Child Life Specialist
Skyler Mebane
After graduating from California State University Long Beach in Spring of 2021, earning my BA in Child Development, I am interested in becoming a Child Life Specialist. With my experience and fieldwork done with children, my overwhelming patience, empathy, ability to cope with sensitive situations, and my desire to help children in need, I feel this occupation is exactly where I am meant to be.
Above are a couple of students I have worked with in the past through a prominent program known as, Best Buddies. This program works to integrate regular students and people with children struggling with ASD; Autism Spectrum Disorder. With this program, ASD students are able to feel as normal as possible and they are able to interact with other students and participate in group activities.
More information about me:Alongside my retail job, I am currently an academic mentor working with children who are undergoing disorders that cause them to not learn at the same pace as other students their age. While I love mentoring, I am unable to take pictures to showcase what my Thursday and Friday mornings look like while mentoring at Kettering Elementary School. I have 6+ years of babysitting experience and within these 6 years, I have learned to navigate through challenging obstacles regarding the children I look over. These include but are not limited to children refusing to bathe at an appropriate time, children refusing to eat the food I have prepared to them (per request of their primary caregiver), and for me, the most challenging obstacle, dealing with children who are not willing to go outside and have fun. Children who seem so stressed out and distraught at age 6 that it does not seem healthy or where a normal 6 year old should be, energy wise. I work hard to develop strategies and activities to help incorporate positivity to the children and help them "see the light."
