Meet Emily, a Hendrix College graduate from Cabot, Arkansas!
Why did you decide to come to Casa de Esperanza?
When I was getting close to graduating from college, I knew that I wasn't ready to go straight into a graduate program, so I began looking for other post-graduate opportunities that'd be worthwhile ways to spend my time until I decided on how I wanted to continue my education. I came across Casa de Esperanza in this search and everything about this experience seemed to fit what I wanted to be doing. I have interest in working with children and I was curious to learn more about social work and the foster care system, but more importantly, the work being done at Casa de Esperanza felt like it would be good work that was worth doing. I had a feeling that I'd enjoy this type of work, that I'd be good at it, and that I'd be performing a useful service through it, and I've been happy to see that I was right.
Share a favorite memory.
One of my favorite memories at Casa de Esperanza was an "A-ha" moment with one of the first children I had in my care. One day we were playing outside when he was frightened by some shadows moving along the fence from some overhead leaves. His immediate response was to run across the yard into my arms and I have never felt so touched by the actions of a child before. He had only been in my care for a week, and while I didn't think we had connected that strongly by that point, he showed me in that moment that he trusted me to keep him safe from things that scared him, and that was very meaningful to me. It can be easy sometimes to get lost in all of the things I can't do for these children in the long-term, but moments like that remind me just how important it is in every moment to show these children that they're safe at Casa de Esperanza.
What is one thing you learned since arriving at Casa de Esperanza?
One thing I have learned since arriving at Casa de Esperanza is that, while there is no one single "right" way to parent, one of the more effective ways involves actively learning from the children as you parent them. Every child is different in the ways they need to be taught and talked to because each child is different. You have to be able to adjust your viewpoint to meet them where they're at. I can receive all of the training in the world from adults about children and be an adequate caretaker, but it really takes listening to the children to be an effective caretaker that can properly meet their needs.
What is one piece of advice, guidance, or recommendation for someone who is considering the Hands of Hope Service Year?
One piece of advice I would have for someone who is considering Hands of Hope is to be ready to feel the full scale of human emotions while being here. This job isn't always easy for any number of reasons, and you will undoubtedly have some really rough days, but I've found that there are a lot of seemingly small moments that make the bad days seem not so bad and the good days even better. You have an opportunity at Casa de Esperanza to experience so many precious moments and to touch the lives of so many children in ways that you'll never be able to fully comprehend, and those are the moments that you'll look back on for the rest of your life.
