Day in the Life of a Gladney Intern

Hello there, I’m Taylor Caressimo and I’m currently interning with Gladney in the New Beginnings adoption department, where we connect loving families with children who are in foster care to find them their forever homes.

A little about me, I’m in my last semester at University of North Texas and will be graduating in just a few short weeks with my BSW. Interning with Gladney was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Helping to create families through adoption has always been on my mind as a career path because I have a beautiful cousin from the blessing of adoption. I have seen how amazing adoption is on a personal level and how it creates miracles, but now being on the professional side I have seen how much hard work and love goes into creating the perfect family dynamic for each individual child. Since I have seen the hard work and determination needed, it has made me confident that this is the career path I see myself going down.

Throughout this internship, Gladney has taught me how to always advocate for your clients. In two weeks I will be completed with my internship and it truly amazes me how I am still learning something new every day! Here at Gladney you are truly a part of their team, never for a moment do you feel like “just an intern.” Some of my favorite experiences so far have been: going to finalizations (have your tissues ready), the hands-on client contact, the home study process and being able to sit in on staffings. Soak up all the time you can during this amazing internship and shadow as many people as possible because you’ll blink and it’ll be over.

Is it bad I’m already counting down the days until I can apply to intern with Gladney again for my Master’s degree? I will forever be an adoption advocate because of my amazing field instructor and all the staff in the New Beginnings department!

Taylor Caressimo, Gladney Intern