This past February, Tina Hankins marked sixteen years as an employee of the YMCA's Crayon Club, which offers full day, full year licensed child care. In that time, Tina has worked in every classroom, from infants to school age and says that has taught her patience while showing her that working with children is a calling on her life. "I can't wait to meet new people and share in their children's growth and experiences. I love watching the children go from class to class and graduate to kindergarten," she shares. "To see how they bloom in each room is exciting to me, and to share in new experiences with them and their parents. Having the children still want hugs from me even after they have gone on to other classrooms makes me feel like I have made a difference in their lives somehow, some way. I love that feeling."
It isn't just the relationships with the kids that Tina relishes so much. Having been a longtime Y employee, she has had many years to build trust in relationships with her co-workers. "I appreciate team work with the other staff. We work well together and if there are times we are understaffed, we seem to pull it together to make it work."
It is no surprise, then, that Tina describes the Y as a place of "teamwork, friendships, and hard work." When she's not at the Y, she is spending time with her family, listening to music, watching crime shows, or playing with her dogs. As for her milestone at work this winter? It seems it was a celebration of Tina's first sixteen years. "I enjoy working with the children, staff, and parents here at Crayon Club. I am looking forward to many more years to come."
