By the time this is posted, the DukeEngage Seattle group should be in its fifth week (!) and it seems mind-boggling how quickly the time seems to pass here. Every day I seem confronted with something new – sometimes exciting, sometimes nerve-wracking, but always a little bit of a shock to my system. I feel like I’m in a constant state of adjustment, adapting in my work and the city of Seattle and the people around me.
This summer I’ve been placed with Amara, which is an independent non-profit foster care and adoption agency that also provides non-judgmental and all-options pregnancy counseling. Since starting here, I’ve been greeted by warm welcomes and even warmer hearts. The people who work here are so devoted to helping children and families caught in situations which I can’t imagine. They are dedicated to helping families come (and stay) together. So many of these men and women go beyond the call of duty to help those who rely on them to assist in navigating what is so often a confusing and terrifying process. In my own personal work here, I’ve been assisting with a new court reform initiative to make the dependency court system in Washington more child-centered, so that children in foster care will be able to have the same judge and the same caseworkers throughout their time in the system, which will hopefully make the transitions easier.
I’ve had to adjust to a 40 hour/week desk job, where I have become best friends with Excel spreadsheets and Microsoft Outlook. I’ve had to adjust to cubicle life and meetings with very important working professionals. My first day on the job found me on the 49th floor of a skyscraper, in the office of Perkins Coie, a prestigious law firm downtown. I landed in a board room filled with judges, justices, legal counsel, esteemed members of the non-profit sector, and even Washington State Representative Ruth Kagi. That took some adjustment.
This summer I’ve been placed with Amara, which is an independent non-profit foster care and adoption agency that also provides non-judgmental and all-options pregnancy counseling. Since starting here, I’ve been greeted by warm welcomes and even warmer hearts. The people who work here are so devoted to helping children and families caught in situations which I can’t imagine. They are dedicated to helping families come (and stay) together. So many of these men and women go beyond the call of duty to help those who rely on them to assist in navigating what is so often a confusing and terrifying process. In my own personal work here, I’ve been assisting with a new court reform initiative to make the dependency court system in Washington more child-centered, so that children in foster care will be able to have the same judge and the same caseworkers throughout their time in the system, which will hopefully make the transitions easier.
I’ve had to adjust to a 40 hour/week desk job, where I have become best friends with Excel spreadsheets and Microsoft Outlook. I’ve had to adjust to cubicle life and meetings with very important working professionals. My first day on the job found me on the 49th floor of a skyscraper, in the office of Perkins Coie, a prestigious law firm downtown. I landed in a board room filled with judges, justices, legal counsel, esteemed members of the non-profit sector, and even Washington State Representative Ruth Kagi. That took some adjustment.
In this line of work, adjustment seems to be a trend.
So far I’ve gotten to go to a number of trainings surrounding the work that the social workers do on a daily basis. I’ve gotten to experience the same curricula that prospective foster and adoptive parents go through, I’ve heard and read the stories of both present and past foster children. Over and over, the emphasis is on how much the placement of a child in a new foster home can be traumatizing and terrifying, where patience is needed by the foster parents to help the child adapt to a new life. From what I’ve seen, adjustment is one of the biggest facts of life for a child in foster care or any other dependency status. It’s brought about a new appreciation for the things I grew up with and the things I never had to think twice about, such as whether or not my parents love me or whether or not they were able to provide my more basic needs growing up.
Outside of work, adjustment has also been the name of the game, and mostly in a positive sense. The first day I arrived here, while riding from my new apartment to Target to pick up some necessities, I distinctly remember the pleasant shock at seeing churches with rainbow pride flags hung on their signs. In fact, I’ve been in a constant state of pleasant shock at seeing them just about everywhere. This is such a stark contrast to another distinct memory I have of coming home the summer after Amendment One was fought over in North Carolina. For those who need some background, Amendment One was a constitutional amendment to NC’s constitution that defined marriage as between one man and one woman. It was passed on May 8, 2012 after a long and emotional campaign from both sides of the debate. And coming home for the summer following this vote, I remember driving down the street in my hometown, and having each yard leading to my house be staked with signs supporting the amendment. Looking back, the contrast is almost overwhelming.
So far I’ve gotten to go to a number of trainings surrounding the work that the social workers do on a daily basis. I’ve gotten to experience the same curricula that prospective foster and adoptive parents go through, I’ve heard and read the stories of both present and past foster children. Over and over, the emphasis is on how much the placement of a child in a new foster home can be traumatizing and terrifying, where patience is needed by the foster parents to help the child adapt to a new life. From what I’ve seen, adjustment is one of the biggest facts of life for a child in foster care or any other dependency status. It’s brought about a new appreciation for the things I grew up with and the things I never had to think twice about, such as whether or not my parents love me or whether or not they were able to provide my more basic needs growing up.
Outside of work, adjustment has also been the name of the game, and mostly in a positive sense. The first day I arrived here, while riding from my new apartment to Target to pick up some necessities, I distinctly remember the pleasant shock at seeing churches with rainbow pride flags hung on their signs. In fact, I’ve been in a constant state of pleasant shock at seeing them just about everywhere. This is such a stark contrast to another distinct memory I have of coming home the summer after Amendment One was fought over in North Carolina. For those who need some background, Amendment One was a constitutional amendment to NC’s constitution that defined marriage as between one man and one woman. It was passed on May 8, 2012 after a long and emotional campaign from both sides of the debate. And coming home for the summer following this vote, I remember driving down the street in my hometown, and having each yard leading to my house be staked with signs supporting the amendment. Looking back, the contrast is almost overwhelming.
It has been such a pleasant adjustment getting used to living in a city that is not only beautiful and diverse, but also where issues like same-sex marriage, marijuana consumption, and physician-assisted suicide are accepted and legal. Only occasionally does the adjustment to city-life mean some homesick pangs. As problematic as life in the South can sometimes be, once in a while I can’t help but yearn for my grandmother’s cornbread, sweet tea, country roads, authentic NC-style BBQ, and folk music which the South can so lovingly provide. Even still, I sometimes forget about the stares I’ll get around here for saying “y’all.”
I guess I’ll just have to keep on adjusting.
Kristen Wade
Duke Class of 2015
I guess I’ll just have to keep on adjusting.
Kristen Wade
Duke Class of 2015