I decided to join CES in 2008 because I was trying to break into the field and needed to build my network and participate in professional development opportunities.
As an emerging evaluator without formal training in evaluation, CES played a huge role in my early years. My first CES experience was through the Essential Skills Series course, which confirmed my interest in pursuing evaluation as a career and exposed me to the Credentialed Evaluator (CE) designation.
As I learned more about evaluation and realized how many competencies I still had to develop, working through the CES competencies helped me identify short- and long-term professional development goals, making the process less overwhelming. When I started new jobs, I communicated to my supervisors that my goal was to become a CE, which led to financial or mentorship support focused on specific competencies. I also used the competencies to develop additional goals as a mentee in the EvalYouth Global Mentorship Program. As a Credentialed Evaluator today, I continue to use the CE competencies to support my team’s growth.
Being part of a community like CES contributed to my career, especially when I was a young and emerging evaluator. I have developed friendships and connections that helped me improve as an evaluator and person. Attending CES events feels like being home.