Malia Callahan

From this work experience, I was able to serve as a leader for younger children and adults by helping them find comfort in surfing. I was also able to discover the ins and outs of a business by assisting Mary, CEO with payroll, scheduling and overnight retreats.

At Danny’s, I learned how to assist servers using a seating chart, receive orders over the phone and bus tables efficiently. I also received a bit of barista experience; making simple lattes and teas.

During this work experience, I had the opportunity to serve tables, perform as an expo, work the register, receive orders over the phone and garnish dishes.

During my time in Santa Barbara, I had the pleasure of caring for two infants and worked with their families in pursuit of better sleeping schedules, feeding schedules, chores around the house, and doing everything in my power to upkeep the happiness of their child. Prior to these positions in Santa Barbara, I had five years of babysitting experience with ages ranging form newborn to ten years old.

Through this work opportunity, I was able to explore my deep love for cooking in a way that I never thought possible without a culinary degree. I had the pleasure of meal-prepping weekly for a lovely family who had a newborn and needed some extra support. I was able to execute high-quality meals using fresh, seasonal ingredients. I also experimented with different kitchen workflows, enhancing overall productivity during meal preparation.

From this work experience, I have gained more knowledge and wisdom about childcare than I have in my lifetime. I have had the pleasure of working with this lovely family and their beautiful boys, ages three and five, for the past year. This was my first experience being a full-time nanny; supervising daily activities, ensuring safety and engagement and encouraging emotional growth and social skills. I have built a relationship with this family that I will cherish forever, and have a newfound confidence in my ability to nurture strong relationships with both parents and children based on trust, respect, empathy, and open communication lines.