I am a daughter, a friend, a sister, a student, a woman, a Puppy Raiser, an intern,

and an advocate. However, what I most identify with being cant be described by a single
word except myself. I never limit myself to just one label, because the only thing I am
good at being is Megan. People often describe me as positive, southern, kind, funny,
and dependable. However I can be described by so many other words that I refuse to
list them all here. Each day is a new one, bringing fresh emotions, experiences, and
sides of myself that may have not been present the day before. I take pride in being able
to define who I am through not only a word, but through living.
As I have gone through college, I have struggled with my beliefs. Coming from a
Christian family, I was brought up to rely on God for answers. However, now I see that
sometimes the Bible isnt always the best choice, and have had to come to some of my
own conclusions to be comfortable. I believe that people should have the right to be
themselves, make their own choices, and live their life as they please. I believe in equal
rights for all genders, sexual orientations, and races. I think that marriage equality
shouldnt even be something we argue about because people should be able to love who
they love. I believe that women should have the right to be pro-choice during the first
trimester. I believe that people should be honest in all areas of life, especially when its
hard to do so. I drive my life based on honesty, using it in relationships both
professional and personal. I also believe in equality for people of all abilities. I think
that a person should be defined by who they are, not what their ability level is. I utilize
person first language in everything I do, but have also adapted this into a person first
lifestyle.
I hope that across any environment that I am in, I am able to maintain my overall
values and personality. Even though there is a need to interact in different ways with

certain people and certain situations, I try to never lose sight of myself or compromise
who I am on the inside. Sometimes this is difficult, like during conflicts or when facing
negativity. However, I think that overall I am comfortable in most all situations because
I am a naturally confident person. I am able to be who I am always because I dont
submit to peer pressure or allow myself to be changed. I think this is extremely
important when thinking of a more professional environment because yes, I need to be
more reserved. But I am glad that Child Life will allow me to still be fun, outgoing, and
confident. I will say that if I could change something about some of the current
environments I am in, it would be to increase an atmosphere of positivity to allow
people to get along easier and more efficiently.
I am unsure of many of the individuals of whom I work with values and beliefs
because we mainly keep this out of the workplace. However, we are all very committed
to working with people who have disabilities, something that grounds and is the basis
for all of our work. I would say that many of us relate since we are all around the same
age. I have also experienced working with people who I did not necessarily get along
with, but I dont think that was based off of a difference in belief. Maybe more along the
lines of differences in ideas of what professionalism and kindness are and how they
should have roles even in more relaxed work environments.
I think that my purpose for writing this code of ethics is to be able to have
something physical and on paper for me to officially say it is what I believe. Throughout
my life, I have the tendency to see the more gray area of things instead of hard truths.
So, this document forces me to decide what my truths are. I think this is a vital part of
becoming an adult as well as growth as an individual in general. I also think that this
ethics statement will serve as something interesting to rewrite in the future and then

compare with this version to see if I undergo any personal changes as I go through
different seasons of life. For instance, once I get out into the real world, get married,
have a family, and have different priorities and experiences, my hard truths could shift.
There are many things that I want to strive to do and be over the years of my life.
I want to be able to have specific goals an outline of who I want to become and what I
hope to accomplish:
I will value all people, regardless of how they are different or similar to me.
I will respect peoples boundaries, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
I will appreciate those around me and make them feel as though they personally
matter to me.
I will serve those who need it the most.
I will use my devotion to honesty to shape my interactions, thoughts,
conversations, and actions.
I will encourage others through praise and support.
I will love others, even if at times it is not returned.
I will not expect anything in return.
I think that there are definitely some general rules that I have with interacting
with others, the first being active listening. It is extremely important to me for me to
make people feel like they are valued, so active listening allows me to do this. I also try
to be positive in every interaction I have, that way I can maybe encourage positivity in
others. I think that there are some differences in how I interact in the workplace, such
as taking more of a step back and not expressing my opinions as openly as I would with
someone outside of the workplace. I think that over time, I have learned the importance

of being a leader though following, and that is a huge way that I interact in the
workplace even though I am more naturally attuned to being a leader.
A specific dilemma that I faced at ESP was when there was a study being done by
a graduate level student on some of the volunteers and their buddies. I was made
uncomfortable by the study because I was never asked for my consent to be a part of it,
and didnt feel like the Institutional Review Boards qualifications that I knew about
were being upheld. I handled this dilemma by first speaking to my internship supervisor
at UGA about my concerns, getting her insight and advice before approaching those at
my internship about the issues. After speaking with that supervisor, I was able to
formulate a plan for speaking to my supervisor at ESP. I approached him in a
professional way, asking for a specific private meeting time. During that meeting, I
outlined my concerns in a professional way without placing blame or letting my
emotions take over. After voicing my observations and feelings, we were able to move
forward and get things figured out together instead of me feeling extremely
uncomfortable. Overall, this turned out to be an experience that caused me to gain
respect from my supervisor as well as feel more comfortable and secure during my time
at ESP.