This month, we are excited and honored to welcome a new member to the Adoption Choices of Nevada team: Tia Kitchens! She will be working as an Editorial Intern with us for the next six months.

Tia is an avid animal lover and college graduate from Capella University with a B.S. in Psychology. Animals have made a huge impact on her life. Through her studies, she learned the power behind the bond animals and humans have, and is excited to use her knowledge with her passion for others. She is excited to join Adoption Choices as an Editorial Intern to learn how adoption has changed over the years, to better understand the industry as a whole and to hone her writing skills.

Before she begins her regular blogs, I wanted to give her a chance to introduce herself and for you all to get to know her.

RR: When you hear the word “adoption” what comes to mind?

TK: What comes to mind for me when I think adoption is a child getting a chance at a life they may not have had before. It is the growth of a family as well. While adoption possibly for the birth parents may be a sad thing I do not think adoption as a whole is sad. With the options of how one does it, there are fewer questions than with some. For me, adoption means growth. It is a family who is adding maybe the first child or the eight child into their world and home.

Adoption is also a choice. A choice that is just as important to the child as it is the family getting the child. A choice made to love and cherish that child for his or her whole life. There is just something magical about knowing that adoption brings families together.

RR: What/Who inspires you? 

TK: Is it strange to say Dory from Finding Nemo? Maybe. But Disney is a huge part of my life, and without Disney I don’t think I’d be who I am today. So, maybe the real inspiration here is Disney himself. Dory is, by far, my favorite, though. Just because no matter what happened Dory did one thing. She just kept swimming. It’s become my life motto, actually. To just keep swimming. To me, this means that no matter how bad things can get, it is important to just keep pressing forward. Being discouraged is okay, but giving up isn’t.

RR: What was the last book you read? 

TK: The last book I read and really enjoyed reading was Wonder by R. J. Palacio. It was a beautiful book that was so well written. I feel the movie pairs well with it, as it shows that differences should be talked about. The next book on my list is Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death by Caitlin Doughty.

RR: What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

TK: This is really hard, actually. I tend not to do anything too crazy. One moment that might be a little crazy is when my family (my whole family extended included) went to this cabin by the Llano River. No cell signal, no WiFi, and a ton of mosquitoes. So, it was really fun, and I ended up looking like a lobster because I forgot to reapply sunscreen. That isn’t the crazy part. See, I have this fear of heights. Well, less heights and more the feel of the sudden stop at the end of high places if you fall off of them. But, somehow, my cousins got me up on this rock. Not just on the rock. They convinced me to jump off the rock into the water. A seven foot drop. Not just once either. Many times.

I think that covers some crazy. And if not, well I raised a squirrel from a baby on. He was such a naughty thing, but what do expect from a wild animal? He was a mix between a red squirrel and a brown squirrel. He was in need of rehabilitation, and, well, that is where I came in. I helped him heal up and grow into basically a teenager squirrel. His name was Squirrely in an attempt to not get overly attached. It didn’t work.

RR: What are you passionate about? 

TK: Helping people. I have wanted to help people since I was younger. Being someone that has anxiety though, that can be tough. It was about two years ago now that I figured out a calling in helping people. Therapy animals. Sounds simple and it in a way is, but I found that there were not just the emotional support animals (ESA) or service dogs. There are also therapy animals that go to schools, libraries, disaster areas, and hospitals. I want to train those dogs and have one of my own.

This is so important to me because I know what it is like to be sitting somewhere and being anxious. How even just petting an animal can be soothing. It was a huge wake-up call for me to see that something I love can help others.

RR: What are you currently watching on Netflix?

TK: Currently I’m rewatching New Girl because I just honestly love the show. I either watch something I’ve watched a 100 times or nothing. With TV shows, I have the attention span of a flea. I think the power of the pause button is too mighty for me! I need the commercial breaks or something to just break up an hour-long show. Or a show watching buddy! If I have a show watching buddy, I can manage a longer show with no distractions. I think being able to talk it out with someone through the show is important. Like watching Stranger Things! My show watching buddy and I binged the whole third season in two days. I would highly recommend this show to anyone. Who doesn’t love a little Russian spy meets small town alien?

RR: What did you want to be when you grew up?

TK: Well, at first I wanted to be a doctor. And then I realized very quickly that wasn’t the job for me. My blood, okay. Other people’s…well a little complicated. So, my next choice was to be the first bestselling seven-year-old. I was dead set on being an author. That hasn’t really changed from when I was little. I was told I couldn’t be a writer because I’m dyslexic. Well, I’m stubborn so I took that as a challenge to prove them wrong. And here I am. Doing just that. I may not be an author yet, but I’m well on my way.

RR: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? 

TK: When I’m not working, I’m normally working on my novel or my next big cosplay. I enjoy working with my hands so working on a cosplay is up there in fun. If it isn’t any of that I’m knitting. There is just something really relaxing about knitting. I’m still learning some things. Like where does that mysterious stitch come from? I have gained a stitch here and there and I have no idea where they came from, but there they are. I hope to donate some scarves or even learn how to make octopi for babies in the NICU. That way they hold onto the tentacle fabric and not their tubes.

RR: What are your career aspirations?

TK: I want to own my own therapy dog/animal business. I would also love to be able to work from home with what I’m doing. Be it writing or something else. Being able to work from home is something I would love to do. It allows me to take care of my pets, run errands when needed, be home in case someone has to be home, and in the future more time with my kids. I don’t have any human children just yet, but I do have the furry kind. There is just the freedom to work outside an office that I have always wanted.

RR: Why Adoption Choices?

TK: Adoption Choices called out to me because of what they do. I have always thought adoption is the one of the best things one can do. I’ve wanted to adopt since I was little and learned about it. I always thought that getting to go through the process while it could be long and many steps is worth it. Making new connections and giving families another addition is something that has always called out to me.

Welcome Tia

Welcome to the team, Tia! We are excited to have you.