Hey Readers!
It has been a while and I apologize for that. It's been an interesting summer to say the very least for me but the time has almost come for my move up to Tennessee. It seems crazy that one year ago I was back in Abilene from being in Guatemala and Canada, obsessing over writing the perfect secondary applications for every single one of the Texas medical schools to which I was applying. I was still unsure of anything really going on between Garrett and I as well. Crazy how one year can change so much.
Most of you have probably been brought up to speed that I am now employed (or will be as of Tuesday) at the Church Health Center in Memphis, TN. But few of you know actually how this happened and that's the incredible story I want to tell.
As most of you know, searching for a job is a more difficult proposition than it sounds. I'm not even talking about our difficult economy. It is a difficult emotional process for those of us who pour so much into what we did before. I was a dedicated student and leader on campus at ACU and had kept really busy all four years. The resume that God had led me to built (besides being a huge blessing to me during each activity), was created for one purpose: Getting into medical school. I followed every guideline given by the pre-medical advisors that I could. I was busy in my summers. I shadowed and volunteered. I went on a medical mission trip and led other student ventures. Anyway, I felt great about my application to medical school and "alright" about my resume over all. But when you pour yourself into your activities, it hurts more when people look over you and say "that's not what I am looking for." I know it shouldn't be personal, but so much is personal to me because I put a lot of my person into everything.
Having said that, I submitted application and resume after application and resume for 7+ weeks which doesn't sound like much until you've done it. By the end of it, I was feeling very deflated and depressed that perhaps I had made the wrong decision and should have gone to school this year. I finally got a call back to be able to pass an aptitude test for a bank. I failed it. I wanted to be done, but I had to find a job. Right decision or not, this was the plan and I couldn't change it. I felt like maybe I was missing the opportunity that God had in mind for me so I started to pray that the right opportunity would be revealed to me and that it would be a slap on the back of the head saying, "KATE HUGGINS! THIS IS YOU!!! JUMP!!!!"
A couple nights later, I was about to skype with Garrett and I received an email from Mary, my grandmother's long time best friend who lives in Memphis. She said that there was a place that hired people waiting to get into professional school for a year to supervise volunteers and help in a clinic. That sounded pretty good to me, but they only hired people in June and it was already July. She gave me the email address and I sent an email with my resume to Patti. I did not know anything about the organization, or the position at that point.
The very next day, I received an email from Patti asking if I attached a cover letter that was requested. Oops. Still unaware of the position title, I wrote my basic cover letter with the positions I believed would be applicable to that organization. Later that eventing, I had an email that she would like to set up a phone interview! My first interview! I was so excited even though I didn't really know yet what I was interviewing for exactly.
Through much research over that weekend I found out a lot about the Church Health Center. It is a church-based and supported clinic in Memphis that targets the working and uninsured population of Memphis that believes in holistic care of body, mind, and soul. Sounded about perfect being as that is my area of interest. I read about the Scholars program which was unknowingly what I had applied for by emailing Patti, the coordinator of hiring for the program. Basically, this program is for people waiting to get into medical school. A bachelors degree is required for this year-long, June-June program. Basically it is like the Ameri-Corps for pre-meds only we are all in Memphis. As I read the brochure and over the website I was shocked at how well this fit me. It is not only based around what I want to do, but has many elements of what I have done before.
After the phone interview, I didn't feel perfect about it. There were at least four other applicants but Patti was interested in telling me about the program. The clinic assistants spend 4 months at the front desk, 4 months in the clinic, and 4 months in the "Procurement" department (working with volunteers and inventory, etc.). It is a full time position but may require some nights until 9 and/or Saturdays. I figured that one little imperfection wouldn't be too bad. I was nervous about it though because at this point I wanted it so badly.
Wednesday morning my old boss Nancy texted me that Patti was trying to get in touch with her and my heart leapt. I had just spent a morning in prayer that God would give me peace about whether or not this job was for me and that I could accept whatever came my way. What an answer to prayer!
Nancy called me while I was at lunch and she was in tears. She told me that Patti was in love with my resume and they had talked about a lot of things. She said that they had formally closed the hiring period but that Patti was debating hiring one more person. She had to make the decision the day that my resume came across her desk. She apparently saw my resume and knew I was it. Nancy really felt that she could turn me over to the Church Health Center and I would be as loved and taken care of as I was at my ACU job. As I was thanking Nancy, I got a call from that infamous 901 area code (Memphis) and I had a feeling this was the yes or no.
It was Patti and she said that she was delighted to offer me the job. The best part...the clinic assistants wear scrubs everyday!!
The short of the story is that God is good. I prayed and received an answer beyond what I could ask or imagine. If I could have written an ideal job description for me for this year, I still would not have dared to dream I could find an opportunity like this. God really blew me out of the water on this one and I am so grateful.
I start the day after I move in. God is good.
More updates from Memphis!!
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