Lindsay Kay

I am a recent graduate from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, where I majored in International Studies and Spanish. A week after graduating, I jumped on the chance to move to the city and take advantage of exciting job opportunities. After only 6 months, I could not be more comfortable with the fast-paced city lifestyle and I find working with SmartSitting to be an absolute pleasure.

While working as the Director of Recruitment, I will also be fulfilling a year of service with AmeriCorps, leading my own group of first-graders in an after school arts program. The program, much like SmartSitting, emphasizes the importance of keeping children engaged and learning as much as possible. I have officially declared this my mission in the real world and I enjoy meeting great, new SmartSitters who share this passion. In the future, I hope to attend graduate school for Social Work and to explore further careers in youth-centered organizations.

Through babysitting, tutoring, and volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters, I have gained experience all across the board, from infants to teens, and from special needs to multiples. I even traveled to Mexico and spent two weeks volunteering with both toddlers and retirees, dealing with language and cultural differences. I feel that every experience has been positive; I see children learning and growing and can't help but notice that I have grown tremendously as well. I used to be the neighborhood babysitter and local lifeguard, but now I am also a group teacher, mentor, international volunteer, and SmartSitter! I can't exclude my many years as a barista either, because I certainly owe a lot of my energy to coffee.

When I am not working, I dabble in photography, watch documentaries, venture about the city as a "culinary tourist," or simply curl up with my two cats and read. At some point, (possibly with motivation from the kids I work with and the amazing, talented SmartSitters I meet) I hope to pick up a lot more of the unique hobbies I once started, such as learning hula hoop tricks or putting an artistic touch on old furniture, to name a few!