Last summer, as an All-Star, I was much better about blogging. Conversely, this summer at the National Resource Center for Youth Development has been full of a myriad of different experiences and I haven’t had the time to reflect on them in the same way I was able to last summer.

Today is my last day in the office at NRCYD as the intern. This summer has made me realize that it is time to distance myself from my personal story. I have healed and come to terms with many things in my past, and now it is time to focus on my future. While working at NRCYD, I was afforded the opportunity to educate others on issues in foster care without revealing my personal story. I saw that being knowledgeable and passionate about a subject can have just as positive of an impact. It is also important to transition to that place of presentation if you want to proceed in the field of child welfare professionally. Letting go of your personal story helps you to let go of the past and the anger associated with it. Anger and professionalism do not walk hand in hand.

As a recent college graduate, this experience expanded my view of the workplace and the field of child welfare. I have created and maintained relationships with the Children’s Bureau, NRCYS, OKIL, and others. For the next year, I will take the time to analyze how those relationships will affect my relation to child welfare before I transition to law school at the University of Washington School of Law in the fall of 2013.

Until then, I will be collecting some clinical experience in Berlin, Germany. :)