it is amazing that you were able to be employed as a paraprofessional at Southmoore while completing your bachelor's! Your dogs are absolutely adorable! My dog, Rudy, has selective hearing. I can yell his name a million times and he won't budge! Cruises are the best! If you are worried that you will be nauseous during your trip, there are patches that many people wear to reduce sea sickness. The foods on the cruises are delicious and the islands they visit are beautiful!
Hello Ashley! I think it's great that you are working in a high school. I went to Westmoore and Moore Schools really are so great! I'm sure the students you work with really appreciate you. I am happy that you plan to travel once you graduate. As for expenses, the real problem is getting somewhere. But once you're there, it's so much eaier to save money. If you're in Europe, Airbnb, comparabus.com, and eating cheap kebabs is amazing for the wallet!
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley. I'm glad you are enjoying your major enough to apply to graduate school; after four years of the grind, it takes a lot of guts to charge back in for another four years. Dogs are the best; my parent's live in Florida, so I don't get to see my dogs often, but when I do I try to spoil them as much as possible. I can't wait to have dogs of my own. Your dogs are adorable, and keep them spoiled! They probably deserve it.
ReplyDeleteHey Ashley. My mom has done a lot of special needs work, and it is a pretty rewarding field, but it's also good that you're working towards something that you really enjoy. Grad school should be a lot of fun for you. I can't wait to graduate so I actually have time to travel. It currently feels like I work 24/7 just for school, so switching to 8 hour days is going to free up a lot of time, if only for small trips.
ReplyDeleteHey Ashley!
ReplyDeleteLove the title! I've got a friend who just a got a pup this semester and is in love with the little guy. She also refers to herself as Dog Mom too! That's so exciting that you get to travel often, I really hope I get the opportunity to do the same soon. Working as a Paraprofessional is very neat, many students form instant connections with the younger staff, personal experience talking. Good luck this semester and on your graduation!
Hi Ashley!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on finishing your final semester! That's so cool that you already have a job, it sounds like your career will be off to a great start, especially since you already have some experience. Your dogs are absolutely adorable! I like how they pose for the camera. I have 3 dogs but can only get 2 to actually pose for the camera. I'm graduating in December and plan to include them in my senior pictures since dogs have always been a part of my life. That is so sweet that your boss got you a dog. Any boss that gets their employee a dog is a great boss in my opinion! Usually when I go home, my dog will refuse to listen to anyone but me. My family got him in December a little before Christmas. He's very timid but he's learning to come out of his shell. Have fun going abroad! It's a great experience!
Ashley, good luck on applying for graduate schools, the process can be so exhaustive but so worth it once you finally get in and start getting to research and work with a topic you are particularly interested in. It really makes the time you spent in undergrad worth it. For travel advice, I would suggest Germany. Everyone thinks of going for Oktoberfest, but in every town there is some fest virtually every weekend of summer, without the massive amounts of tourists that Oktoberfest brings. The added bonus is you can get to a bunch of other countries with no more time investment than driving down to Dallas. It is exceptionally fun and a destination I would wholeheartedly recommend.
ReplyDeleteHello Ashley. First off, congratulations on your last semester of college. I understand not wanting to go to graduate school, but it can be the right choice for some. I admire your work with special education students in high school. As for travel advice I would make sure you have a no foreign transaction fee credit card. Also, if you plan to travel to any third world countries that need cash, a Charles Schwab checking account it useful.
ReplyDeleteHello Ashley! I love that you're a Psych major and are intending to go to graduate school, my mom has a private practice here in Norman and my dad works in the Psych department here at OU. Everyone I have ever met in the Psych department is nothing but nice and understanding, which is hard to come by nowadays. I also loved hearing about your dogs, you seem really passionate about animals, which is awesome because animals are perfect. On the note of traveling, I just recently got into traveling more as I realized I haven't been seeing the world as much as I want to. I went to Peru with some friends over summer and it was the most amazing experience of my life. At first the change in culture and only speaking spanish was a little intense, but once I got used to it it was amazing. Also traveling outside the country is the way to go. I travel within the US a lot because it's easy and I can do shorter trips, but out of the country you meet people from everywhere in the world. since you'll be in grad school, although very time consuming, you'll have some freetime to travel more. good luck!
ReplyDeleteHello Ashley. Congratulations on being so close to graduating. I have never taken any psychology classes in a long time but that class seems interesting. Your dogs are really cute, they seem to be very good friends. Best of luck in working in teaching, that seems like a very difficult job, especially with special education. I hope you have fun travelling.
ReplyDeleteHey Ashley! Your fur babies are precious. I've never been on a cruise, but I did go to Mexico over winter break. We chose an all-inclusive resort in Puerto Vallarta, which really wasn't all that expensive. You should take a look at funjet.com. We planned our whole trip (flight, resort, and airport transportation) through them. You might also look at groupon because they have really great deals on there. Happy traveling!
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley! Congratulations on graduating soon! I am also a psychology major and I am graduating this semester as well. However, I am going to nursing school after I graduate so there is still a bunch more school left for me. Intimate relationships was a class I took over winter intersession and I can say that it was by far one of the best classes I have taken in college. I learned so much and taking it online made it easier to take classes and work during the break. Best of luck with your job and thank you for providing such service to the students and teachers.
ReplyDeleteHey Ashley! I am super jealous that you are graduating soon!. Psychology major sounds very interesting and I also thought about switching my major to psy. I love your dogs. They are super cute and adorable. I will be looking forward to reading your stories! Good luck once you are finished at OU!
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley congratulations on graduating this may! It'll be great to get a little time off and be able to travel around before graduate school starts. It's great that you found a career path that genuinely interests you and that you can study more. Good luck in your last month left in college, looking forward to reading your stories.
ReplyDeleteHey Ashley!
ReplyDeleteI'm graduating in May also! Yikes that is so soon! I had a class similar to your Intimate Relationships class, and I absolutely loved it. Personal relationships are such an interesting thing that people do. Your dogs are so cute! I have a labradoodle named Gibson that I absolutely love. I wish I could get a second dog for him to play with, but with school finishing up I need to focus more on that then raising a puppy. You are so lucky that you have two such precious pups!
Hi Ashley, congrats on graduating in May! Wow it's crazy that college has gone by so quickly and now graduation is upon many of us. I also love your dogs! Good luck on teaching after graduation and I hope that you have a blast traveling this summer!
ReplyDeleteSpecial education is very dear to my heart, as are assistive technologies. I think it’s so cool that not only are you contributing daily to these kids’ lives, but you’re working so hard at learning more and growing professionally.
ReplyDeleteI love your puppies!! So cute. They look like the sweetest brothers.
Man I’m jealous you travel so much. That’s something that’s definitely on my list of things to change, to start planning actual trips.
Hey there Ashley! Congrats on graduating next month (hopefully haha). I too am slated to be graduating next month, so that's pretty exciting. I love the pictures of your dogs! They both look really sweet and I think they both deserve some treats for being cute. I really liked the picture of them in jerseys and with the football the most!
ReplyDeleteYes! Another psychology major! Hi Ashley. I am excited for you that you get to graduate! I still have until December. I also plan to go to graduate school, so that is exciting. I almost feel like we are forced to go to grad school if we really want to make use of the stuff we learned in undergrad. Either way, I hope you have a great time there! Good luck.
ReplyDeleteHey Ashley! It's awesome to hear that you have almost graduated. Grad school will be challenging but I am sure you are up to the challenge. Your dogs look super cute and I like the fun pictures you included of them. I think it's cool that you travel a lot. It must lead to a very interesting life. Traveling out of the states will be a whole new experience and I'm excited for you.
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley! I actually graduated from Southmoore High School and my favorite thing about Southmoore is how excellent they are with the Special Needs programs there and with the Special Olympics support. I remember the best days of my highschool career were always sending the sweet kiddos off and the whole school was genuinely in full support of them and their dreams. I'm really thankful you are there, getting to be apart of such a precious area of the school! I hope you enjoy grad school and have a ton of fun there!
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley, I think it's so cool that you are at the age where you can travel and not be bogged down by much! It's really great reading about how your two dogs and how much you care for them. I think it's so cool that you want to travel outside the United States after graduation! I look forward to reading your stories!
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley, it's really cool that you are able to travel so much. It must be fascinating to be a psychology major and learning more about the mind. Your dogs are very adorable and seem to get along together very well. I used to travel out of the states when I was younger and it is an amazing experience. I'm sure you'll enjoy it a lot.
ReplyDeleteHi, Ashley! I am a dog mom too and I love your photoshoot photos of them. I only have one dog right now, she is a year old goldendoodle I adopted, but I hope to have many more in the future. It is so cool that you are not tied down so you are able to travel. I want to travel so bad but I have to finish school first. Congrats on grad school.
ReplyDelete