I have been passionate about engaging and caring for children since I was barely a teenager. At age 11, I got my first job as a counselor-in-training at my synagogue’s summer camp in Amherst, MA. I spent my summer helping the counselors plan and execute fun filled activities for kids ages 5-10. I held kids’ hands while they had band-aids put on, told stories and taught seven-year-olds to make friendship bracelets during rest time.

From there, babysitting came naturally to me. At 14, I began babysitting for a neighborhood family who had three kids – 18 months, 4.5 and 7. It gave me an opportunity to do two things I loved: care for young children and play like one, too. Arts and crafts, fort building, pretending and playing outside filled my life as a kid and babysitting never ceases to offer me a return to the joys of childhood.

It was not just my exuberance in playing with kids that landed me a job as Head Counselor of a camp at 19. It was my desire to make a difference in kids’ lives, to be someone kids could look up to, have fun with, and communicate with on their level. I had developed a deep respect for children through my interactions with them. The excitement I shared in play translated seamlessly into an understanding of the inner workings of the child. My ability to appreciate and relate to kids allowed me to command respect from them as well, in a way that never interrupted the fun, even when I had to handle 40 kids by myself.

My childhood love of pretend play grew into a fondness for storytelling that led me to study Film at Boston University. As I continued to work with children and study filmmaking throughout my college experience, I discovered an easy connection between the two. Now, at 23, I continue to further my passions for storytelling and entertaining kids by working in Children’s television. Because my work is somewhat seasonal, I love to continue to spend my free time interacting with kids on a more personal level.