While many people would admit they weren’t sure what they wanted to be when they grew up, Alumni Susan Linsey definitely did not have a clear path prepared; but she loves where her journey wound up.

In high school, Linsey made it a point to balance extracurricular activities with her academics. She played field hockey all four years of high school and worked multiple jobs in the evenings and weekends. But she was also a member of National Honor Society and graduated with a 4.2 grade point average (GPA) in 2002.

She also notes she had many teachers who made lasting impressions upon her. “Mrs. Bacon always made me feel empowered to stand up for what I believe in […], Mr. Salvitti taught me to find humor in everyday things […], Mr. Dinsmore taught me to see both ideas of any story, and the late and dearly missed Rita Sebring taught me to speak up loud and with conviction, to believe in myself […]. They all taught me life lessons that extended well beyond their curriculum and their classroom walls.”

Out of high-school, she had no idea what she wanted to do. She had always known that she wanted to work with kids and originally wanted to be a pediatrician, but she felt that having to pay for medical school would be very overwhelming, especially out of high school.

As a result of being unsure what to do, she ended up attending multiple schools when trying to decide her major. She attended one semester at York College and several years at Millersville University while earning her degree in elementary education. 

Linsey then changed majors and went to Penn State to earn her Associates Degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a focus on Early Childhood Care and Education. She then earned her International Montessori Teaching Diploma from the North American Montessori Center.

Finally, she returned to Penn State and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. 

Ultimately, Linsey decided to be a paralegal, and she now works as a  Legal Services Initiative (LSI) Coordinator for Family Design Resources, in partnership with Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries as a part of the Pennsylvania Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN) Prime Contract. 

“I supervise legal teams that operate in different county Children and Youth agencies. My team handles all the child abuse cases that go through Juvenile Court proceedings, and we work to help identify and reduce or eliminate legal barriers that might keep kids lingering in foster care,” Linsey explained.

While there were many roads that led Linsey to her current job, she wears equally as many hats in that job.

“I often participate in consults where child abuse cases are discussed at length. I also participate in roundtable meetings where we work to identify safe options for permanency kids who are placed in foster or kinship settings. I review relevant case law with my staff and provide general oversight on their drafting of legal documents. I help coordinate various trainings for county staff, and support my paralegals through ongoing professional development,” she explained.

Working so many different kinds of jobs is hard, but when it comes to children, it gets harder. Linsey said that it’s difficult to see so many cases and not be impacted by them in some way. “It can be difficult to remove the emotion from the work that we do, so we push to have strong supports in place. Vicarious trauma is definitely a challenge that comes with the job…” 

Linsey shows us that just because you may not think you have it all planned out, something great might come of it, so just keep pushing and working hard for what you want. 

“My best advice [for students] would be to not be afraid tos tray from your plan if you feel led to a different path on your journey. […] It’s okay if things change.”

She noted that while she may have tried a variety of careers and many different degrees, all of them taught her useful skills that she could carry to another job. 

“I never would have discovered a career I love if I wouldn’t have jumped ship and changed the plan,” Linsey said. 

With what little free time she may find she has, she said she likes to hang out with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. Her daughter plays soccer, so they travel often for this. “I enjoy visiting different places on the east coast through her games and tournaments.”