Katelyn Jansen

Responsibilities

My main responsibilities at Amanda the Panda were under three categories which were programming, outreach, and office management. For programming, my responsibilities included participating in managing intake for individuals and families, helping cofacilitate grief support groups, school groups, supplemental activities, day camps, and preparing for our cheer box program. I also helped staff brainstorm program development and evaluation ideas, along with assisting with special projects. For outreach, I participated in community education and was an ambassador in the Des Moines area for promoting strategies to deal with grief and loss, along with nurturing relationships with collaborative partners of EveryStep. For office management, I helped support day-to-day operations by answering phones, organizing building space, responding to inquiries, and maintaining database and record keeping for participants.

Accomplishments

During my internship at Amanda the Panda, my greatest accomplishment was being able to lead my own school grief support groups and participating in resource fairs and community boots in the Des Moines area. Being able to lead my own school groups gave me the opportunity to build trusting connections with students and be able to be there for them in their grief journey. It was rewarding being able to see the students connect with each other and open up about emotions and their journeys. Leading my own groups pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me extremely valuable information.

Learning experience

I learned a lot of valuable lessons from my experience at Amanda the Panda, from office management to the importance of networking and professional communication, which taught me skills that will be valuable to my future. But the greatest lesson I learned during my internship at Amanda the Panda is that you get out what you put in an experience. At first, I was nervous to lead my own Monday night support group and school groups, but I said yes anyways. If I didn't put myself out there by leading my groups, I wouldn't have experienced growth within myself, and I wouldn't have connected with participants, and experienced their vulnerability. I learned that you don't need to be perfect with everything you do or say in groups or with individuals and families but having a human conversation with a pure heart and good intentions will make a positive impact with others.

What advice would you give?

My advice for students who are in this college, class, or major is that it's okay if you don't know exactly what you want to do. This degree is an outlet for so many different opportunities, so I encourage people to try new fields and areas and see what you enjoy. My next piece of advice is to put yourself out there, my internship has taught me so many leadership skills to build my confidence, and as an introvert, I thought I would never lead groups by myself, but now I absolutely love it. My last piece of advice is to take care of yourself the best you can, while this field is amazing, it can take a toll on one's physical and mental. Taking breaks and setting boundaries is very important to take care of yourself, in order to make an impact on others.