Reflection

Working with children is something that I know I want to do in my future.  I recognize how important that children are and that they are the future of the world.  No one should have to be subjected to a life of pain and misery, especially if it can be prevented.  My goal after college is to become a social worker for children.  I have always had a strong compassion for children and I try to do as much as I can to reach out.  When I first began college, I was a psychology major.  I did not really know what I wanted to do because some people close to me were against me being a social worker.  They did not feel like I would be making enough money and I did consider their opinions.  This semester, I knew I had to make up my mind.  I changed my major to Human Services and I am on the path to acquiring my dream job.

This is why I chose to spend my volunteer hours at the Old Dominion University Lion’s Club Child Study Center.  It is better known as just the Lion’s Club.  It serves as a preschool and kindergarten program.  It is open five days a week for three hours a day and “emphasizes developmentally appropriate practices for children ages three to five”.  Their curriculum includes art, music, science, reading, mathematics, physical education, basic computer understanding, foreign language, and swimming.  The children are separated by age and given assignments and programs that are designated by their readiness to prepare them for their next step in life.  This center serves as a link between the university and the surrounding community.  The Lion’s Club has a mission of urban outreach and provides consultations to the community, agencies, and local school systems.  It places an emphasis on early childhood, special education, and speech pathology and audiology programs.  The Lion’s Club has done a spectacular job at achieving their goals and sticking to its mission statement and I am glad I could be a part of it.