Certified Child Life Specialist, Jessica Lewin, sits down with three students who have gone through the process to becoming a child life specialist and successfully achieved their final step -- passing their certification exams. Please welcome Olivia Stephan, Tara Mullin, and Sophie Schuller to the podcast.
Olivia completed her internship in fall 2022. She is a new CCLS in pre-op/ED and passionate about trauma-informed and family-centered care. Tara has her B.S. in Applied Health Science, M.A. in Higher Education, and currently wrapping up her ED.D. in Executive Leadership for Mental Health and Human Services. She also recently completed an internship and started her first job last month (July 2023). Sophie completed her internship recently as well and is currently working as a float/PRN child life specialist at a large free-standing children's hospital.
This episode is brimming with invaluable insights as these students talk about their personal experiences with the complexities of internships, practicums, and the all-important certification exam. They share some of their tried-and-tested resources and study strategies, and their unique survival tips for those tough times when you feel like crying because the pressure and stress is too much.
Listen and learn as they discuss how they tackled the dreaded imposter syndrome, navigated through job applications, and expertly handling the pressure of the certification exam. They share some extraordinary wisdom on maintaining balance and finding sanity during the exam preparation. Plus, they discuss the immense benefits of a strong support system to manage stress, optimize student experiences, and explore varied interests within the field.
Here are a list of each student's absolute must-have study item:
Tara's: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IrPiaURxAfic0v7t5OPkyHzBdZLyECyI?fbclid=IwAR2wE_bUW63nIO7V_Lrcl7cGvjjFVibKJFgSYs_Jo76cwJEWQdPWdECm6FE
Olivia's: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1A5OAkB3AWnhwImP2ZNR05WNqS9vqnzbP?fbclid=IwAR2wE_bUW63nIO7V_Lrcl7cGvjjFVibKJFgSYs_Jo76cwJEWQdPWdECm6FE
(specifically under "Notes and Outlines" -- "Study Guide for CCLS Exam" PDF)
Sophie's: https://education.childlife.org/products/aclp-child-life-certification-exam-study-guide#tab-product_tab_contents__6
To reach out to students - use the following Instagram accounts below.
@olivia__stephan
@tara_mullin_
@soph_schuller
Track: Odessa — LiQWYD & Scandinavianz [Audio Library Release]Music provided by Audio Library PlusWatch: https://youtu.be/jNy-Dp3lgcgFree Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/odessa
