On the Job: Zoe Baxter

Zoe Baxter has always wanted to work in the medical field. When she graduated from TeenQuest, she told an audience of her peers and their families that is what she wanted to do. However, Baxter wasn’t exactly sure where that would take her.

“I didn’t know what path I wanted to take in college, but I knew I wanted to be in the health field,” says Baxter. “When I started working at Flushing Area Senior Center, I got experience interacting with people in an office setting. That helped make that decision clearer.”

Now, Baxter is attending the University of Michigan-Flint studying healthcare administration with a minor in human resource management. She is still working her office job where she has been since her senior year of high school.

Since graduating from Flushing High School in 2015, Baxter has moved up the ranks and currently works as an office administrator. She is happy that she is able to maintain her work schedule while succeeding in her classes.

Below, find out more about Baxter’s current position and how TeenQuest helped her on her journey.

How did you land your current position?

I met with my counselor at the end of my junior year of high school and told her I was interested in my school’s co-op program. She knew I was a TeenQuest graduate and was qualified for the program. I went on a few interviews for various positions and this one ended up being the best fit.

How did the lessons learned in TeenQuest help you land your job?

The most important thing I learned was how to interview. We learned how to shake hands properly, to make eye contact and to form answers to potential questions before the interview.

What was a memorable moment in TeenQuest?

We did an exercise where we had to stand in front of another person for a long time and just make eye contact. It felt awkward at first, but in the end, it made me feel more comfortable with eye contact.

What are your plans for the future?

To finish my degree. Next year, I will need to get an internship for my program. So, finding that is my next step.

How are you working to find your internship?

Right now, I am volunteering at McLaren Flint. I wanted to get into the hospital and see what it is like. I have been networking with people who work in the field through my volunteer work, at the senior center and through church.

What advice would you give to current TeenQuest students?

When you are interviewing, make sure to think about what you were taught in TeenQuest. Prepare your answers beforehand and make sure you are ready with information about yourself. When I interviewed for my job the first thing they asked was for me to tell them about myself. Because I was prepared, we had something to talk about.

TeenQuest and Summer Youth Initiative are made possible through the generous support of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

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