I am tremendously grateful to have had the opportunity in being part of this year’s children’s summer program. It has been a wonderful experience in getting to know the many children at ASD.

Since my very first day here at ASD, I could see how much good and happiness this organization is bringing to these young children. Through the summer program, they have been given the opportunity to explore other parts of their lives both leisure and academic. When they took trips to museums they were actually eager to learn new things and enjoyed the learning experience. Instead of being isolated during the summer, they were able to build healthy relationships with their peers, which are vital to their own social growth. When we did science experiments, they learned how to work in teams which is a great skill to acquire.

As as a mentor, I was there to spend time with them and help them complete tasks and improve their problem-solving skills. I believe it provided them with a safe outlet to have fun and learn new things. It was also a big help to the parents, as some of them have newborns to take care of or are seeking financial stability. They could focus on getting things done rather than be worried about if their child was safe or if they were missing out on anything. The impact was clearly felt as I saw how eager each child was to start the day’s activities. When the parents would come to come to pick up or drop off their child, they would let us know how appreciative they were towards this program. When I had first applied for this internship I was seeking to help enrich the lives of others. Now that the internship has come to an end, I can honestly and proudly say that I did complete my goal for summer 2016.

Thank you ASD.