# data[].attributes.body
My name is Veralyn Gabriel (she/her/hers). I was born on the beautiful Caribbean island of St. Lucia and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I’m a wife and a proud mom of three wonderful little girls (ages 10, 7, and 2).

Currently, I serve as the Director of Career Services at Monroe University and own a career consulting firm, Veralyn’s Career Consulting Services, LLC. I also teach online (synchronous) career readiness courses. I am deeply passionate about leadership development and dedicated to helping others grow and succeed in their careers.

# data[].attributes.body
I would like the opportunity to teach more classes and train professors/professionals. I am pretty open to where my career may lead after completing this doctoral journey. I plan to remain open-minded.

# data[].attributes.body
Music has always been an important part of my life. I enjoy all genres, and you can usually tell my mood by what I’m listening to. I played the trombone from 3rd grade through my first year of undergrad and was actively involved in my high school’s concert, marching, and jazz bands. I also spent many years on the step team. I have a habit of randomly breaking out in song or dance—just ask my girls, they can definitely attest to it lol!

# data[].attributes.body
My career journey has been an interesting one. Until my freshman year of college, my dream career was to become a pediatrician. Biology and I were not best friends, so I entered the world of psychology without a clear career path. I also started taking Africana Studies courses to fulfill my core studies requirement. The professors in that school always made me feel at home. I ended up double majoring in psychology and africana studies.

After graduation, I worked at an organic fast-food restaurant, Pret A Manger because I needed a job to start paying off my loans. I was on a managerial track until a friend told me to take a civil service exam to get my foot into higher education.

I worked in the Office of the VP of Student Affairs as an administrative assistant, while working towards obtaining my master's degree in I/O Psychology. I also interned with a previous manager, who started a Feng Shui interior design firm. The directors of the career center took me under their wing and provided me with mentorship. I learned about their roles and became intrigued with career services. They trained me and allowed me to work in their department after my regular hours.

Fast forward a few years, I landed the Internship Coordinator role at Monroe. I applied to be a career counselor but they thought this was a better fit.

I now realize that I want to be the person that I needed. I want to be the voice for the unheard. I am grateful for my accidental career and guardian angels (mentors). There aren't many career counselors that look like me. I want to train the new generation of underrepresented career counselors.