MacKenzie Dunson

Major: Human Development and Family Studies
Company/Organization: Mainstream Living
Company/Organization website: https://www.mainstreamliving.org/
Destination: Ames, Iowa
Timeframe: Summer 2023
Advisor/Coordinator Email: jenvan@iastate.edu

Responsibilities

During my internship, I assist in a home with five adults with different mental and physical disabilities. While with them, I do a wide range of different things. I was able to spend all my time in the same home, which helped me to get to know the residents very well. This helped me be able to help them and give them what they needed to my highest ability. Some of the things I have done while working are, -Cooking meals -Grocery shopping -Cleaning -Laundry -Hygiene - bathing, brushing teeth -Passing medication -Community integration -Relationship building -Transportation This is only a small list of my responsibilities during my time here. Every day is new, and you never know what you will do next.

Accomplishments

The biggest accomplishment of my internship is building relationships with my residents. I feel like I built a really good relationship with each resident, which made my time there so much more rewarding and enjoyable.

Learning experience

The greatest lesson from my internship is that I can do things I never thought possible. This internship pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best ways possible and helped me grow and change. I was so overwhelmed when starting, but right away, I jumped in willingly and was able to learn and grow so much over time. This helped me see that I can do whatever I put my mind to.

What advice would you give?

My advice for future students is that even though it may seem overwhelming and scary, remember you have all the knowledge you need to do a great job. Having an open mind will take you far and allow you to extend your knowledge to learn and grow.

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