About

My name is Carina Bergouignan, and I am 27 years old from Miami, FL. I come from a large, loud, and loving Cuban family. I happily spend most of my time with them as family is the most important thing to me. Whether it's helping take care of my grandparents, watching movies, or cooking, we all love being together. 

I have completed my Masters in Developmental Disabilities with a concentration in Child Life (Nova Southeastern University) and my Bachelor's degree in Education (Florida International University). I have learned so much from both universities and throughout my internship.
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I was initially offered a practicum placement at John R. Oishei Children's Hospital in Buffalo, NY, for the summer of 2020. After a few months of not knowing if I would be able to participate in that practicum due to COVID-19, an unexpected opportunity presented itself. I was offered a Child Life Community Virtual Practicum for displaced students due to COVID-19. 
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I most recently completed my Child Life Internship at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. I completed my first rotation in Solid Tumors and my second rotation in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit. I was able to see patients in the inpatient and outpatient clinic areas. The children at St.Jude and their families are truly resilient and kind. It was genuinely fulfilling to make small differences in someone's day. Engaging with patients while building rapport, assessing, creating coping plans, providing opportunities for normalization, co-treating, providing developmentally appropriate education and preparation were some of my favorite parts of the internship. 

Child life is something I discovered in high school and knew it was exactly what I was meant to do. It is not a common career choice in Miami, FL but a necessary one. Helping children cope, feel safe, and balanced while normalizing their environment through play and education is essential to their healing process.