Please enjoy this month’s 5 Questions with a Career Champion! This month, we chatted with Naishaly Vélez Galán, who is a Survivor Advocate within the Office of Health Promotion:
- Your name and title : Naishaly Vélez Galán, Survivor Advocate
- What was your favorite Career Champions Challenge Module?
My favorite Career Champions Challenge Module was Module 2: Exploring Careers and Majors. This module taught me about O*NET, a career exploration tool where students can search for different careers based on interest, skill, industry, and other categories. This is an awesome tool that students can engage with independently to get a better understanding of career paths they may be considering. It was great to learn about O*NET, Career Advisors, and other resources Career and Professional Development has available for students to explore all their options!
- How have you incorporated the Challenge into your work?
- By engaging in the Career Champions Challenge Modules, I was able to learn that centering a student’s values can support them in making informed decisions around their major or career pathway. Following up with the student on Career and Professional Development resources can also support them in feeling more connected to UAlbany and our campus while empowering them to make the right decision for them and their future.
- In the Office of Health Promotion and as the Survivor Advocate here at UAlbany, I am usually having conversations with students about their values, and how they live by their values every day, in every decision they make. I often start by asking the student questions about what brought them to UAlbany and their academic program.
- There have been moments where I have heard students reflect on the influence of others, whether that be friends or family, on their decision-making. In those moments, I typically share with students that they have the right to make decisions based on their individual values and interests, because they are in the driver’s seat of their life and journey here at UAlbany. The Career Champions Modules have amplified my ability to support students in making autonomous and informed decisions during their time at UAlbany.
- What advice do you have for a Challenger?
My advice for a Challenger is to be creative in how you apply what you have learned from the Career Champion modules! Career-related decisions are on students’ minds whether they explicitly name it for us when we are engaging with them in our work, or not. It takes courage to engage a student in conversation around their career, and it’s one they want to have, so take the leap and ask!
- What is your favorite podcast/book/show currently?
I am currently watching 90 Day Fiancé! I’ve seen a lot of memes online that originate from this series, so when I saw it on Hulu recently, I figured I give it a watch!
