For over 11 years, we have had the good fortune of working with interns from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. Supervised by Wendy Feinstein, our Disabilities Services Coordinator, they enhance our program in a number of ways. They observe in classrooms and contribute their observations to the profiles used in our High Scope curriculum, train in our one to one play therapy program, run our Mother’s Group, attend trainings with our Mental Health Consultant, Lesley Koplow, and are involved with our families in other ways. We are so grateful for their commitment and energy!
Learn more about Maya, Mariom, and Chloe:
Maya
Maya Cromwell grew up in Fairfield, CT and went to college at Dickinson in Pennsylvania. She knew she wanted to come to NYC for graduate school, having visited often growing up. In addition to her Master’s in Social Work at Silberman, Maya is also pursuing a Master’s of Education (MSEd) at Bank Street College of Education In the Early Intervention and Infant and Family Development program. Maya’s thoughts about working at Bloomingdale: “I think preschool is such a magical place. Kids at this age are learning so much. Everything is new and interesting. Seeing the children grow and figure things out is so exciting… Being able to help these kids on their journey is very rewarding. Another teacher once told me that at this age, we are helping plant seeds so the child can grow and flourish.” She also learned a lot from the parents in the Mother’s Group.
Mariom:
Mariom Uddin is a New Yorker, born and raised in Queens. She attended Hunter College for her undergraduate degree. While she was with us at Bloomingdale, she was completing a dual degree program, the MSW at Silberman and a Master’s in Education from the Bank Street College of Education. She will be working as an Associate Teacher in the Infant/Toddler classroom at Bank Street Family Center in the fall. About her profession she said, “I chose to go into social work for my graduate studies because I feel that it is a profession that gives power to the people. To look them in the eyes, hold their hand, and give them hope of a better outcome…Social work is to build a team and to have respect and knowledge about one another. From privately working with people to analyzing and advocating for policy changes, social work amplifies the voices of those who have been silenced…” About working with 3s and 4s she said, “I certainly enjoy working with 3s and 4s, embracing every ounce of curiosity and creativity that they openly share with the world. But what always surprises me is how strong children are. They find happiness and giggle even amidst the hardest challenges.” Their parents, too, were an inspiration: “They move the heavens and the Earth to do what they feel is right for their children, and their love only grows with time. They are a beacon of wisdom and inspiration, and we could not have asked for a better partner when working to best meet the needs of our children.”
Chloe:
Chloe Haber grew up in Plainview, NY and studied psychology as an undergraduate at Syracuse University. She is now working on the guidance team as a social worker at Magan David, a yeshiva school in Brooklyn. She had this to say about her time at Bloomingdale, “ I loved my time at Bloomingdale. I enjoyed working with this age of children- I think 3 year olds are very curious, spontaneous and fun to work with! They can also teach you a lot in play therapy- they have such amazing imagination skills…I also was pleasantly surprised with how much of a family environment Bloomingdale is. I always felt very comfortable from my first days working there. I loved spending time with the teachers and administration and learning from them.”
See more of our interns at work in the slideshow below: