Step 2 Example 2

PERSONAL HISTORY OVERVIEW

I was born the first child of Howard and Jeanette Beloit in Lewiston, Idaho on November 2, 1956, in the same hospital where my dad was born. They gave me the name Patricia, but everyone calls me "Patty." I have one younger brother who was also born in Lewiston, Idaho. When he was three months old, we moved to Moscow, Idaho. My dad worked at and eventually owned a retail stationery business in downtown Moscow. I still remember him coming home with empty file cabinet boxes for my brother and me. We spent hours making forts with them. We were encouraged to be hard working, fun-loving individuals.

I attended elementary and high school in Moscow. During summer vacations we traveled. We went to many different places including Disneyland, Hawaii, Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon to name a few. The most memorable was the trip to Washington, D.C. after the fifth grade. I had just finished studying American history and it was amazing to actually see the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence of our country.

When I was twelve, I joined Job's Daughters in Moscow. In 1973, I was installed as their Honored Queen. This was my introduction to conducting meetings by Robert's Rules of Order and planning events.

In 1983, with Job's Daughter having been an important part of my high school years, I did not hesitate when asked to serve on the Bethel Guardian Council where I had been Honored Queen. I was able to further develop my leadership skills by assisting the girls in learning how to organize the Bethel's bookkeeping system, write and report meeting minutes and use Robert's Rules of Order.

In high school I participated in the drill team. We performed during half times of various athletic events. This required dedication as our practices were at 7:30 a.m. five mornings per week, which was very hard for a teenager. That dedication was rewarded when we placed second in our division in the inspection category during state competition in my junior year.

During high school I was also enrolled in the office occupations class. We went to local businesses and worked in office settings. Although I had worked before, babysitting and clerking in Dad's store, my first exposure to my present career was through this course. I learned from this experience the importance of being reliable and the need to be efficient in filing. They always asked me to find the file that had been missing all morning.

I graduated from Moscow High School in May of 1975. In June of that same year, I enrolled in Kinman Business University (KBU) in Spokane and made my first big move away from home. The school was located in downtown Spokane and I lived in a dorm on the Gonzaga University campus. I enrolled in the Dental Assisting Program at KBU, and learned the skills required to be an extended duties chairside dental assistant. I finished the course work, including three internships, and passed the certifications exam. During the certification exam, the certifier said, "If you get a big envelope in the mail, it means you passed."

It was an exciting day when that "big envelope" came in the mail. While I waited for the results of my certification test, I was busy sending letters and resumes to the dentists in the Pullman/Moscow area.

Etc. . . . . . . . . . .