Written by Megan Fisher
Hello everyone!! My name is Megan Fisher, and I am a fourth-year at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Child Development and Event Planning. What an adventure it has been, and I am incredibly thankful to have had the opportunity to intern at CCCN and work with wonderful childbirth and wellness professionals. I began interning with CCCN this past September, and I have had a beautiful experience, and so much has changed for me. My eyes have truly opened to the complexity and vastness of the childbirth world. I have been fortunate to attend multiple CCCN events, pregnancy and postpartum groups, and unique shadow experiences. I know this is just the beginning of my journey, but now I know why I chose to intern with CCCN.
I grew up in a small town on the coast of Los Angeles, and I came to Cal Poly SLO with the utmost intentions of becoming a veterinarian. I will always find the light and happiness in anything I do, so I struggle with finding the perfect career for me? I knew something was missing from animal science, but I struggled to figure out what I needed. In the summer of sophomore year, I was babysitting, and once I put the children to bed, I dedicated those next few hours to writing down what I needed and wanted in life and in a career. I referred to the strengths quest we took before coming to Cal Poly, and my five strengths were: Relator, Strategic, Includer, Achiever, and Empathy. It was like running into a brick wall - I NEEDED to work with people. I love developing deep connections with people, and most importantly, I love helping people. I talked to my best friend's mom, an LMFT and I was sold. I immediately submitted my paperwork to change my major to Psychology, and I was ecstatic. The transition was flawless, and if you know anything about changing your major at Cal Poly SLO, it is usually the furthest thing from a flawless experience. I felt like this was the stars aligning and the universe telling me that I had made the right choice. I finally found a career path that sparked a light in me, and this was just the beginning.
Childbirth has always fascinated me. I vividly remember the little seed planted in my memory when I first heard about a doula while sitting at a table on Dexter Lawn and the career possibility of a doula's role in my future.
What initially drew me to CCCN was connecting with doulas in the community, but I had no idea what I was about to be exposed to. I dislike the feeling of needing to mold myself into a certain job and not loving the work I am doing. The beauty of the childbirth world is that you can be who you are and offer the services you want, or you can mix and match and create a service completely new.
Please join me on my personal journey as a CCCN Intern written in a three blog post series. This internship has provided me with unique and personal experiences that have positively impacted my life. I have learned so much from the Central Coast childbirth and wellness professionals, and I will highlight three impactful experiences in my next blog post. I hope you have enjoyed learning a bit about me and my journey this far - maybe one day, our paths will cross in the birth and wellness world!