INA Scholarship Essay
by Heather McKinley
For as long as I can remember children have been my passion in life. In the summer of 2007 I was given a wonderful opportunity that changed my path in life. I left my school and home in Indiana to live with a family in Maryland for the summer to be the nanny for two girls. By the end of the summer, not only did I want to stay, but I had changed my major from Elementary Education to Children’s Ministry.
As I got into my new classes I knew I had made the right decision and was already thinking ahead to my next summer. That summer I spent six weeks in California for a Children’s Ministry practicum. A week later I went back to Indiana to start my new nanny job for a little girl to finish out my summer.
While I finished my last semester at Indiana Wesleyan in December 2008 I knew I wanted to find another nanny position. I moved again to watch a little boy and fully enjoyed those seven months. I got married and again we moved; this time to Cincinnati, Ohio. This brought a new and wonderful beginning to where I am today.
When I became a nanny in 2007 I did not know there was such a thing as a Professional Nanny. However, when I moved to Cincinnati in late 2009 I found a wonderful group to be a part of called CincyNanny. I learned that I could be a Professional Nanny and be part of an even larger organization. I was then able to find that the International Nanny Association offers a conference to help nannies around the world be better employees and better individuals. On our own each one of us can do good things, but as a group we can learn from each other and do great things. This made me want to be a part of the puzzle.
The INA Conference to me is a way to complete the puzzle. I not only want to put my piece in, but be joined by the pieces (people) around me so I can grow and become a better nanny for my family. There are many skills I feel I would learn by attending this conference. The first one being that I would love to become a professional, credentialed nanny. I would do this by coming Thursday to take the INA Nanny Credential Exam Review and Exam. Second, many of the classes resonate with what I am doing in my job now. Four of these classes are: “Positive Discipline for Young Children”, “Working with Families in Stress”, “Learning Through Play”, and “Is Food Your Enemy—or Your Best Friend? How to Handle Your Food and Weight Issues”.
My time at this conference would not be wasted and my employers’ family and I would both benefit from this time in the long run.
Heather has been a nanny since the summer of 2007. She has been caring for two boys under the age of 3 since October. She nannies near the Blue Ash & Indian Hill area. She is a live out nanny. She is a proud member of the INA & CincyNanny