Molly Witerrowd, alumna (class of ’11), Portland, OR
Hey Everyone! I hope I find all of you doing well and enjoying life after college! After graduation I was blessed with the opportunity to spend more time working at my practicum placement at the Lakewood Child Study and Treatment Center where Prof. Sarah Heavin works. For those of you reading this who have yet to graduate and are
interested in that class, I HIGHLY recommend it! I also would add that the CSTC is an amazing place to work with incredible staff and kids that provide countless learning opportunities day-to-day. After saying my goodbyes to everyone there and friends at UPS, I packed up and moved back home to Portland, Oregon.
My first goal in moving back was to 1) Completely redo my room 2) Get all settled into my life in Portland 3) Get a job in the psychology field working with kids 4) Play more soccer and 5) Have fun with friends from high school and Oregon. I started redoing my room by going through all of my childhood things and paying trips to Goodwill (luckily finding my favorite new toy- Gameboy!), painting the walls a
lovely green, and getting new bedding and furniture (not little kid flowers anymore) and then I applied for jobs.
I ended up getting offered jobs from Albertina Kerr, which is a well-respected organization in working with adults who have developmental disabilities and/or mental health issues but decided against a long commute and something I wasn’t extremely passionate about. In early August, I was offered a job at the Chehalem Youth and Family Center as a Youth Treatment Specialist. I have been working
with youth aged 14-18. I am certain of the role that my experience at the CSTC played in helping me get this job and am extremely grateful for that. Unlike the CSTC where I was in recreational therapy and mainly working with the lil’ tikes, this job has provided me with new challenges in working on altering behavioral issues, enhancing life skills, and coping with a most often negative history. The center is ran through George Fox University so I have been connecting with their PsyD program as well as Pacific University’s campus in Portland in exploring options for graduate school in clinical psychology.
This summer I have also had a lot of fun reconnecting with old friends and making new friends as well. I spent quite a bit of time nannying for a few kids I love, which was nice to see healthy and happy kids with loving families! I’ve enjoyed what Oregon has to offer- the Portland nightlife with concerts, art and music festivals, dancing bars, and comedy clubs. My family and I were frequent beachgoers to our new beach house that we built on the Oregon Coast in a town called Manzanita. I also went camping a few times with friends from school. Considering my work hours are flexible, I have been able to spend a lot of time traveling and relaxing and actually snow skiing
for the first time on Mt. Hood! I’ve been skiing since I could walk because my dad’s on Ski Patrol but this time, it was beautiful and sunny when we visited with one of UPS’ soccer coaches, Kelly Bendixen and his hilarious middle school son who is phenomenal at snowboarding! Also, other firsts during that weekend and throughout the summer were tight-roping on an obstacle course, zip-lining, and reverse and
regular bungee jumping! Quite an adventure!
So overall, a great summer! The theme that I found intertwined throughout life after college was that it’s important to take any opportunity provided in exploring new journeys, having patience and determination in setting goals and getting a job that is fulfilling, and taking time to have fun with the people you love while doing things you’re passionate about! I’m looking forward to the future in continuing to make lists of what I want to do, working with an array of different types of kids, BECOMING AN AUNTIE TO A NEPHEW, staying in shape through physical exercise and the sport I love-soccer, and soon enough- visiting UPS again to explore the new building once more and to see all of you! Especially because I can’t wait to hear about all the wonderful things you have been up to!