Daniel P. › SmartSitting

Family Application

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Hello! I’ve recently graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with my BA in communications. FIT is also where I worked as a peer writing tutor for three years. I loved collaborating with design and art students on their writing projects and I’m looking for another engaging, challenging and rewarding job that I sincerely enjoy.

I’ve always loved working with children and have helped care for my three cousins since they were born. I also sat for my former professor’s daughter, taking her to the park, reading books, drawing with her, and cooking dinner together.

Before attending FIT, I studied creative writing and fine arts at Hofstra’s New College. I fostered a real love for film, literature and design there. These have led me variously to my internship with IFC Films, my work as a tutor, and my experiments with short films and photography. Food and foreign culture are also a big part of who I am, and I equally enjoy cooking, eating new foods, and exploring new places. Finally, I’m a huge fan of being outdoors, whether it’s hiking, cycling, rock climbing or camping. Playgrounds and parks are also really fantastic. I’ve made it my priority to lead a healthy, compassionate, balanced life. My aim is to find a family and child/children for whom I can provide stability and enrichment.

Education

Fashion Institute of Technology, SUNY, 2011

B.S. Advertising and Marketing Communications
Minors in Asian Culture and Writing
Graduated Magna Cum Laude
Dean's List
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
Peer Writing Consultant for 3 years, presented at the 2009/2010 National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing

New College of Hofstra University, 2008

B.A. in Creative Writing, Fine Arts, Humanities
Provost's Scholar
Phi Eta Sigma
Jeffrey Weinper Award for Non-Fiction Writing
2008 Southampton Writer's Conference Scholarship

Childcare experience:

5 years, babysitter for three school-aged children
3 years, college-level writing tutor
1 year, after-school sitter for 6 year-old
1 year, volunteer tutor at public library

Availability:

Monday-Friday: 1pm-11pm.
Also available for occasional weekend sitting!

Long-term availability:

Available until Summer 2012.

I will be SmartSitting while...

Working on freelance photography, writing and film projects, and occasionally traveling.

My childcare expertise lies in working with...

School-aged children and tutoring in English, art and creative writing. I also have a lot of experience working with students who have learning disabilities or speak English as their second language. Patience is never a problem for me.

Activities and skills I love to teach and share with children:

Cooking! Additionally drawing, knitting, sewing, painting, sculpting/building, photography and writing. I also love the outdoors and am a frequent hiker, skier and cyclist.

Most memorable childcare experience:

I was an after-school and evening sitter for a former art professor's 6-year old daughter, Zelda. On Friday nights or weekends I would watch her until her parents got home from a later dinner or film. Zelda is extremely talented and bright, and comes from a very creative family. Initially it was a challenge to sit for such a clever kid, but by the second time I came over she had approved of me as her friend--she protested the word "babysitter." We spent most of our time drawing, cooking, singing, and dancing. We usually watched a movie of her choosing every night after cooking dinner, and she knew every line of "Grease" and "The Wizard of Oz" well in advance. I really enjoyed my time sitting for her, whether it was teaching her how to bread eggplant so it would come out crispy or having fake tea-parties with her real cat.

In 5 years, I hope to be...

Traveling internationally as a freelance writer, English teacher and photographer, with an apartment in Vermont, the West Coast or Israel. I would love to live around mountains and animals.