From animals to officework: Tricia Goulet describes her challenges

Executive Assistant shares her experiences and interests

Throughout her life, Goulet has always had at least one animal in her household. Photo Courtesy of Tricia Goulet.

Throughout her life, Goulet has always had at least one animal in her household. Photo Courtesy of Tricia Goulet.

In her childhood years, Executive Assistant Tricia Goulet said the environment she was born into was drastically different to how it is now.

“I grew up here and lived my whole life in the same city until I graduated from high school,” Goulet said. “Back then, there were orchards and we, as kids, would just run around. There were no fences or anything to block you.”

When Goulet graduated high school, she initially believed planned to go into veterinary medicine, but then found it was not her calling.

“I actually worked in animal health for many years during and following high school, but at some point, I realized that as much as I loved animals, it was not the career path for me,” Goulet said. “I started a new path, and I ended up successful, even though I didn’t finish my college education.”

Reflecting back, Goulet says she regrets not finishing her college career.

“I wish I had finished my college education because it’s really important,” Goulet said. “It’s something that I really encourage because there are so many resources now.”

Before arriving at HHS, Goulet worked as a loan processor from home and took care of her kids.

“I homeschooled my kids for several years, but at one point, I told myself, ‘You know what? You need to get a job that earns a significant amount of money,’ because it’s hard to have only one income in this valley,” Goulet said.

Goulet began teaching at HHS in 2011. Her first impression the buildings was how they appeared a bit “institutional,” but everyone seemed warm and friendly.

“Everyone made me feel like [HHS] was the right place for me,” Goulet said. “I love the people that I work with. The staff is wonderful and the students are amazing.”

Goulet said that growing up in a Japanese-American family has influenced her to appreciate a more diverse spectrum of people.

“Because my mother grew up in a time where being Japanese was a shameful thing, it took me a while to realize that I could be proud of my heritage,” Goulet said. “And my grandfather and uncle were both taken to an internment camp.”

One of the things Goulet likes the most about HHS is how diverse the campus is.

“I come from a mixed marriage, and [HHS] is like a mixing pot,” Goulet said.

In her free time, Goulet enjoys running as well as other outdoor activities. She prefers uphill paths to run on alongside her dogs.

In one word, Goulet would describe herself as determined and friendly.

“I tend to want to see through tasks, or make things happen,” Goulet said.