It has been another busy week! It feels like every time I finish one thing, there are a bunch of other things that follow, but I like that; the more work I can do, the more I can truly learn and get out of this Fellowship.

I have been doing a lot more community outreach and completely loving it; the kids I am working with are funny, smart, and really want to learn about good dental health and love that we are there. It has been important that I remember the good we are doing and to not dwell on the bad situations many of these kids are in. Having a good attitude is key when doing this type of work.

One of the conversations we had last week at a learning session has stuck with me; we talked about the difficulties of coming from different backgrounds than the people we are serving, and how to overcome these difficulties. Dwelling on these differences can make this type of work difficult. I think its important to acknowledge the differences, but to focus on the fact that these kids are eager to learn and have fun with us.

I really cannot believe it has only been three weeks; I think I have learned more through this experience than I ever have during my years as an undergrad. On top of learning more about what goes into running a successful nonprofit, I have improved my time management skills. Applying to graduate school and taking online classes on top of this full time job has been busy, but I know I am giving my all at all three.

I am excited to continue outreach tomorrow; we have an all-day event and except a lot of kids to show up, so it should be a day full of smiles and learning! Educational outreach has always been something I wanted to incorporate into my career, and having the chance to participate and lead outreach at KidSMILES has only strengthened this passion.