About me

I began volunteering in the nursery at my church at 11 years old. Having the opportunity to help take care of the infants and toddlers made me feel more like an adult even at a young age. Growing up the oldest child in my family, I had always wanted to help my mom with taking care of my younger siblings as well. Helping to care for kids not only made me feel more “grown up,” it actually taught me many skills while I was growing up. By the time I entered high school I was ready and willing to use my childcare skills, and I was finally old enough to begin to work as a babysitter for my family friends and teachers. It was during these years that I was also figuring out who I was and what I wanted to do in life; but at the same time I was given the chance to escape to playground games and Disney fairytales every time I babysat after school or on the weekend.

For me, having that unexpected balance between those tough adult decisions and carefree childhood moments in my daily life, helped me to appreciate the kids I cared for and the time I spent watching them grow up. Whenever I’m babysitting or caring for kids in any setting, I’m aware of how the relationship that’s built benefits us both. I might be helping with homework or problem solving on the playground, but they are helping me remember how exciting it can be to look at life in a generous, simple, and hopeful way.

Apart from my experience with individual families, working as an occasional and regular after-school sitter, I've worked with children in artistic and educational environments as well. I have volunteered as a teacher's aide in a kindergarten classroom and have also worked as a volunteer in my church, mainly in the nursery but occasionally running Sunday school classes.