My Reasons:

I picked this opportunity because I was already familiar with the student population at Cardinal Cushing and likewise aware of some of the issues.  I developed strong relationships with these students and I felt like they would feel comfortable talking about these problems with me.  I also wanted to provide a safe opportunity for the students to share their thoughts with one another.

Since I had resigned from my position with Best Buddies at Cardinal Cushing, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to kickstart a program like this. I had access to the information, staff and students. The staff was receptive to the idea and wanted somebody to start organizing the curriculum.  This gave me a chance to continue to see some of the students I worked with but not be viewed as a “staff” allowing them to open up a bit more.

I only held two discussion groups with the students but I involved many of the staff at Cardinal Cushing with what I was working on. I am hoping these discussions can continue without me.