My child life internship allowed me to grow my clinical skills and develop a greater professionalism. I have a great foundation on which I can build my career and pursue my passion. My internship experience was the culmination of years of hard work, striving to become a part of this growing profession. I took advantage of all the opportunities that Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota afforded me and will take these lessons with me into my future work with children and their families.

Volunteering at Give Kids The World over my spring break was one of the most fun and rewarding trips I've been on. The village is an amazing respite for these families and offers an escape from the realities of illness, even if only for one week. I hope to go back to GKTW again one day. This experience had an immense impact on my views of ill children and their families.

Make-A-Wish is a unique and wonderful program that positively impacts the lives of the children and families who receive the gift of a wish. I truly enjoyed getting to be a part of children's wish journeys. It is a wondrous thing to be a part of making a child's deepest wish come true. My experience as a wish grantor changed the way I see children and their families in the hospital setting, there is more to them than their medical journey. This realization is ever present in my mind now.

Volunteering with Iowa City Hospice encouraged my interest in palliative and end of life care. I was able to work as part of a team to develop a bi-annual grief camp for kids and assist in the monthly grief groups. This volunteer opportunity also broadened my understanding of what it means to be dying. This experience has changed how I compassionately work with children and their families in the healthcare environment.

Children who have complex medical needs aren't often able to attend summer camps like other children. This winter class through The University of Iowa provided myself and my classmates the opportunity to change this for the children at The University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. Playing and singing camp songs was what this week was all about and I couldn't be more thankful for the experience.

The entire family is affected when children are sick. Volunteering with Ronald McDonald House Charities encouraged me to better understand the challenges that these families face during the illness of a child. Simple things, like housing nearby can make a big difference. I am glad that I could be a part of the solution to making things just slightly easier for these families.