Many students enter college with some idea of what type of work they are interested in — combining previous life experiences with professional goals and a self-assessment of their natural disposition to pursue a general course of study. Family, friends, guidance counselors and university admissions staff can help tease out these ideas, but students often find the best educational path when they proactively discover what about the world resonates with them.
From a young age, senior Alexa Gonzalez knew she wanted to work with kids, but she wasn’t positive in what capacity. She considered a career in education, but after completing a student teacher trainee program during high school, she realized that the traditional duties of a teacher felt too constricting. Around the same time, one of her young cousins was admitted to the hospital and a totally new career path presented itself. 
“I remember my aunt telling us about their experience with my cousin’s care team,” Alexa reflects. “She was particularly confused why one specific person’s job was to do things like blow bubbles during an IV procedure.”
Curious to learn more, Alexa researched about the unique position of a child life specialist (CLS). This relatively new profession blends elements of child development, education and social work to help young children and their support system cope with big changes, particularly in a hospital environment. In addition to blowing bubbles to distract a patient during an IV procedure, these specialists often assist a care team by breaking down confusing medical jargon into developmentally appropriate language and leading young patients in therapeutic art and play interventions that often include medical equipment such as syringes, art supplies and teaching dolls. The goal is to reduce the fear and anxiety surrounding medical procedures.
“When you have specialists and a well-rounded medical team, you are able to care for the whole child,” Alexa explains. “Not just their physical needs and the reason they are in the hospital, but for who they are. The whole child also includes their support system. If the adults don’t feel confident as care givers, that can be an additional stressor to the child. When children are actively stressed and afraid, their physical healing can be slowed down.”
Confident in her career goal, when Alexa started her college search she had two clear criteria — she wanted to attend one of the Nazarene universities and to enroll in a child development program that included comprehensive CLS preparation. She emailed the admissions teams at all of the Nazarene institutions to explain her career aspirations and collegiate goals. Olivet Nazarene University was the only institution that offered a CLS track for a child development degree.
“I came for a campus visit and met with Dr. Dawn Schwarzkopf [associate professor of education], who said the school had just hired a professor who had years of experience as a child life specialist,” Alexa reflects. “I put my deposit down that day — it was the confirmation I needed to enroll at Olivet.”
The School of Education at Olivet Nazarene University has offered a bachelor’s degree in child development for the last 36 years — starting the degree program in 1989. Currently, the degree is available in both a traditional and online format. This program prepares students for careers that provide holistic care to young children and their families, with a specific focus on the birth to second grade — including early learning and care providers, case workers, developmental therapists, parent educators/home visitors, youth social service roles and child life specialists. In addition, the degree helps prepare students for graduate school admissions for specialized work as a pediatric speech therapist and occupational therapist. 
In 2020, professor Amanda Chorak joined Olivet’s faculty to add her wealth of professional experience as a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) and Illinois Professional Educator and advanced degrees in that field, allowing the School of Education to expand its offering so that students graduate with the necessary theoretical knowledge and hands-on experiential learning to pursue a career as a CLS.
“It has been such a blessing to have this opportunity to return to my alma mater and support future helping professionals in discovering their calling to care for the needs of society’s children and families,” says Professor Chorak. “Helping the growing child life profession and bringing awareness that cultivates change within education and all settings where care for children truly supports the psychosocial, emotional and developmental needs of children and families is my hope. Child Life Specialists support children and families, not only during life’s challenges but during the everyday difficult places their lives inhabit.”
One of the requirements of the child development program at Olivet is the completion of an internship in the particular field in which they’re interested. As Alexa progressed in the program, she gained an even deeper interest in the role of a CLS and she took initiative to find additional avenues to engage in the industry. Although taking an anatomy course is not typically required for child development students, she knew that an understanding of anatomical terms would enhance her ability to effectively communicate to children in a medical setting, so she added the course to her curriculum. Alexa also used her faculty and staff connections at Olivet to secure a shadowing experience with a pediatric ear nose and throat specialist at Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago, as well as a volunteer position in the pediatric department at Carle Health Care in Champaign, Illinois.
In addition to devoting time to study for the required CLS licensing exam, which is only offered three times per year, during her final semester of college, Alexa is completing an internship at St. Alexius Women and Children’s Hospital in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, where she works with a team of four specialists who provide care to pediatric units.
“By the end of the internship, I will have rotated twice between the pediatric inpatient floor and the emergency room to observe different areas of medicine,” she says. “The team has been fantastic. My goal after this bonus internship is to become certified and then hopefully work in Chicago for a couple of years. The fast-paced care you find in a large city hospital environment is work that I’m definitely interested in.”
Alexa was highly motivated to use her time at Olivet to take full advantage of as many opportunities as possible to learn and grow. In addition to her schoolwork and internship responsibilities, she was very involved on campus, participating in Orpheus Choir, working as a supervisor in the Perry Student Life and Recreation Center and on the student life team as the events and programming assistant, and serving as the treasurer and then the president of Student Child Development Association. She recognized that the potential to maximize her college experience came from a desire to soak up as much knowledge as possible so that she would enter the work force with well-rounded preparation.
“Sometimes when people go off to school, they anticipate that the steps of process will be handed to them; but that’s not always how it goes,” Alexa reflects as she considers how she might encourage a prospective student to similarly succeed in their academic goals. “Don’t be afraid to try and pave a way that is the best for you. Ask questions and propose new ideas. Take every opportunity that comes up!”
For more information about the School of Education, visit Olivet.edu.
