Tanya Smith – Staff Spotlight and Highlight

I originally started out in teaching over 10 years ago. I originally worked with typically developing students as a substitute teacher, but a friend recommended me for a position as an adjunct instructor at a community college. As an adjunct, I taught what was called “remedial” reading and writing classes. My experience with those students was probably the turning point in what I wanted to do as a career. I worked with many students that had few supports in high school, but all the drive to succeed in college. I realized that I wanted to be a person who could provide those supports, which led me to achieve an Masters in Special Education. Along the way, I worked in direct care roles, service coordination, and even early intervention which gave me a lot of insight into the field as a whole

I love our guys! It’s really rewarding to see our folks smash their goals, make progress, and have new experiences. I’m really proud of how far some of the people we support have come.

In Flight has definitely been supportive of my professional goals. Last year, I received a grant to take two professional development classes on relationships at YAI. Those classes were significant because our individuals have the same rights as those outside of residential programs, which includes being able to have relationships with who they choose, be it platonic, romantic, or something else. The clinical department has been working to support our folks through sexuality classes, which includes safety, abuse prevention, and social skills. In Flight also provides RBT supervision, which allows me to maintain my certification to provide RBT services. And more generally, everyone is supportive of my goals and aspirations. I really enjoy visiting the people we support in their residences, since I feel like it gives me the change to build relationships and work with them to meet their goals. I also check in with staff, which is really helpful for developing ways to support people.