Dan Walsworth

CNS202
3/23/16
Career Genogram
When looking back two generations of my family genogram, it is evident that
geographic location played an important aspect in not only my grandparents schools of
choice, but also their occupations post-graduation. On my fathers side both of my
grandparents attended the University of Missouri where one was in the journalism school
and the other majoring in physical education. My grandfather, Don, however did not
pursue a typical occupation of one with a physical education degree but instead started a
publishing company with my great uncle. My grandparents relocated to an even more
rural location of Marceline, Missouri to establish this new company and by the time my
father, aunt and uncle, were born, it turned into a thriving business. My grandfather had
developed into a well-known businessman, which I believe was directly inflicted on their
three children. Residing in Missouri, my family on my fathers side spent many of their
days outside if not in school. For all three of my grandparents children this was seen
most often on the golf course. My father, aunt, and uncle, all kept the tradition of
attending college universities, two of which in Missouri, and all kept their passion of golf
with them playing at the division I level. Besides athletics, they all kept the common
business trend and graduated with business degrees. For my father and aunt, their skill for
golf was not quite up to par in order to play professionally, however my uncle Don
played professional for 8 years before he decided, like his two siblings, to take their
business skills and find a new profession. It is very evident that my grandfathers strong
business mindset was reflected on all three of his children. Two of which began to work

for the same publishing company he once started and both assumed a CEO position
before passing it off to one another. My aunt did not become a CEO but had a successful
career in banking and eventually finished working in the banks and devoted most of her
time at home with her three children.
My grandparents on my mothers side had a very different upbringing however
showed obvious traits and skills that are represented between the parents and their
offspring. My grandfather worked as an electrical engineer and my grandmother as a
schoolteacher in Illinois when they met. They married very young however my
grandfather had a great career in electrical engineering ahead of him. He was very
hardworking and even though they had there first born at a young age, they demanded
excellence and respect from all of their children. My grandfather ended up moving from a
large Chicago suburb to a small rural town in southeast Missouri. The demographic
changed, however their ideals did not. My mother is the oldest of seven, and even though
they did not all grow up in the same household they all shared that extreme work ethic
that I believe began with my grandfather. Of the seven, four have achieved post-graduate
degrees. Many stayed close to home, like my fathers side, and graduated from the
University of Missouri. Of the seven there are collectively, two PhDs, two MBAs and
two MA degrees. My mothers side of the family is different compared to my fathers not
because of education but primarily due to the fact that they did not inherit a family owned
company. All ten collective children established themselves in various fashions either
through education, job title, or other factors that are not seen on paper.
I think that my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and parents have had direct effects on
what I hold dear when thinking about education and post-graduation. I think I am one of

the few that have gone to a different University other than Missouri. This is not because I
dislike Missouri, however I believe a change in time period is the direct effect. My
parents lived close to school in Missouri and that was treated as the only place to go.
Now in this day and age students travel across the country for school. I have been very
fortunate to be raised in a home where I was able to receive high education and pursue
my admirations at a college level. My parents never forced me in school but I saw a
direct resemblance of what maybe my grandfather used to say to my mother when she
was going through school that is inflicted on me today. A degree of high ambition is not
mandatory however it is a constant trait that my entire family has expressed, and they are
very supportive of all my endeavors, whatever they may be.