Portfolio

T’Yana Blackburn

February 27th, 2012

Strengths

• Completing my undergraduate degree after 12 years of life’s crisis, struggles and uncertainties

• Being a role model for my children

• Never giving up (Perseverance)

• Resilience

• Focused

• Goal Oriented

Weaknesses

• Lack self care

• Overwhelming myself

• Overworked

• Hardest critic

Lifelong Learner• I was born in Fontana, Ca on June 16, 1979. I currently reside in the hi-desert area of Southern

California with my two children ages 8 and 11 years of age. I am currently engaged to the best man that I believe that God had created for me. I attended California State University in San Bernardino and majored in Sociology and Communications. I also attended San Bernardino Valley College and took some Human Services classes. Since I was born my life has been a struggle from my father being incarcerated throughout my life and my mother being addicted to drugs and diagnosed with breast cancer that claimed her life in 2004. For the past 20 years I have raised my two younger siblings as my own children. I had to drop out of college to obtain a second job to care for my two siblings in addition to my own two children. Both of my sisters are going to college and now it is my turn to finish the education that I started in 1997. Through the obstacles that I was faced with up until this point I have learned to never give up and use the excuse “I can’t” because at this point in my life I am completely capable of achieving each and every goal that I set for myself and teaching my children to do the same. I am working towards earning my B.A. in Psychology and pursing a Masters degree in Public Administration. I currently work in the human services field and look forward to being able to continue this work with children and families in a multitude of capacities. The most important thing that I would want to learn the skills needed to apply in real life as far as my career path is concerned and not just things that people can’t use but just for informational purposes only. I am all about practicum use. If I can’t apply it then I don’t need to know it. I want to be able to apply what I have learned in my current position as a Program Supervisor and in my future career goal in the field of public administration.