I graduated from the MSU Honors College in May 2006 with a bachelors degree in Political Science/Pre-Law.
I love soccer and I am a state referee, class two, with the United States Soccer Federation. This is my 11th year as a soccer referee. My proudest moment as a soccer referee was being invited to officiate at the 2007 USYSL Youth Soccer Championships in Tampa, Florida.
I currently work at Community Mental Health (CMH) in security. I joined the staff at CMH in February 2007 and immediately enjoyed the professional and caring atmosphere of the organization. I don't want to sound cliché, but I love the job and find it very rewarding. For others that work there, it's clear that they enjoy working there as well and are serious about their work.
Reflecting on my time at CMH and my work as a referee, I've centered my professional career around a few key principles.
First, I believe respect and authenticity are vital to any service related environment. The at-risk clientele that I serve at CMH have made mistakes or embarrassing decisions. It's important that though they might have made a poor decision, they are still treated professionally and respectfully by staff like myself. I believe everyone, no matter how terrible their decision, still deserves the right to be treated like a human being.
Second, I believe good communication skills are vital to every successful worker and work environment. Honest and open communication in a work environment promotes progressiveness as employers and employees can interact openly, enabling improvement in both. The benefits also benefit the relationship between employee and employee because good communication equals good teamwork. On a final note, good communication skills also mean good customer service - with such skills, one can appropriately deescalate tough situations or effectively convey important information.
Having a professional demeanor and being a strong communicator are two traits that I excel in and work very hard at. Whether I am working in security, law enforcement, or sports officiating, excelling in these areas is crucial.
(Alex Smith at Tampa
International Airport, second from right on bottom
row)