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mara mccay

@mara.mccay

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C🤠wgirl for the weekend!

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Some personal news… and it’s story time!

Let’s start in October 2023, when I was laid off from my job in TV consulting… or in March 2024, still searching for a media/comms gig with no luck. Ouch. I was a couple weeks away from running out of benefits. OUCH.

One night, my friend Colin asked me to sub for his basketball team. As we were leaving, we started talking about work. When he heard my situation, he gave me good news: his workplace was hiring!

There was a kicker, though: he worked at an autism therapy center. I had ZERO experience.

Scared as I was, I needed money. I took the job, but it wasn’t a long-term fix. See, at the same time, I was deep in interviews with a local pro sports team. If the right call came, my journey in ABA therapy would last two weeks.

That was two years ago.
No call ever came. (#sell)

Since then, I’ve been working as a behavior therapist at Partners in Excellence in Arden Hills. What does that mean? I’m working with young kids (2-7 y/o) with an autism diagnosis. What does that REALLY mean? Among other things: I’ve changed more pull-ups than I could possibly count. Danny Go is burned into my brain. My glasses… oh, my poor glasses.

Make no mistake, this is a difficult job. But as I grew comfortable, I realized how rewarding it truly is to witness growth. When you see these kids share their favorite toy, use their device to request for something, or even hear their first words… man, all the hard days are worth it.

After a while, I started to wonder if ABA was my new career path. I had always told my supervisors I wanted to return to media if given the chance, but those chances felt pretty slim - until a couple weeks ago.

Today is my last day at PIE Arden Hills, because I’m becoming Partners’ new social media & marketing strategist.

I can’t wait to tell stories for a living again. My two-year journey feels as if it’s come full circle.

If you ever find yourself between jobs, take it from me: don’t be afraid to try something new, and then stick it out. You never know what’s waiting for you on the other side.

And to the family I’ve found in Arden Hills: it’s not REALLY goodbye. It’s more of a see you later. Alligator. ✌️

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Dimensional teddy bear bronde🤩🧸

Highlights & lowlights to diffuse and soften for the season… so obsessed!

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thank you umn for the best semester yet 🖤

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see you in sept for the last run🥲 @umntwincities

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48 hours in florida

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im a SLAYYY for yuh

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Turned my birthday into a lifestyle🧊

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Business as usual💦😤 #dawgpound

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Gonna be one to remember🌴😤😈 #playa #sb2021

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Old but gold

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