Don’t ask kids “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Instead, ask “What are you interested in?”

“My daughter, Channy, is highly empathetic to people on the fringes. I noticed this when she was in elementary school and a new student confined to a wheelchair joined the class. Channy was immediately drawn to this girl and developed a deep friendship with her.   

Channy also loves animals. Caring for the dogs, birds, rabbits, and guinea pigs that lived in our household was her joy.  Frequently she ran home from school to inform me she’d found yet another injured member of the local wildlife. We took at least three pigeons to the vet in unsuccessful efforts to restore them to health.   

Encouraging people and caring for animals are Channy’s INGs and she found a way to combine them. After volunteering at an animal shelter as a high school student, Channy decided she wanted to study animal-assisted therapy. She graduated from college with a degree in psychology and was accepted into a year-long internship at Green Chimney, a boarding school for children who have endured trauma that uses this type of therapy. Channy mentored 12 autistic boys while working in the school’s wildlife sanctuary.  It’s been exciting watching these early interests blossom in actual action. Makes this mom very proud!”

– Susan in San Francisco