Page 23 - Education Issue
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Women of Distinction


         T NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE           Analia Mendez
       Ime the number of truly distin-
        guished women we have living
        in San Diego. This issue of   SERVING THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED
        San Diego Woman is focusing
        on education, and I had the                 By Carol Heath
        pleasure of interviewing Analia
        Mendez, who just happens to           Photos by Dawn Nicoli/Nicoli Productions
        be one of those distinguished
        women. Analia has been in the   post, Analia would pack up   more and more older adults
        higher educational system for   the house, and her two sons,   have to work longer and
        over seventeen years. But I’m   and follow. That meant setting   longer before they can retire.
        getting a little ahead of myself   up a new household, finding   Often times these adults find
        here so let’s start from the   new schools for the boys, and   it very difficult to find employ-
        beginning.                 a new job for Analia. Sounds   ment. They may have already
           Analia was born to immi-  like tons of fun, but she did it   retired from a job, they may
        grant parents in the northern   willingly as she knew that this   be tired of the job they have
        California city of Modesto on   was the life of any mate that   and are ready for a change, the
        July 27th. I left off the year   was married to someone in the   list goes on, but the result is in
        on purpose, it is not a typo.   Armed Forces.         order to transition into another
        Although since I am older than   Master Sergeant Valdivieso   career, they need help.
        dirt, she seems like a baby to   has now retired from the   It’s hard to know where to
        me. She joined a large family   Marine Corps. and Analia is   start as things have changed
        consisting of 5 girls and 2 boys   also ready for the next stage of   so much in the corporate and   counsels and advises them on
        and was the third in line of   her life. She is presently still   non-corporate world of em-  the many opportunities they
        siblings. She is the first female   The Director of Career   ployment opportunities. Take   might have in the job mar-
        in her family to graduate   Education and Advising at   me for example, when I got   ket. Many of these men and
        from college first with a BA in   UCSD, but is about to   my first job fresh out of high   women are not aware of the
        Psychology, then a Masters in   transition into her new career.   school the electric light was   training they have had while
        Counseling. Not too shabby   Analia has started a brand new   just coming into its’ own and,   serving and how that training
        from a kid who was raised in   career, well, sort of, it is still   not really but again you get   can relate or fill a need in the
        the small town of Riverbank,   advising and coun-seling, but   my drift. Analia has never been   job marketplace. Analia is the
        California.                no longer college students.  away from the ever-changing   perfect person for this job,
           Analia hit the ground run-  Analia found a void in the   career opportunities that exist   because she has been training
        ning as they say, whoever they   career-transitioning world, and   in today’s marketplace.   for it almost all her life.
        are, and began guiding and   she has now filled up that hole.   Signature Careers is a natu-  Analia has a certain grace
        counseling college students   Her new business is Signature   ral next step for Analia, and she   when she talks about help-
        with career choices and the   Careers; a virtual offering, that   hasn’t forgotten her roots so to   ing adults transition careers,
        required classes to achieve   makes it very easy to get all the   speak. Although Analia and her   almost like a ballerina dancing
        their goals. Of course, along   necessary information   staff can help anyone transi-  to Swan Lake or the like. It
        the way, I’m sure her shoulder   received, then processed and   tion into a new career, Analia   seems so natural for her and
        was used many times to shed a   delivered. That is a very simple   focuses on active duty military   her commitment to helping
        tear or two.               explanation of what Analia is   personnel about to retire. That   service men and women and
           Variations of the title   doing for adults, who are for   shouldn’t surprise anybody as   civilians is genuine and sincere.
        Director of Career Education   various reasons, wanting to   much of her life was spent as a   If you are at that stage of your
        and Advising have been on   transition into another career.  military wife.       life when you are ready for that
        her college office doors in 3   In case you have checked   Analia coaches men and   next career Analia Mendez and
        different states. The explana-  out of the world lately, you   women who are still in the   Signature Careers is here to
        tion of why Analia worked in so   may not have noticed that   service of their country, and   help.
        many states has to do with her
        other job. She is a United State                                                  Signature Careers: https://
        Marine Wife, yup all caps, not                                                    www.signaturecareers.org
        a typo. This is a title she is very                                               Facebook: https://www.face-
        proud of, and I applaud her                                                       book.com/signaturecareers/
        service to our country. Many
        people forget when a Marine                                                       Instagram: @signaturecareers
        is deployed to a new post their                                                   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.
        family is also deployed.                                                          com/in/analiamendez
           Each time her Marine                                                           Phone: (858) 353-8845
        husband was sent to his new
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