While Kayla enjoyed the mentorship and connecting with her mentor, the experience helped her to realize that she was more interested in working in the restaurant sector.
While career decisions are not as easy as child’s play, for Kayla, child’s play was helpful in deciding which career path to take.
Two careers that interested Kayla were child care assistant and working in the restaurant sector. To learn more about working in child care, she spent time job shadowing her mentor, Jenny, and other Child Care Assistants at the local YMCA child care programs.
Kayla toured two programs that care for children 1-5 years old and a school-aged program for for infants 6-12-year-olds months old. She experienced first-hand Child Care Assistants’ diverse tasks, from arts and crafts with the children to snack preparation and cleaning.
Kayla thought this mentorship at the YMCA was informative and that her mentor, Jenny, who was mentoring for the first time, was very supportive. Some of the most impactful learnings included how each Child Care Assistant is responsible for a specific section and that caring for up to five children at a time can be challenging!
Thanks to Jenny’s mentoring and chats with the other Child Care Assistants, Kayla gained confidence in her ability with children and grew personally and professionally. The YMCA was the perfect mentoring partner with their welcoming, inclusive workplace and diverse staff.
While Kayla enjoyed the mentorship and connecting with her mentor, the experience helped her to realize that she was more interested in working in the restaurant sector. We wish you all the best, Kayla, as you explore that career path!