The Human Services Program at WWU gave me the experiences, awareness and skills that I need to be an advocate for creating social change and take action towards making a difference in the lives of others. I was required to do three quarters (about 9 months in total) of an internship. My first internship at a domestic violence shelter for women and children and the second was at Child Protective Services. My experiences at my internships were extremely valuable and allowed me to gain practical skills and experience in the social services field that helped me to learn more about my values, what I am most passionate about and what type of organization I may want to work with when I have my career someday. It also gave me necessary experience for being accepted to be a Peace Corps volunteer :)
My passions really flourished during the summer of 2010 when I lived in
Mexico for about three months to volunteer at an orphanage in the northern Baja
California. I fell completely in love with the Mexican culture. The people that
I met in Mexico inspired me because they had less money and material
possessions yet they seemed so much happier than the average person in the US.
They taught me the meaning of living in community by sharing what little
resources they have with their neighbors and friends. "Mi casa es tu casa" ("My house is your house").
The love that was formed in my heart for the Mexican culture
and the Spanish language inspired me to want to get to know other countries in
Latin America. With this inspiration, I decided to study abroad in Ecuador! In June of 2011, I set off
to live in Quito, Ecuador for 6 months where I would spend the first few months
studying abroad and the last few month volunteering at an orphanage school as
an English teacher. You can read about and see photos of my experiences in
Ecuador by looking at the blog that I kept while I was there:
http://kendrapittman.blogspot.com/
I feel so lucky to live in and fall in love
with yet another country in Latin America while working with youth. Please join me in
my adventure!!!
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| The most amazing parents I could ever ask for. My parents are my rock. |
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| Part of my amazing and supportive family at my graduation party. |
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| Que viva Peru!!! My home for two years :) |
