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Q&A With DeAndra Kelly

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DeAndra Kelly
Compliance Specialist, Fresno Career Dev Inst
Location: Fresno, CA United States
Joined: Mar 14th, 2005

About (request update)

Born January 27, 1956, in Florida, I was raised by my mother, with my three sisters in Newark, New Jersey. I graduated high school, married at 18 years old, had two children and relocated to Fort Braggs, North Carolina with my husband, a solider in the US Army.

After a short turbulent marriage, I divorced and moved to Los Angeles, California with her mother and sisters. Years later I remarried, had another child and spent almost 30 years in California.

During the years while I raised my children in California I became an advocate for runaway children, juvenile delinquents and troubled pregnant teenagers. Taking many of them into my small apartment while searching for their parents, working with the courts or counseling them; I struggled to keep them off the streets.

My passion for mentoring and counseling youth has been a major and significant part of my life and who I am. My ability to reach youths, both male and female has given me the advantage in being able to help them to make better life decisions. By taking my troublesome years of being a teenage mother and wife who survived an abusive husband, I now teach my survivor skills and share my experiences of raising my children as a single parent with others. Even though I became a teenage mother and wife who suffered domestic violence, my determination to raise my children in a safe and healthy environment gave me the strength I needed to make a better life for both myself and my children.

In 1995, I started a nonprofit support organization for minority women; Black Sisters Sharing (BSS). I held monthly meetings with women in the community sharing advice, ideas and giving them support and hope during difficult times.

I have worked in the administrative/clerical industry for many years. For seven years I taught at a post-secondary business school in California, where I taught Typing and Personal Development. With two small children at the time, in the evenings I would bring them to the school and at the ages of six and seven I taught them to type. It was important for me to instill in them the need to have a skill. Having a skill would ensure that they would be able to find employment.

In 2006, I enrolled in college to continue my education. I promised myself that once my youngest graduated from high school, I would continue my education. I have now otained my Associate degree in Psychology from University of Phoenix, and I am continuing college to acquire my Master’s degree in Psychology. My objective is to become a counselor/therapist working with troubled youth and to become a Life Coach. I also obtained a certificate from Stratford University in Substance and Alcohol Abuse and will to do volunteer drug counseling in my community.

My Interview Question

Life 5 years from now?

Current Whereabouts:

I'm currently trying to start my personal counseling/mentor business called "Excel Through Commitment (ETC)." Any successes in life require commitment, whether it is learning to ride a bike, graduating college, finding a job or raising a child. Commitment to anything is a challenge that requires hard work, a constant reminder and unresolved determination. ETC is committed to teaching and providing support to individuals displaying ongoing effort, endeavor and determination to excel through commitment to reach their personal excellence.

Life & Professional Aspirations:

To become a counselor/mentor/consultant working with at-risk youth, teenage pregnant girls and returning military personnel.

Website:

http://www.etc4life.com/

Education (request update)

Walden Univ class of 2011

Undergrad Major: Psychology

Claim To Fame:

Motiviation Speaker and Personal Development Counselor

Experience

I currently work with Fresno Career Dev Inst as Compliance Specialist
I have 25 years of experience working in the Administrative and Support Services industry.

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