We Are Almost There!

I am finally closing in on the end of my college life. My last day of fieldwork is January 25! On January 26 I will wake up an unofficial graduate and ready to move towards my new life. There are still many hoops to jump through before I begin a working career but knowing that it will soon begin is a wonderful feeling. My graduation is March 16, something that has been in the making since I graduated high school back in 1995. I look forward to moving through the ceremony and sharing this moment with my fellow classmates, my family, and my friends. I will leave out tomorrow morning at 5:30 and head back to Grayson for my final 7 days of work. Since my last day is on a Tuesday, I do not want to drive home next weekend and waste gas money. I will be without my family for 10 days by the time I arrive home and they all return from their day. It is hard to know I will be without them that long but the silver lining is this is the last time I will be packing up and leaving them behind. I look forward to having some time at home. While I am getting things lined up to gain my license and job hunt; I will be home and living my normal life. A life that I have missed over the last 4 months. I have to admit that I probably had the best job placements for both fieldworks. My first placement was Life Care in Morehead. It is a skilled nursing facility and most of the patients that I saw were either stroke or Alzeheimer's patients. I enjoyed working with them and getting to share this part of their lives with them. I was suppose to go to another nursing home, but as devine intervention saw fit something better happened. My manager at Life Care listened to my concerns of the facility I was scheduled to go to. I had a bad feeling about that place after speaking to my supervisor. I also shared with him I wanted to work with children and that I did not wish to work in nursing homes after I graduated. In one phone call my Manager, Eric, helped change my course. He had experience with an OT who worked in First Steps, a program that works with young children. He called her and asked if she would take a student, and Mrs. Paige said that she would!!! For the past 7 weeks I have been able to work by the side of an awesome therapist. She has such a wonderful way with children and I have learned so much from her. Mrs. Paige has given me a chance to develop myself as a therapist and has given me the confirmation of what path to take once I am done. Had Eric not made that phone call or if she had not accepted me; I would have been placed in what proved to be a bad placement by another student, and I would not have had a chance to work with children. I believe things happen for a reason and the universe really does line up for us. I am so blessed to have had my experiences. I now know without a doubt that my career path will lead me to helping children. I may not land a job right out of the gate that will set me up to work with children, but I know when the job is right I will come across it. I am looking forward to see what life has in store for me. God Bless and Best Wishes!!!