This is a picture of me; I live in Chicago so as you all know the weather out here is not the best. When I am not working or studying I try and enjoy the outdoors as much as possible doing what I love most, camping!  

In the fall of 2009, a 4 year old boy by the name of Ethan not only touched my heart but also changed my life. Ethan is a boy who was diagnosed with Autism and physically abused by a babysitter; I knew very little about Autism but quickly learned. Someone might see Autism as a defect, but not this mom, and after having the pleasure of working directly with him, I do not either. Ethan was a very smart individual that just needed a safe place, guidance, direction, understanding, and lots of affection. Myself and the staff collaborated with mom and outside resources to give Ethan all this. We all worked together and really hard always meeting, accommodating, and providing all the needed tools for Ethan and mom to know he was a part of the classroom. There were days where Ethan would just throw tantrums and do as he pleased because he knew no better. Within time, we I saw him go from acting like a baby to the young beautiful sweet boy he is today. Teaching Ethan how to communicate with his words and the visual tools implemented only made life easier for Ethan, mom, and everyone around him, It was then I realized how much passion I had for this field. Today, Ethan is in a regular school side by side regular children doing great.

My Favorite Quote:

Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You do not need to have a college degree to serve. You do not have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You do not have to know the second theory in thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love! Author...Martin Luther King, Jr.

I do not work directly with the children but I do work with the families to better provide for the children we serve in our center. During a workshop I attended in the Red Cross building I looked up and on the wall was this great quote that caught my eye. After I read it over and over, I wrote it in my notebook and it has been there ever since. This is exactly how I have always felt and exactly how I started. When I started serving children and families in our Head Start program I merely had a high school diploma, but I had a whole lot of passion for what I did. Of course I wanted more, therefore; I went on and earned my degree in Human Services, but this quote really says a lot of who I am and why I chose to serve. I only hope that this quote inspires others as it did me.