My Teaching & Childcare Volunteer Project in Fiji

As many of you may know, working with children is my passion. From the bottom of my heart it means the world to me and I wanted to share my journey thus far alongside my future goals. *Keep reading for the full text, or scroll to the bottom for a shorter version* I started babysitting at the age of 12 in my old neighborhood and so many of my neighbors supported me without a second thought. The joy seeing these children brought me was unmatched to anything I had done previously and I knew I wanted a future working with children. I was able to show them a nurturing heart and they were able to teach me new things each and every day to help me grow as an individual. They say children’s minds are like sponges but the amount of things we can learn from them is incredible. This flourished into nannying for multiple families while simultaneously working at my very first job in the Kids Club of Gainesville Health & Fitness. While working at the Kids Club weekly, nannying, and taking classes my heart felt that it was missing something. I began getting small promotions at my job but it was not enough to satisfy the ache for helping children in need. This is when I learned about the Partnership for Strong Families, a local organization working towards eliminating abuse, negligence, and abandonment. I had an incredible urge to volunteer any free time I had at the time and give my all to help save these local children. I applied for an internship in adoptions and it was eye-opening for me. Shortly after, I ended up becoming a supervisor and increasing my hours at Gainesville Health & Fitness so I had to leave after only a few months. The feeling it left me with urged me to continue as soon as the next opportunity presented itself. I knew that I did not want to be a child welfare social worker any longer but felt that being a child advocate attorney would result in more of the hands-on work I was yearning for. While dual enrolled at the college I found a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience child advocacy and adolescent deaf culture in Sweden for 2 weeks. I qualified for a scholarship and paid the rest of my way by continuing to put my best foot forward at work. Once there, I was able to meet with associates of the barnombudsman to discover what the processes were for not only child advocacy, but adoption, foster care, and juvenile detention among many other things. Studying the cross-cultural differences present between Sweden and the United States alone left me wanting to complete the impossible task of saving all of the children throughout the world. Implementing policies to advocate for adolescents weighed heavy on my heart, yet I returned to the simpler thought of becoming a child advocate attorney. Upon returning to the states I had a new outlook. The day after I returned from Sweden I applied to work with a local organization, Project Princess. I found the application process by accident and figured there was no reason that I should not provide happiness and smiles to medically fragile children and patients. That was the day I was lucky enough to become Princess Ariel - filling each child’s life I entered with surprise, hope, and sheer excitement. The feeling was incomparable to anything I had ever done before although I still had to focus on my day job. With determination and so much love for all of the children at GHF I was able to become the Kids Club Director as I had been dreaming of since my first day in August of 2015. I was thrilled to have the opportunity and I truly still cannot believe that I was received with such open arms and boundless joy from each employee and family I interacted with. I knew that I wanted to be an advocate for children but did not know which avenue to take - would I write policies, conduct research, or become a child advocate attorney as I had previously hoped? This continued on until 2019 when I decided to take serious steps towards my future and leave my wonderful job as the Kids Club Director. I figured it was time to begin studying for the LSAT if I truly wanted to become a child advocate attorney - turns out I did not. I realized through my past experiences that I wanted to work for a child advocacy non-profit or NGO whenever the time was right. Upon searching for jobs I stumbled across a position in Child Life at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital. I had previously never wanted to do anything medical, but helping to normalize the hospital environment and using play as a therapeutic tool called to me like no other job had before. Working with pediatric patients in small doses through Project Princess before finding this job felt almost serendipitous to me so I had to take it. I worked on the general pediatric units before making the switch to pediatric hematology and oncology. While working at UF Health, I was still doing my best to put school as a top priority. I wanted to finish with my Bachelor’s in Sociology and a minor in International Development & Humanitarian Assistance but the minor was taken from me after a rough couple years dealing with health issues. Regardless, I persevered and graduated without the minor but knew that would not stop me from seeking that path when the time came for me. After graduating, I had more time on my hands and took on a new (unheard of to me) role as a Child Passenger Safety Technician after a rigorous week-long course. Once I familiarized myself with educating caregivers on proper car safety and child safety seat use, it uncovered a new passion for me - teaching. With approval from my supportive boss, I decided to complete my instructor candidacy and become a Certified Child Passenger Safety Instructor to share the beauty of safety with other future technicians through education. Realizing that on a weekly basis I saw child safety seats from a medical viewpoint, I decided to supplement my knowledge and become certified in Transporting Children with Special Healthcare Needs, working with adaptive medical seats and vests for specific diagnoses. I have been enjoying every second of what I do ever since. ////////////////////////////////// Start here for a shortened version! ////////////////////////////////// This brings me to now. After 3.5 years of educating, playing, and normalizing at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital I have a calling to do more. I have the incredible urge to help children all over the world in any way I can. One thing I have learned is this calling will not subside until it is (in my mind) complete. The impossible task I felt overwhelming me with emotion years ago is still present as ever. Once again, I have found an unbelievable opportunity without looking for it. I have always said that everything happens for a reason and my life is living proof of that. In August, I will be leaving the job I have known for years to head across the world. My heart is bursting at the seams to share that I am going to teach kindergarten in Sigatoka, Fiji. I have been given the opportunity to volunteer my time to improve early childhood education, life skills, and english communication for the children in this developing town. Not only will I be teaching these children, but I will be contributing to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #4 of quality education to ensure lifelong learning opportunities for children who may otherwise not have the chance (you can read more by clicking on the hyperlink). I have never felt more empowered to save the children and increase their quality of life in any way I can until coming across this. This teaching and childcare project in Sigatoka has pushed me to obtain my TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification and continue these efforts in other areas of the world moving forward after this. Since it is a 3 month journey of unpaid work, anything to supplement the separate part-time work I will do on my own would mean the world to me. If you are willing and able I would appreciate any donation to this cause - but also know that I do not expect a penny and will work my hardest to make this happen for myself. I am beyond thankful to have a support system as phenomenal as I do and know that I will be given mental, emotional, and spiritual support regardless. As I stated earlier, I plan to do everything I can to help struggling children while simultaneously educating them. I have never felt more prepared to take on volunteer work, or any other work for that matter, until now and I plan to do it to the best of my ability. My heart has grown 10 sizes since I received my acceptance and I wish I could truly express the way I feel to do what I have always felt in my heart was my calling. I appreciate you taking the time to read this and appreciate you as a person. Thank you from the bottom of my heart :)