The HDFS Careers Podcast

This episode is Part 2 of a 2-episode series featuring my interview with Veronica Winsch. In this episode, Veronica discusses her experience in graduate school following a career switch from fashion to human development and her professional experiences through Fall 2023, the time of this recording. Veronica earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) SUNY. She also ea...

In this episode, Veronica Winsch discusses her background as a fine arts major and first-generation college student, her remarkable career in the fashion industry, and her decision to engage in a career shift that eventually led her to the field of human development. This episode is a bit of a prequel to “Episode 35: Veronica Discusses Working in the Field of Family Home Visitation.” As is true fo...

In this episode, I share my interview with Laurel Hernandez. Laurel earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Houston. She is also a Certified Educator of Infant Massage from Infant Massage USA. She also holds an Infant Mental Health-Endorsement (IMH-E) from First 3 Years Texas. In this episode, she discusses finding HDFS a...

In this episode, I share my interview with Katherine Fonovic. Katherine earned a bachelor’s degree Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Case Management and a minor in Criminal Justice from Kent State University. In this episode, she discusses finding HDFS and her professional experiences working as an employment specialist with individuals with disabilities through 2021 (th...

In this episode, I share my interview with Emerson Fetty, MSW, LISW. Emerson earned a bachelor’s degree Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Case Management and a minor in Gerontology from Kent State University and a master’s degree in Social Work from Youngstown State University. In this episode, he discusses finding HDFS and his professional experiences as a therapist and...

In this special edition of The HDFS Careers Podcast, I interviewed Dr. Maureen Blankemeyer and Dr. Kathleen Walker who are both faculty at Kent State University and who are both well-known researchers in the area of family sciences careers. Dr. Blankemeyer earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Bowling Green State University and a master’s degree in family relations and child development an...

In this episode, I share my interview with Jasmine Johnson. Jasmine earned a bachelor’s degree Human Development and Family Science from Kent State University and a master’s degree in Instructional Design from Western Governors University. She is currently working as a Grant Director for Upward Bound at Miami Dade College Homestead. In this episode, she discusses finding HDFS and her professional...

This episode features Anacleta C. Schmidt (also known as Annie). Annie earned a bachelor's degree in Child Development from San Diego State University. She also earned a master's degree in Early Childhood Mental Health and a Graduate Certificate as an Early Childhood Socio-Emotional Behavior Regulation Intervention Specialist (EC-SEBRIS) from San Diego State University. During this interview, she...

This episode features Jessica Morgan who works as the Chief Program Officer for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank . Jessica earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Kent State University. During this interview, she discusses her experience working as the Chief Program Officer for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and her professional experiences that led her to that posi...

This episode features Heather Cruz-Holley who works as a case manager for Cleveland Angels . Heather earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Child and Youth Development from Kent State University. During this interview, she discusses her experience working as a case manager for a family care nonprofit organization and her professional experiences...

Bradley earned a master’s degree in Public Administration and a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Youth Development from Kent State University. He is currently the Senior Director of J Kids and Special Projects at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore. In this episode, he discusses how he found the field of HDFS and his professional experi...

Mary earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Family Life Education from Kent State University. She is currently the Public Relations Director for Plains Local School in Ohio. She is also the founder and president of the Josette Beddell Memorial Foundation . In this episode, she discusses how she found the field of HDFS and her professional experie...

Rashawn earned a master’s degree in Education in School Counseling from Malone University. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Youth Development from Kent State University. He is currently a Professional School Counselor for a public school in Ohio. In this episode, he discusses how he found the field of HDFS and his professional exper...

It's our first double-interview episode on the podcast! Alex is currently an Academic Advisor for the College of Communication and Information at Kent State University. She earned a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration and Student Affairs, a Certificate in International Education, and a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Family Life Educ...

Ericca is currently a School Social Worker at a charter school in Columbus, Ohio. She earned a master’s degree in social work from The Ohio State University. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Kent State University. In this episode, she discusses how she found the field of HDFS and her professional experiences to date. Please note that this episode does...

Sharonda earned a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She also holds a bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University with a major in Child Development and Family Studies and a minor in Business Administration. She also holds a Certified Family Life Educator-Provisional (CFLE-P) credential from the National Council on Family Relations. She is the a...

Adrienne earned a master’s degree in Human and Social Services specializing in Mental Health Facilitation from Walden University. She also holds a bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University with a major in Child Development and Family Studies and a minor in Psychology. She is currently a Team Lead for the Care Management Department of a nonprofit mental health agency in Tennessee. In...

***In this bonus blog post episode, I share 5 tips for starting the process of career exploration within the field of HDFS.*** This season, I am launching a new series of bonus episodes based on content from the blog on my HDFS Careers website--a blog in which I provide unsolicited advice about preparing for and finding jobs as a family science major. I decided to share the blog posts audibly on t...

This season, I am launching a new series of bonus episodes based on content from the blog on my HDFS Careers website--a blog in which I provide unsolicited advice about preparing for and finding jobs as a family science major. I decided to share the blog posts audibly on the podcast because I know first-hand that it can be hard to make time to sit down and read things on the internet. With these b...

Amanda is currently an Associate Therapist at Grow Through Life Counseling, a group private practice providing mental health care to children and adolescents. She is also a Music and Fitness Teacher at San Carlos Preschool and a Member of the California Association for Play Therapy. She serves as President-Elect of the San Diego Branch. She earned a master’s degree in Early Childhood Mental Health...

Maddie earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Houston. While completing her degree, she also earned an Early Childhood Interventionist Certificate and a minor in Education. She is currently an Outreach Specialist at the Children’s Museum of Houston and the Owner and Founder of Maddie’s Delights, her baking company. In this episode, she discusses h...

Caroline is a Certified Child Life Specialist II at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Alabama with a double concentration in Child Life and Early Childhood Education. She earned a master’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Parent-Family Life Educati...

Dr. Brian Bishop-Wilkey is currently a Shopper & Category Insights Manager at Abbott Nutrition. He earned a Ph. D. in Human Development and Family Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin, a master's degree in Social Psychology from Texas A&M University, and a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Miami University. In this episode, he shares the story of how he found the field of HDF...

Dr. Catherine Cushinberry is currently the Executive Director/Vice President of City Year Memphis where she maintains strategic relationships with Shelby County, Journey Community Schools, Believe Memphis Academy, Frayser Community Schools, City Year Memphis’ Board of Directors, corporate and philanthropic partners, and the Memphis Community. Dr. Cushinberry earned a Ph. D. in Human Development an...

At the time of this recording, Allison was the Program Manager for Community Day Services. Since recording, she has earned a promotion. She begins her new role soon as the Director of Community Living and Community Day Service Programs. Congrats on the promotion, Allison! Allison earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Environmental Sciences with a concentration in Human Development and Family Studies...