Kendall Dillard
Towson University
Health Care Administration, Undergraduate Trainee
Spring 2021
My experience as a trainee has been great, the KKI preceptor Dr. Ofonedu is an excellent mentor. She is very easy to get in contact with, she provided feedback that helped me grow as a professional and she got to know me and showed me how to use my interests to fuel my professional work. I have been able to connect with other MCDD employees who want to support me and see all of us trainees grow. That made my experience enriching, comfortable, and very enjoyable. Being fully virtual for internship has been difficult but MCDD tries to keep their trainees very involved, connected, and active so that it does not feel like we are just watching the clock all day. I enjoyed all of my projects and learned so much in the time that I spent at Kennedy Krieger's MCDD.
Rachel Carroll
Towson University
Health Science, Undergraduate Trainee
Spring 2021
I really enjoyed my internship experience working with the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities (MCDD). I was able to learn many new aspects of helping individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It gave me opportunity to research, learn and understand the many struggles and challenges that healthcare providers, organizations and individuals and their parents face throughout their lifetime. I was also able to be a part of many projects that helped me to see that I enjoy finding ways and creating opportunities for healthcare providers, organizations, parents and children to make a change for a better future when caring for and working with individuals with disabilities. The MCDD team as well as other departments within KKI they are very helpful in exposing trainees to many different topics and webinars pertaining to changing the way individuals with disabilities are treated. Everyone was very nice and willing to help you with anything. I am grateful for this opportunity and will take everything I learned with me into future jobs!
Keighly Little
Towson University
Health Science, Undergraduate Trainee
Spring 2021
My internship at the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities (MCDD) at the Kennedy Krieger Institute was an opportunity I will never forget. I originally chose this internship because of the institute’s overall mission to advance inclusion for people with disabilities. Throughout my time here, I had the opportunity to hone my skills in research, as well as information dissemination, while surrounded by an extremely supportive network. This experience also allowed me to grow in my knowledge of both the disability community and health education; I learned of all the challenges that people with disabilities face and was able to address many concerns through my work as an intern. My time at MCDD has influenced me to continue advocating for the disability community as I continue my education in graduate school at Emory University. Thank you all, especially Dr. Ofonedu, for allowing me to intern at such a wonderful organization.
Kacie McDonald
- Area of Study: Health Education and Promotion
- School: Towson University
- Degree Program: BS
My time spent at the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities (MCDD) has been nothing short of an amazing experience. Although virtual this semester, I was presented with many opportunities to grow in the field of health education. My time at the MCDD consisted of planning, implementing, and evaluating different health programs through Zoom. I was able to learn about the lives of individuals with disabilities from the point-of-view of the parent, patient, and peer, specifically, through the different experiences and projects. The MCDD team is dedicated to exposing trainees to many different topics, webinars, and virtual tours of other departments. Not only are trainees part of the MCDD family during the training experience, but they also want to make sure you continue to be successful and continue to grow after your time there ends. No matter what your field of interest is, the MCDD training experience will expand your knowledge of improving the lives of individuals with disabilities.
Xueqi Qu, 2019
“I really love my intern experience in MCDD. It gave me opportunity to walk in life of individuals with DD and understand struggles and challenges that DD individuals and their parents face. It also taught me how to link the community to vital findings from scientific research. This internship inspired me to consider developmental disability from multidiscipline perspectives and reconfirmed my determination to involve myself in the studying developmental disability. Moreover, the colleagues here are all very nice and supportive. I would like thank Dr. Ofonedu, Tylea and all the colleagues for their help during this process.”