Pamela Karavite ~ Portfolio
Seeking Significance...
ABOUT ME...
My Professional Career... Phase One ~ I spent 15 years in business with positions such as Business Administration Manager, Sales & Marketing Associate, and Director of Human Resources. I enjoyed growing professionally in all my endeavors; however, my Sales & Marketing position was my favorite as I was fortunate enough to travel the world launching new products to foreign markets. During my travels, I was exposed to many cultures and people who I still consider close friends to this day.
My Home Career ~ My husband works as a film and television cameraman which takes him away from home about 80% of the year. His schedule lead to our decision for me to leave the workforce and stay home with our children, which is a decision I will never regret. The precious years I’ve spent with our four children (ages 17, 16, 13 & 10) have been the most rewarding of my life. During this time, I felt it was very important to dedicate time to helping both children and families who struggle with health or disability issues. I’ve involved my children in our chosen charities as well, teaching them not only to appreciate their own health, but also to learn compassion, gain perspective, and feel the overwhelming sense of peace one feels when you meet the goals of your mission. Through my work with various charities, I have seen that being a part of helping others has brought me greater satisfaction than any business achievement in the past. The combination of being a full-time parent, and my experiences with charitable organizations, has shifted my priorities for the second phase of my professional career.
What I've Been Up To...
My Professional Career... Phase Two ~ Once my fourth child was in school all day, I began to think about what I saw as a future for myself. From a personal standpoint, working in education would allow me to be on a similar schedule as my children, which is very important to me. Moving into education fit both my lifestyle, and my passion for working with children on a higher level. It was my long-term goal to open a preschool for special needs children. Through my volunteer time with the Special Olympics and Make-A-Wish, I learned from many of the parents that there are very few preschools for their children. I have a great passion for teaching, and I enjoy interacting with students and helping them advance in their educational goals. My business and organizational background is well-suited for the administrative necessities of running a preschool. A strong administration is a crucial part of a school’s success. Although administration is less direct contact with students, I would still enjoy promoting their progress by strengthening their school as a whole.
Life Interrupted ~ In a strange twist of fate, life has offered some pretty spectacular challenges this past few years. On July 2nd of 2014, my oldest son, Nick, was diagnosed with a rare blood disease called Aplastic Anemia. One day I'm watching my son pitch a no-hitter baseball game, and four days later I'm in a hospital room being told that he may die. Nothing can ever prepare one for such a blow. His survival chances were 50%, and would go up to 80% if we had a sibling match for a bone marrow transplant. We were so very lucky that my youngest child, Mandy, who was almost six at the time, was a perfect match. Before I could blink, we were heading off to the University of Michigan, CS Mott Children's Hospital, to check Nick in, begin chemo to kill off the remaining bad bone marrow, and prepare for a transplant on August 4th. Nick was released from the hospital in September, but had to be isolated until March of 2015 because he had no immune system. It was his 8th grade year, and I had to home school him between running back and forth to U of M for blood work and well-care visits. Currently, Nick is in recovery and is showing only upward strides. Fortunately, there are no signs of chemo-brain, organ damage, etc. We are still waiting for Mandy's cells to take over 100%, and keeping our eyes open for chemo-induced Leukemia and/or Graft vs. Host disease.
On August 4th, 2015, Nick's 1st "Rebirthday," we released two videos, created by our family, in an effort to raise awareness for the necessity of registering to be a bone marrow donor. As a family, we knew we had to do something to make sense of everything that had happened, and make sure we don't waste the second chance that God gave our son.
Life has gone on, and paths change. We have relocated to Georgia, Nick is a senior now, looking at colleges, and is currently a patient of, and Ambassador for, the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. He and I speak at fundraisers together, as well as raise funds/awareness for organizations related to children with life-threatening illnesses. I am currently writing articles for newsletters related to Nick's illness giving hope for others that survival is possible. Additionally, I am a peer support network volunteer for the Aplastic Anemia Foundation, I'm in the process of writing a book about faith and the role it plays in life's journey, and substitute teaching whenever I'm called. Team Karavite continues to raise funds and participate in any opportunities we find to help!
