Alumni in 5
Emily Rienks '21
Employer
Arbor Circle/Family Support Specialist (family/infant mental health)
LinkedIn Profile
https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/emily-r-04b082283
1. Tell us about your journey since graduation.
Since graduation, I have had the opportunity to work in refugee
and immigrant resettlement through the border crisis and the COVID
pandemic. I managed medical care and ensured all the clients I served
were cared for and healthy. I have since started a new position with
my local community to work in infant and family mental health
preventing early childhood neglect and abuse. I have been able to
spend more time with my 2 children as well and encourage my fiancé to
start his own journey through university (although I’ll be the only
Laker in the household … for now).
2. Share a favorite Grand Valley memory.
My favorite Grand Valley memories are being down on the sideline
for Laker football games cheering the team on for many Grand Valley
Victories. Watching football from anywhere but the sideline will never
be the same!
3. What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
The best advice I have ever received is to let go, be honest
about where you are at, and trust that God has your back in
everything! I spent a lot of time feeling shame over “not being
enough” or not meeting the expectations I had set for myself. Once I
realized that my expectations were outside of everyone else’s and that
only one's opinion’ really matters, I was able to achieve more than I
ever had thought.
4. List three words you would use to describe your Grand
Valley experience.
Everlasting, restorative, and dignifying!
5. What difference would you like to make in the world?
I want to spread the message of hope, health, and wellness. I
want to help everyone I run into and strengthen the bonds of family,
hopefully leading to a reduced school-to-prison pipeline and a
generation of youth more equipped to navigate life’s ups and downs.
August 2023
Interest Area(s)
Criminal Justice, Spanish
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