As I mentioned in my previous
post, the other interns at Gladney are so wonderful! The work they have done is
amazing. We have all had wonderful experiences and learned so much! As the
marketing intern, I thought it would be interesting to find out what exactly
led them to Gladney and how their experiences have been so far. I asked them a
few questions, and this is what I learned!
To the interns: You are the
sweetest girls with the biggest hearts! I wish we would have been able to spend
more time together, but what time I had with y’all was so special! Good luck
with the rest of your time at Gladney, as you finish school, and as you move on
into your careers! God bless!
1. What made you want to be an
intern at Gladney?
Lindsey: As a requirement for my
undergraduate degree in Human Development and Family Science at Oklahoma State,
we are to do an internship within our field of study for a designated amount of
time! I personally have no prior experience with the adoption field; however I
more than likely will be led to adoption to complete my family in the future. I
felt that adoption is such a significant field and learning more about the
process and the populations of people who are involved would serve not only as
an influential and educational internship experience for myself, but also open
up my eyes to a world I will more than likely join and hopefully help make a
difference in other’s lives as well.
JaNae: I have a love for adoption
and knew I wanted my internship to be at an adoption agency. I was adopted
myself and loved the idea of giving others hope of starting or expanding their
family.
Tanna: I first heard about
Gladney when my aunt and uncle adopted their son from China! Not only did I
hear about their adoption experience with Gladney, but I also heard a lot about
the Superkids program as my aunt is the pediatrician who participates in the
Superkids trips to China! When I found out Gladney offered internships
(including one in international adoption, which is my passion!) I knew I wanted
to apply!
Haley: My brother was adopted
through Gladney, so my family and I have had a lot of experience with this
organization, and seeing how wonderful this place and its staff were throughout
the years made me want to be an intern here.
Jordan: I am a Gladney baby, and
I have always been interested in what goes on behind the scenes at an adoption
agency! My parents had such a positive experience bringing my sister and I home
from Gladney. My life is forever changed by the decision my birth mother so
lovingly made and I wanted to make a difference in a child’s life, too
2. What has been the best
learning experience so far?
Lindsey: My best learning
experience so far at Gladney has been working directly with the birthmothers in
the dorm and understanding the process and feelings that they are going
through. There is no way to know how they are feeling, but witnessing this
selfless act firsthand and getting the chance to talk to them and take this
walk with them is extraordinary.
JaNae: I've had many positive
experiences at Gladney that it is hard to name just one. I've been able to be a
part of a few baby placements and see the reactions of the adoptive couple as
they see their new baby for the first time. I've been able to do many home
visits, I've gone as far as Austin, and get to know each of the couples and
families that desire to adopt. I've also been able to go to the court house and
see many finalizations. It's a beautiful thing to see a family stand there with
their child and be declared their official parents.
Tanna: I have a hard time picking
the best learning experience I’ve had in my first few weeks because I’m gaining
new information each day! One thing that sticks out to me is the knowledge I
have gained regarding the adoption process in general. Two of my brothers were
adopted from Africa, and since it was a private adoption our family was not
associated with an agency. My experience at Gladney has shown me what the
adoption process looks like when you are working with an agency. I have also
had the chance to learn about parenting adopted children and how to properly
handle issues that are faced with adopted children.
Haley: Shadowing Monique on a
home study has been the best learning experience for me so far. Just seeing the interview process from a
different side and learning how to manage situations and observing everything
going on was such a great experience.
Jordan: There have been so many!
I think learning about the processes all members of the adoption triad go
through has been most interesting to me.
3. What do you hope to get out of
this experience?
Lindsey: I hope that after my
time at Gladney has come to an end, I will have a greater sense of
understanding for each party that is involved in adoption as well as everything
Gladney does to help each of those groups of people. I hope to broaden my
horizons into a field that I had no prior experience and take that new found
education with me into my future.
JaNae: I hope to be able to learn
as much as I can about adoption and how I can grow to help children and
families in my future career.
Tanna: I hope to become more
knowledgeable in the various areas of an adoption agency during this
experience. I have loved being able to see so many different aspects of Gladney
during my time here! I am interning in the international department, but I have
been given multiple opportunities in other departments. My eyes have been
opened to all that an adoption agency does!
Haley: I hope to gain invaluable
experience (which I already have in the short time I’ve been here) that will
help me in a future career and in life in general.
Jordan: From the beginning I
wanted to gain general knowledge of this amazing organization and get my feet
wet in the world of adoption. I have been exposed to many different situations
and learned exactly what it looks like to be completely devoted and committed
to helping birth mothers, adoptees, and adoptive parents have the best adoption
experience possible.
4. What do you hope to contribute
to Gladney while you are here?
Lindsey: I hope that while I am
here at Gladney I will contribute my love for families and my love for helping
others during my work especially in the dorm. I work very hard and try to learn
as much as I can, so I hope that this effort shines through into everyone that
I work with and I make a small difference in my time that I’ve spent.
JaNae: I hope to be able to
contribute my experiences and knowledge with those I encounter. I also want to
instill hope and happiness into the lives of those I work with.
Haley: I hope to be a big help to
Gladney during my time here in any way I can.
I hope that the work I do as an intern here will contribute positively
to this organization, even if it is in the smallest way.
Jordan: Since my experience here
is almost over, I hope that I have encouraged others with my story and been
able to complete work that needed to be done in order to best advocate for
adoption.
5. What are your plans for the
future?
Lindsey: After my summer at
Gladney, I will move down to San Marcos, Texas where I will pursue my master’s
degree in Family and Child Studies with a track for Child Life. I hope to work
with children and families in the medical setting and help their lives flourish
despite the hardship they are going through. Through therapy and advocacy I
aspire to help those little kiddos who are not always able to help themselves
and promote resilience within their families for a happy and future.
JaNae: My future plans after I
graduate with my Masters would be to work with children who have trauma or
attachment issues and/or to work in an adoption agency.
Tanna: To be honest I am not
completely sure what my futures plans are! I will graduate in May, and I am
considering going on to get my Masters in Social Work. I trust the plan the
Lord has for me and will know what is next in His timing.
Haley: My plan for the future is
to continue my education by attending TCU’s MSW program and then after,
hopefully start a career in the field of social work (where exactly is to be
determined).
Jordan: I will graduate in March
with a degree in Family and Child Studies and a minor in Business Leadership! I
plan to get my Master’s in Social Work, but I am not sure where. I am very
interested in working in the adoption field, but I am also interested in Play
Therapy and teaching preschool! I am trusting the Lord to guide me where He
sees fit.
Xoxo,
The Interns
P.S.- Shout out to Mary Ownbey and
our supervisors for all of your help and for making this possible! If you want
to ever volunteer or intern at Gladney, we think you definitely should!
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