A Word from Our Fellows - Rina Hernández

Note: As a way to reflect on and showcase their experiences, we ask our fellows to record themselves answering a series of questions about their fellowship, which becomes part of A Word from Our Fellows segment.

 

On the final day of Rina's fellowship with Fiver (though not the final day with Fiver - she has become permanent staff! More on that here.), she reflected on the importance of two abilities throughout her fellowship:

1.   Being flexible and open to change, particularly when planning and facilitating events

2.  Taking the time to smile and greet people around the office

"[Saying hello to everyone you meet in your work] can lead to moments of great human connection. I can't tell you how many times a smile or a simple handshake marked the beginning of a good memory with a Fiver parent or youth.

One time, after introducing myself to a Fiver parent, we noticed that we had a lot of interests in common. Notably, our interest in languages. We both speak English, Spanish, and French and I feel that our first interaction [about this] laid the groundwork for a, later, deeper and more open conversation about the Fiver parent and his concerns regarding his family life and how I could help with that."