Shining Her Light
Whether it’s exercise, yoga, meditation or something else, Maggie Callery starts her days off with self-care and that sets her up for living well. She is an Early Intervention Specialist who spends her days doing home visits with children, age birth to three, who have special needs or developmental delays. With a Master’s degree in Special Education, emphasis on Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education, and an infant/toddler mental health endorsement form Washington Association of Infant Mental Health, she coaches parents on ways to address their child’s needs.
Maggie is especially passionate about supporting children in foster care and wanted to gain more experience working with older children, so she connected with Great Life Mentoring. Maggie says she cares deeply about child abuse and neglect prevention and wanted to give back to her community through volunteering. She now says the past two years with Great Life Mentoring have been “life changing” for her. It sounds like they have been life-changing for her friend as well.
“I always look forward to outings with my friend and so-appreciate the support and validation from the program.” Maggie tells us, she has witnessed her friend advocate for herself with her social worker and foster parents and that she has grown to be a three-sport athlete while maintaining at least a 3.0 GPA. Her friend even received an academic excellence award. But how has this changed Maggie’s life?
It’s been a process. Maggie’s friend opened up to her over time and recently told her - “It took some time before I let you into my ‘bubble’ but, I’m glad I let you in.” She continued saying that Maggie is “the one that I look to for help when I need it - or even when I don’t.”
During the past two years of mentoring, Maggie has learned from her friend how to slow down and be quiet. In the beginning Maggie use to try to come up with things to do and talk about with her friend. But, now she let’s her friend lead the way. She has learned “it’s okay to not have all the answers” and “what people really need is a good listening ear and a loyal friend.” She has taken this wisdom into her other relationships both professionally and personally and says it has helped her gain a greater sense of peace in the ‘helper role’ that she finds herself in so often.
Maggie says her friend “feels like family,” and “I’m just so proud to be able to cheer her on! I see us always being in touch in the future - I hope to continue mentoring her through high school and see her walk across the stage on graduation and continue her goals into college.”
Maggie is described as being silly, empathetic and hard working. She is happiest when hiking or meditating. Her friend told her, “Sometimes when I look at you (Maggie), I just think to myself - I’m so glad this crazy, loving, patient, cool-girl is in my life.”
Maggie is an intelligent, disciplined and skilled person who is living life to the fullest and sharing the gift of herself with others through mentoring. She says her favorite quote is by Leonard Cohen - “There’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” Of Maggie Callery we would say - ‘She gives of herself and her light brightens the way for others.’
The Secret to a Great Life Begins With You!