Hi! I am Jessica Roffe, and here is the story of my career beginning:

In college at the University of Maryland, I chose to major in psychology after enjoying my high school AP Psychology course. I was highly involved through internships, research labs, the psychology department, the honors college, Greek life, the campus hotline, and more, all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. I had the right idea: to use all of these activities to figure out what I wanted to do post-graduation. The issue was I was too busy doing to focus on reflecting and understanding.
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Senior year, I was getting ready to apply to graduate school for psychology because – I’d been told – that’s what psychology majors do. But something wasn’t sitting right. None of my internships, research, or volunteer activities had sparked the "a-ha" moment I was hoping for. I thought I was going to leave college knowing exactly what I wanted to do, but instead I was completely overwhelmed and confused. I left campus one day and visited my brother, a freshman at Towson University. Walking through campus with him, I noticed my mood completely change, and it finally hit me. The campus environment was my happy place.
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As I began to reflect, I realized that the times I’d felt most energized during college were not after the activities I thought I was supposed to be doing (e.g. research and internships to prepare for a psychology career), but those I wanted to do (e.g. volunteering to speak at Admitted Student Day, coaching younger students through the sorority recruitment process). I also realized that I was too busy focusing on what activities I thought I should be doing as a psychology major that I often overlooked those I actually wanted to do.

I noticed a theme in all of the activities I wanted to do: support college students. After talking with my advisors, I learned that I could make a career out of helping other confused students like myself figure out their own values, interests, and passions (their VIPs!). I would still be using my psychology degree but in a nontraditional career path.
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I pivoted to graduate school for higher education and landed my dream job at the University of Maryland right after. Over the past decade, I have had the opportunity to coach thousands of students at UMD, and oftentimes, these students come back to me as young professionals for further career guidance. Recently, I've also enjoyed teaching a course for freshmen and sophomores called Choosing Your Major & Career. I believe it is important for all students to explore their interests through activities and internships, take the time to reflect on those interests, and use their newfound knowledge to narrow down their career options. Their major plays a part in career options, but their skills may also translate to positions they didn't expect.

Now, through Career Beginnings LLC, I am able to broaden my impact and support more students and recent graduates in their career journeys. I look forward to working with you!