The unique spot I hold in my heart for children has turned from a love, to a passion, to now a career choice. I am a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, earning my degree in Speech-Language Pathology. This major has opened me up countless opportunities for working with children with special needs. During my Freshman and Sophomore years, I worked at my local YMCA summer camp. There, I watched over, played with, disciplined, administered medication to, and formed lasting relationships with the campers, several of which had Autism Spectrum Disorder. During my Junior year I worked at the Day School at Children's Institute, where I assisted the speech therapist in working with children with ASD and Down Syndrome. Though I was technically their teacher, the students taught me more than I could ever teach them. It is their positive outlook, unique way of thinking, and way they each smile in the face of adversity that gives me such joy in working with special needs children.