Meghan would appreciate any positive thoughts and prayers as she starts her internship and her last semester of college today. Her major is social work and she is doing an internship at the Middle Tennessee Mental Health Institute. She will be working with the Juvenile unit there. These adolescents are usually there for 30 days for acute treatment before being referred elsewhere for inpatient or outpatient treatment. Most of these cases are severe. She is really excited about this opportunity and is hoping to work with this age group eventually. She also has the advantage of getting to do an internship there as an undergrad when they mainly do only grad level internships. So as excited as she is, she is also petrified! Her next step is grad school, which she is in the process of applying to. She is looking at Indiana University, Appalachian State and USC. Of course, Appalachian and USC would be great for Mom and Dad, but Indiana has a Masters with a School Social work concentration so that would be great.
It's amazing how time goes by so quickly. I could hardly discuss graduation with her over Christmas without the tears showing up. Part of being a successful parent is seeing your child move forward with their life. No one warns you about how hard that will be!
Wow - you must be so proud! She sounds like she is a hard worker and a great student. Sending Rays her way!
Wow Theresa! What an exciting time for Meghan! You are obviously very proud and with good reason. Your daughter sounds like a very bright and ambitious young woman.
I know what you mean about how hard it is to see them leave. My youngest is in his second year of college! I honestly do not know how the time went by so quickly!
I'll be adding Meghan to my prayers....but it sounds like she is doing just fine!
I can remember when you were sending Meghan off to college for her first year!! You must be so proud of her.
I will be in your shoes a year from now. Amy is a Junior, majoring in Gerentology.
The first day of the internship went well. Luckily the census was low, so she had a chance to get a feel for things and get familiar with the area she was in. The people she will be working with are super nice and that helps. She said the hardest part will be trying to not get so emotionally involved that she brings everything home with her each day. That is a skill that is hard to learn and one I don't think anyone ever masters. She will learn how to not let it take over her life, but part of that empathy is what will make her good at what she does one day. Today she had the class that goes along with her internship and found out just how much paperwork she is going to get to do also. I think that was more overwhelming than anything!
Mindy, I was thinking about Amy when I was typing up this post. I remembered passing along some of the things I had learned about coping with those first few quiet weeks after Meghan had left to you when Amy was doing the same. What does Amy plan to do after graduation?
At this instant in time, I think Amy is planning to find an assistant-manager-type job in a long-term care facility close to home. She can share a house or apartment with friend(s), so she can build up her savings and pay off the college loans.
Longer term, she will probably move to a slightly warmer climate and hopes to eventually become a head administrator of either a long-term care facility or even a hospital.
What a great thing to want to do. So many young people today avoid long-term care places like the plaque. It is one area that Meghan has thought about working in, but, really has a heart for the teens. It will be exciting to keep up with what happens with our girls over the next few years.