Certified Child Life Specialist, Jessica Lewin, talks with friend and new CCLS, Anisha Reza, about her journey as a second-generation immigrant and career-changer who brings a unique lens to our field. Having previously pursued medical school before finding her true calling in child life, Anisha offers invaluable insights on the challenges students face—particularly those from diverse backgrounds.
When was the last time you truly listened to a student's perspective on the child life profession?
The statistics are striking: our profession remains approximately 93-95% white female, creating tangible impacts for students of color navigating spaces where they're "the only one." Anisha candidly discusses how this reality influenced her educational journey while highlighting the critical importance of diversifying our field. "There have been intangible times where I've walked in a room and the kid and family just appears comfortable just because I'm not white," she explains, demonstrating why representation matters for the families we serve.
From the frustration of receiving feedback too late ("Why is this the first time I'm hearing this when I'm already done with the rotation?") to the shocking competitiveness of securing internships, Anisha addresses the systemic challenges that make entering our profession unnecessarily difficult. Students and educators alike will appreciate the concrete suggestions shared throughout the episode, including pre-rotation surveys, adapted teaching approaches based on learning styles, and creating safe spaces for processing difficult clinical experiences.
Whether you're a student navigating this challenging path, a supervisor seeking to better support your students, or a program director wondering how to increase accessibility and diversity, this conversation offers actionable insights to strengthen our profession.
The message is clear: by approaching students with the same strength-based framework we use with patients and validating their diverse experiences, we can build a more resilient, inclusive, and effective child life profession.
You can follow Anisha on Instagram at @childlifewithanisha or check out her blog: https://www.childlifewithanisha.org/
Track: Odessa — LiQWYD & Scandinavianz [Audio Library Release]Music provided by Audio Library PlusWatch: https://youtu.be/jNy-Dp3lgcgFree Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/odessa
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By Jessica Lewin, CCLS
4.9
5858 ratings
Certified Child Life Specialist, Jessica Lewin, talks with friend and new CCLS, Anisha Reza, about her journey as a second-generation immigrant and career-changer who brings a unique lens to our field. Having previously pursued medical school before finding her true calling in child life, Anisha offers invaluable insights on the challenges students face—particularly those from diverse backgrounds.
When was the last time you truly listened to a student's perspective on the child life profession?
The statistics are striking: our profession remains approximately 93-95% white female, creating tangible impacts for students of color navigating spaces where they're "the only one." Anisha candidly discusses how this reality influenced her educational journey while highlighting the critical importance of diversifying our field. "There have been intangible times where I've walked in a room and the kid and family just appears comfortable just because I'm not white," she explains, demonstrating why representation matters for the families we serve.
From the frustration of receiving feedback too late ("Why is this the first time I'm hearing this when I'm already done with the rotation?") to the shocking competitiveness of securing internships, Anisha addresses the systemic challenges that make entering our profession unnecessarily difficult. Students and educators alike will appreciate the concrete suggestions shared throughout the episode, including pre-rotation surveys, adapted teaching approaches based on learning styles, and creating safe spaces for processing difficult clinical experiences.
Whether you're a student navigating this challenging path, a supervisor seeking to better support your students, or a program director wondering how to increase accessibility and diversity, this conversation offers actionable insights to strengthen our profession.
The message is clear: by approaching students with the same strength-based framework we use with patients and validating their diverse experiences, we can build a more resilient, inclusive, and effective child life profession.
You can follow Anisha on Instagram at @childlifewithanisha or check out her blog: https://www.childlifewithanisha.org/
Track: Odessa — LiQWYD & Scandinavianz [Audio Library Release]Music provided by Audio Library PlusWatch: https://youtu.be/jNy-Dp3lgcgFree Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/odessa
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