I have always longed to work with individuals with Special Educational Needs (SEN). Since I was sixteen, I have co-coached the special needs team in my gymnastics club. I find it extremely rewarding and I go home after practice knowing that I actually helped them achieve something. I enjoy seeing the kid’s hard work and dedication pay off. The field of special education allows you to continuously make a difference to the lives of many. I want to do that. I want to be able to come home after a long day at work and say “I made a difference”. No matter what job I end up in, I want to be able to help people build a brighter future for themselves. I can’t think of a more rewarding path to go down than working in this field of education. 

I have always kept being a special needs teacher in the back of my mind. As much as I think I would enjoy that job, I’m unsure as to whether I would like being based in one classroom for such a long period of time. The past two years, I have done my college placements in special schools; Setanta Special School and the CRC Special School. Although I greatly enjoyed both of these placements, I was extremely tired all the time and found myself getting slightly bored towards the end of the two week placement. This is why I wanted to find a placement for this year that still had a focus on special education but was based outside a typical classroom setting. While I still have the opportunity, I want to explore my options to the fullest extent possible and I think that my internship with Special Olympics Ireland will allow for this. 

Although I am very anxious and apprehensive about what is to come, I am extremely excited about starting my internship at SOI. I look forward to meeting new people, establishing new relationships and links, and to learn and develop, both professionally and personally. I cannot wait to get started.