HAYLEE MATECKO

Work With Others: Working with others means understanding that every person is different,

and taking that knowledge to understand how their lifestyle and way of thinking can positively benefit

and broaden your own perspective.

​

Criteria

• Open-minded attitude

• Active listening skills

• Desire to learn about others

• Understanding and patience

​

Evidence: Working at the Bakery

In the summer of 2016, I worked at the front counter of a neighborhood bakery in San Antonio, Texas.

It is a small, family owned business, and I really loved the job. I usually performed transactions for

customers, but was also given the opportunity to try different things such as icing a cake, baking sweet

dough for kolaches, and preparing a pecan topping for muffins.

 

I had pleasant experiences with most customers, and learned a lot from the others. Some were repeats that visited every day and I began to know them by name, like Judy or Kevin. Others were less forgiving if I made a small mistake, with a couple throwing things in my direction. While the angry customers weren't my favorite by any means, they taught me how to worry less about what other people think. I did the best job I could, and a mistake here or there is only natural - I'm human, after all.

​

Many of my coworkers have different lifestyles than I do, which caused me to self-reflect and see that change is a good thing. I have often lived my life in a way that values the status quo above my own happiness, and by getting to know these people I was questioned in a way I hadn't been before. I was able to grow in my relationships with others, and find more independence. I stopped worrying so much about what everyone else wanted from me and found a way to push for what I knew I needed and deserved from those relationships.