Whiz Kid: Hopkins Senior Invests in the Future

Seventeen-year-old Megan Gonzalez sees the future in every small face and loves investing in it. Nothing can beat her immediate return on that investment—hugs.

“The little kid hugs,” said Gonzalez when describing what she loves most about working with kids. “That's probably the best.”

Gonzalez was recently honored with a 2011 Caring Youth Recognition Award for her work with preschoolers at the . Since the beginning of the school year, she has been volunteering weekly to support the staff in childcare while parents participate in parent education classes.

Gonzalez said she plays with the children who are comfortable leaving their parents so that the teachers can focus on the ones who have more trouble when mom and dad are out of the room.

“I float around the room and if they're playing with a puzzle, I'll get into the puzzle with them. If they're doing an art project, I'll do the project with them,” she said. “When we go to the gym, they really like it when I sing 'One Little Monkey Jumping on the Bed...' while they're jumping on this bouncy thing. They just like talking to me.”

Early childhood educator Laurie Tangert works with Gonzalez and described her relationship with the kids:

“She has a natural ability with children and they are really drawn to her,” said Tangert. “When she was gone, they really missed her. The parents reported that the kids talked about her at home, so she really made a connection with them.”

With two autistic brothers at home, Gonzalez assumed the role of caregiver at an early age. Helping them with social skills, she said, has helped her be successful in caring for other children.

According to Gonzalez her friends describe her as “maternal,” and, earlier in the year, Tangert observed that quality in action.

“At the beginning of our year there were a lot of children who were having difficulty with separating, so she was very helpful with giving those children the extra nurturing and attention they needed when those parents left,” Tangert said.

Gonzalez said she enjoys working with kids and engaging her “inner child.”

“They are teaching me how to have fun again,” she said. “I feel like somewhere along the line we kind of forget what it's like to just play or be interested in, like, snow. They're interested in everything and it just amazes me.”

Gonzalez believes that an investment in kids is an investment in the future.

“I feel this is overused because I hear it every day, but they're our future,” she said.

Gonzalez added with a sense of humor, “I'm in my senior year, and I'm thinking, 'They're letting us into society. Why would they be doing this?'”

She concluded, “This makes me realize that these young kids will be working with me one day. We need to keep kids educated and parents educated so we can have a better future and they can take care of us.”