Experiences
Work Experience
Certified Nursing Assistant
I have been a Certified Nursing Assistant at Memorial Hospital in Jasper, Indiana since December of 2017. In nearly four years of experience in a healthcare setting, I have managed to develop valuable professional skills. These skills include communication with my staff and patients, conflict resolution skills, and organizational skills. I have also been able to develop career specific skills such as assisting with activities of daily living, ambulation, and personal hygiene care. I love being a CNA because of the direct patient care that I am able to give; building relationships with the patients is my favorite part of the job. Being a CNA has also taught me that I am not cut out to be a nurse. I love my job as an aide, but I could not see myself doing that every single day with even more responsibility as a nurse.
Camp C.A.R.E. Counselor
I have worked for the City of Jasper Parks and Recreation's Camp C.A.R.E. in the summers of 2017-2019. This is a summer camp held for children and adults with special needs. As a counselor, I was responsible for my camper's safety, and to make sure that they were having a good time. This is an extremely rewarding job because so many of our campers looked forward to going to camp all year. This job has also helped me realize that I want my future profession to be something that helps individuals with disabilities. The pure joy I have experienced at this camp is something I look forward to experiencing in my career that I am pursuing as an Occupational Therapist.
Learning Experience
Monumental Marathon
Volunteering for the monumental marathon was a valuable learning experience during my first semester of college. On my first day of practice, I didn't know what to expect. I was nervous about running the 5k and I didn't know if the kids I was training with would like me. However, after that first practice I was excited to see what the rest of the program had to offer. The kids I trained with were absolutely amazing and I formed strong bonds with several of them. I got especially close with a kid named A.J. He looked up to me and and we ran the 5k together. I really enjoyed being a role model figure and I plan on volunteering with this organization next year.
P403 Class 5K
For this experience, our P403 class created a training guide for a 5k race. We then ran a 5K as a class. I am not a runner by any means so this assignment was challenging for me. However it was very rewarding to complete the race with our class after training for it.
Volunteer Experience
Adaptive Movement Program
The Adaptive Movement Program at IUPUI is a one-on-one personal training experience for individuals with special needs. It is actually a class offered through IUPUI (KINE-P410) where a student is paired with a client with special needs. My freshman year, I was a volunteer for the Motor Activity Clinic (MAC) for children. I truly loved this opportunity because it gave me real world experience with working with a client with a disability. This year, I was offered a position as a staff member on the Adaptive Movement Program team. This means that I get to work with students at the MAC and the Ability Fitness Clinic (AFC) for adults. My job is to supervise the students in the class and give them suggestions on their lesson plans. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity because it is giving me experience that is very closely related to Occupational Therapy for individuals with special needs. It is something that I plan to stay involved with throughout my time here at IUPUI.
Best Buddies
The IUPUI Best Buddies program is something that I got involved with my freshman year. This is a one-to-one friendship for with an individual with special needs. I was paired with a buddy and we hung out together, went to a Pacer's game, watched a movies, and attended all of the monthly parties hosted by Best Buddies. This was a great experience for me because I was able to make a best friend. My buddy and I communicate often and look forward to hanging out in person again. This year, I have accepted a role as the treasury/secretary of the IUPUI's Best Buddies chapter. I am looking forward to gaining more leadership experience and learning more about myself through this program.
Special Olympics
I was a Dubois County Special Olympics Track and Field coach from 2015 to 2019. Throughout this time, I gained valuable experience in several different areas. This was one of my first experiences with individuals with special needs and it was what got me interested in helping this population. This organization has helped me fine-tune my leadership and communication skills. It has also opened my eyes up to inclusivity. Being inclusive of everyone's differences is very important to me and this is something that I have developed through the years with my work for Special Olympics.