Staff Spotlight: CapeCodToday.com features Latham intern Colleen Macdonald

Latham School intern Colleen Macdonald was featured in CapeCodToday.com’s “Summer Intern Chronicles” this morning. Latham Centers places college students in a variety of internships year-round. Colleen is interning this summer in our Children’s Services Program, and her reflections quoted from CapeCodToday.com follow:

Hi, I am Colleen Macdonald and I live in Sandwich. I am entering my senior year at Boston University, majoring in counseling psychology and child life and family studies. This summer, I have had the opportunity to intern at Latham Centers’ campus located in Brewster. Latham Centers provides residential care, treatment, and education for children between the ages of 8 and 22. The populations served are those with complex special needs, including those with Prader-Willi syndrome, a life-threatening disorder with no known cure. As an intern, I am working directly with the children in the school setting as well as with the education staff, counselors, and directly with Kara McDowell, the Assistant Principal. I also have the opportunity to work on school curriculums and attend meetings with staff members. This internship also allows me to work with the children in the residential setting. This allows me and other staff members to interact with the children in a more intimate environment and truly get to know each other.

This internship will be extremely beneficial for me in my future profession. I plan on working as a child life specialist, helping children and families cope while in a hospital setting, and providing developmentally and psychologically appropriate interventions to help create a normal and stress-free environment. Having hands-on experience working directly with children is my major focus.

I have already learned so much while interning at Latham. One of the biggest things I have learned is that when working with children, you have to make sure that you are always meeting the child’s needs. Another thing that I have learned while working at Latham is that no two children are the same and that you must adapt your approach to best suit each child. One thing that I will be taking away from this internship and will implement in my future work is that when working with children, it is important to look at the whole situation, not just what is right in front of you. Often times when a child is acting out or having certain feelings, it is a combination of things that have led to that point.

Before starting this internship, I was not sure where my profession would take me. I had thought that I would be working in the city to allow me the best opportunities. However, Latham Centers has opened a new door for me. Although I had seen myself working at a children’s hospital, my time at Latham has shown me that I am able to use what I am learning as a child life specialist to help those in the school and residential setting. Although I am not sure where I will end up once I graduate, I can now say that Latham is in contention!

If I could give fellow college students advice when looking for an internship, I would tell them to start looking early. This is very important if students are looking on the Cape. There is not a large number of internships available on Cape Cod and many students are trying to get internships. Starting early and showing interest in the field will be extremely helpful. Also, trust what you have learned in school and go in ready to learn. Internships are a time for you to learn, see if you like your potential career, and try different things out. As an intern, you are not expected to know everything, so take the opportunity to ask questions of your fellow workers and just enjoy it!