My past few weeks interning with Nevada Blind Children’s Foundation, NBCF, have been beyond amazing. When I first accepted the internship offer in April, I was unsure of how I would handle being around children on a daily basis. I had no previous experience of working with children in this type of setting, and I was slightly timid about how the children’s visual impairments would play into the whole equation. Little did I know just how lucky I was to be given this opportunity and how much I would completely fall head over heels in love with this experience.

To my surprise, within the first 5 minutes of walking into the building, the children had accepted me with no questions asked and welcomed me in with arms wide open. From the very first day, I was receiving hugs, being asked if I would be attending their field trips and if I could sit with them and help with their various activities throughout the day. Never could I have imagined loving an internship so much in such a short amount of time.

A majority of my days are spent between working on social media and public relations projects and then spending time with the children during their free time and crafting activities. I am truly amazed at how these children don’t let their visual impairments inhibit them from accomplishing anything or participating in any of the various activities throughout the day. For example, watching the kids play Power Showdown, a game similar to air hockey but with an audible ball, is truly magical because just a small adaptation to a classic game made it possible for the children to play just like everyone else. I was also able to watch the teen group enjoy an outing to TopGolf and they all had a blast and were able to successfully hit the golf balls out into the green and even into some of the targets. These kids aren’t letting anything stop them from living their lives to the fullest and it is not only motivational but also inspiring to witness.

The nonprofit world is truly a beast in itself and this organization definitely has challenges just like any other, but the staff and volunteers make it look easy with how smoothly they navigate everything on a day to day basis. The women, parents, and camp counselors who are working day in and day out to keep this organization running are truly inspirational and I am so honored that I get to spend my summer learning from them. I am beyond thankful for the opportunity to work with NBCF and I look forward to maintaining a relationship with this organization even after my internship is over.Mhy