Every story has to start somewhere right? I don't feel that my path to child life was astounding in any way, I don't have some crazy story about how I learned what a Child Life Specialist was. Honestly, my college professor offhandedly mentioned it in a psychology class one day and I just got curious. I found my way to the then Child Life Council website and decided to volunteer at a nearby children's hospital in order to get a feel for the environment.
Warning: I'm about to humble brag for a moment here. I was very lucky in High School to have a counselor that got me into classes at the local community college while I was still a High School student. This meant that I finished my undergraduate degree in three years instead of four. This was when the ACLP still had the 2020 master's degree requirement in place, so I decided that since I was supposed to be in school for another year anyways I might as well go and get my masters degree. So off I went...looking back I can definitely say that I have had WAY more success in this field of child life because of my decision to go to school specifically for child life. I had a Bachelors in Clinical/Counseling Psychology, mainly focused on childhood and adolescence; so I could've easily taken an online course taught by a CCLS and then started applying to internships. But, I'm so glad I didn't! Not only was I able to actually learn the things I needed to prepare myself for my eventual internship and job, but I was able to meet really cool people who would one day become my peers in the professional world.
So I did the school thing and then I spent 16 weeks rocking it out at my internship site. It was for real the bomb and I was loving every minute of it. In some no way at all possible manner I ended up landing a job before I had actually finished my internship. This doesn't happen, it's not a thing that should be expected or even hoped for to be honest... plain and simple I got lucky. I really haven't faced any troubles or adversity in my journey to becoming a Child Life Specialist and I can't honestly say that I think I ever will. But what is important is that my journey is just that, MINE. No one's way into this world is the same, and thats good because they shouldn't be.
The next part of my story is just beginning, I'm moving hospitals and service areas to try and get a spark back that I feel I have lost. Whatever you are in your journey or wherever you've been, I hope you see it as a good one. And if you don't, I hope you are inspired to fearlessly change directions.
-K
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