Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Megan Vance. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Megan, thanks for joining us today. We’re complete cheeseballs and so we love asking folks to share the most heartwarming moment from their career – do you have a touching moment you can share with us?

Earlier this year, we had a new family (Zoë, her two sisters, and her parents) move to the area who benefit from our free therapeutic and educational programs at GiGi’s Playhouse Canton. It is always a treat meeting new families and welcoming them to the Playhouse, but part of what makes this particular interaction so heartwarming is a conversation I will never forget.

Zoë’s parents shared they previously lived in Arizona and occasionally participated in programming at the GiGi’s Playhouse located in Phoenix, however it was still a 45 minute drive from where they used to live. When moving to Ohio, Zoë’s family deliberately sought out a home close to GiGi’s Playhouse Canton so they could become more regularly involved because they saw all the benefits, empowerment, and the limitless potential a relationship with the Playhouse could provide. In March, we had a World Down Syndrome Day dance party to celebrate all our friends with an extra chromosome and the joy they bring to our lives, and after this event Zoë’s dad shared,

“Thank you so much for hosting the event last night. It was wonderful to see all of the families and kids to adults just having such a great time. Zoë loved every minute of it and my wife said that when they first arrived to the site, Zoë screamed “Yeah!” because she already has such good memories from her first two experiences. We cannot wait to get better connected and be a better advocate for the community.”

GiGi’s Playhouse Canton is fulfilling the dream of the Down syndrome community of having a location where individuals with Down syndrome of all ages have a place to call their own, where they feel safe and can explore their abilities through proven programs with support and celebration. Parents no longer feel the anxiety of finding a place where their loved one will be unconditionally accepted and offered opportunity to become their best of all. Each participant will grow with the programs at their own pace and interact with their peers in an environment of celebration and achievement. No matter the age, individuals with Down syndrome will be offered the opportunity to grow their knowledge and skills. Families will experience support and learn that they are not alone and are part of an amazing community that appreciates the joys and highlights the positive.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a licensed social worker and a lifelong advocate of the disability community, specifically those with Down syndrome. My brother was born with Down syndrome when I was 5 years old, and since then he has been my biggest influence and best friend in life, and I have strived to make the world a better place for him and so many others. Thinking back, I was the proud five-year-old that would say “my brother has Down syndrome,” but when you’re 5, you don’t know what that means or what a chromosome is. However, I just knew I was proud of him in all the ways that make him who he is. In college, I was president of a student organization that strived to promote inclusion and acceptance of the Down syndrome community and was involved all four years of my undergraduate career. I volunteered with the local Down Syndrome Association and tried to stay as involved as possible with a community that means so much to me. During graduate school, I continued to make connections when I received a scholarship from a family who has a daughter with Down syndrome, who I am proud to now call my friend. I later learned this friend of mine is involved with GiGi’s Playhouse Canton, which is how I learned about the organization! Fast forward a couple years later, and when I saw an open position with the organization, I knew I couldn’t pass it up.

At GiGi’s Playhouse, we change lives through the consistent delivery of free educational, therapeutic-based, and career development programs for individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and the community. To know that everything is 100% free to families gives peace of mind knowing that cost will never be a barrier to those who can benefit most. Every day, individuals with Down syndrome experience hypotonia, which is low muscle tone impacting their speech, fitness, and motor skills; cognitive delays manifested as delays in speaking and processing verbal information; limited opportunities for employment and community engagement; and limited acceptance. GiGi’s Playhouse helps maximize opportunities for daily achievement and lasting acceptance and helps advance a vital social impact goal by showing the world what individuals with Down syndrome can achieve as students, co-workers, volunteers, friends, and valued members of their communities. By shifting “awareness” to “action,” we can show the world that we can and will accept people with Down syndrome as they are for generations to come.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

If I could go back, I would absolutely choose the same career path I am on now. I can’t envision myself doing anything else because I absolutely love what I do, the impact I am able to make, and the relationships I have built along the way. Although I have only been a part of the GiGi’s Playhouse organization for around 2.5 years, it feels like it has been so much longer with these bonds I’ve been able to make with the families we serve. It may sound cliché to say this role was made for me, but it truly feels that way.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I have had to unlearn is to not feel obligated to say ‘yes’ to everything that others as of me. When I was in high school and started my first job, I recall my manager telling me that I was the person he wanted to be reliable, to be able to step in if they needed someone, and to have the answer be ‘yes.’ This was an influential moment, because I was impressionable and this was someone telling me what was needed for a job I had just started, so I hung on to every word that was said and felt that in order to be successful, I needed to say ‘yes.’ And I did. And most times, I still do. There’s nothing wrong with being agreeable and getting things done, but in the helping profession, it is healthy and necessary to learn boundaries.

Building a successful career is all about making the right choices. You can’t say ‘yes’ to every opportunity that presents itself to you. Sometimes you need to say ‘no’, but that’s often the answer we struggle hardest with to give. Why? Because we don’t like to hurt people’s feelings or feel like we are letting anyone down. However, saying ‘no’ is a key life skill that is worth spending some time investing in and one that I have been learning and practicing over the past several years. Your energy comes from only one source – you. Having the power to say ‘no’ (or ‘not right now’) helps you to conserve your energy and put it toward the things that are most important to you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gigisplayhouse.org/canton/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gigisplayhousecanton/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GigisPlayhouseCanton/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/68511463/admin/feed/posts/