When I was younger, I was always looking for ways to get
ahead in life- always putting my own needs and wants above the people around.
But when I got the chance, when it did not interfere with my own path, I would
lend a hand to those who needed it. Even in the most miniscule ways, I realized
the joy I got from helping others, from being a positive influence in someone
else’s life. As time went on, I applied this good feeling of helping others to
something more centered around helping others who were younger than I.
Throughout junior high and high school, I was a student-athlete mentor and
leader, I was a tutor, I provided French horn lessons and singing lessons to
families who could not afford a professional coach, and I babysat and nannied
year-round. Through all these activities I realized my love for children and
being a good role model for them was where my passions lied. It wasn’t until I
came to Valparaiso University that I truly could immerse myself within
educating, mentoring, and working with children every day.
Hilltop
Neighborhood House was the first job I acquired while being a student at VU.
Almost every day I would be working with children 5 years and younger,
providing care and education to them during our 6-8 hour periods together. It
was so incredibly fulfilling and fun. But it was almost too easy… I found
myself questioning things like, “Am I even helping these children? Or am I
helping their parents? What kind of relationship am I making with these
children who barely remember my name, even though I work with them every day?”-
so I quit my job with Hilltop. My feelings of not being needed in a meaningful
way was hindering on my love for and the ease of spending my free hours with
these little children.
What many
people don’t know is that Hilltop has another location called Hilltop Too:
Walt’s Place- which provide after-school care and homework help to school-age
children in the area. Most of these children come from low-income homes and
with backgrounds a of bad or broken home life. Thankfully, after quitting my
job at Hilltop, I was offered the opportunity to work at Walt’s Place. This was
one of the best decisions I made in my life. I immediately was embraced in the
family that is Walt’s Place. The children, while challenging at times, started
to build real relationships with me- to which gave me the real feelings of
influence that I was lacking with my experience at Hilltop. Every day I go into
work after my classes and prepare the children a meal. We then work with them
on their homework and then read with them- all children separated into groups
based on grade level. And after all that business is done, we all get to play
games together until their parents pick them up. While this program is only a
few hours after school each weekday, I found myself caring for these children
more than I had ever known. Walt’s Place proved to be the safe-haven for these
children that most of them really needed for even the few hours of the day it
is. I see each of them grow and change into a better version of themselves with
each day I spend with them. Having the ability to build a relationship and
having a child trust and listen to you the way these children are with me, is
something I will always cherish. If I ever work for non-profit in my
professional career path, I hope that experience will be just as fulfilling as
Walt’s Place has been.
I never
thought that I could have such a good influence on these children, nor did I
ever imagine that they would have such a positive effect on me too.
No comments:
Post a Comment