Submitted by: Lara Lanza, M.Ed., BCBA
Hi, my name is Lara and I have been working for Reaching Milestones for the past 4 years and I wanted to tell my story about how Reaching Milestones inspired me to “reach my personal milestones!”
In April of 2013 I graduated from an undergraduate program at the University of North Florida. I had such a passion for children but was still unsure of what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I met someone who took a class called Behavior Modification, which is what Applied Behavior Analysis was referred to years ago, and this person let me borrow some of her materials from the class to see if it sparked my interest. Once I read some of it – and saw how much this field impacts the lives of children with special needs – I was sold!
I began my first semester of Graduate School at the University of North Florida in August of 2013 and immediately began taking ABA classes! The first semester was spent learning different types of protocols and strategies to help better the lives of special individuals and it really solidified that this was the path for me.
In February 2014, I applied for my first job within the ABA field. I wasn’t completely sure how the practices I was learning in school would be implemented in the real world. I was lost and did not know where to search for such a facility to implement those amazing protocols. I did some research online and found some reviews for a few clinics and Reaching Milestones was first on my list – and thank goodness it was – because little did I know how much Reaching Milestones would provide so many growth opportunities and possibilities within my career!
Although Graduate School prepared me with tons of knowledge on different facets of the field, nothing prepared me more with such knowledge and growth than Reaching Milestones. Seeing the types of team members that RM had developed aspired me to want to REACH my own MILESTONES!
Through great preparation, I was able to reach many milestones within my career with the help of RM. Beginning as an RBT, RM prepared me for my future as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) – which was the next milestone on my list! Through intensive training from fellow BCBA members of the RM team I was able to conquer the milestone of being a BCBA within the company. I remember thinking, “I did it! I achieved my goal! I reached my milestone!” I was so excited to finally be a BCBA.
Being a BCBA presented great opportunities to pursue further development within the company, and the next milestone on my list was to become a Supervising Analyst.
RM successfully created a path supplied with prodigious support and direction towards that next milestone I wanted to reach! Being a Supervising Analyst has really helped maintain the skills I learned within this applied field and keeps me on my toes, thinking of different types of strategies that work best for our children, based off the functions of their behavior.
But my path did not stop there. Currently, I am in transition from Clinical Coordinator to Clinical Director at one of the many successful Reaching Milestones centers.
Being a part of a company that does not show limits, but rather offers opportunities to excel, sets team members up for success! Not only does RM help such amazing children achieve milestone after milestone, but the organization really does prepare team members to achieve and reach their personal milestones – just like I did!
Through hard work, dedication, and a supportive company like Reaching Milestones, I can confidently say that I was able to achieve more than I thought would be possible within my career as a 26-year-old woman, and I have and I WILL continue to aspire to REACH MILESTONES!