Welcoming our New Interns!

Hello families of GiGi’s Playhouse! This is Gina and Nicolette, the newest interns at GiGi’s Playhouse Southern Tier for this fall. We would love to introduce ourselves to you guys and tell you some facts about us. Volunteering at the playhouse has been a huge part of our college experience which is why we could not be more excited to be working closely with the volunteers, staff and families at GiGi’s Playhouse! We will start off by telling you a little more about us and then discuss some of the fun activities we have planned for the next couple of months! 

 “Hi everyone! My name is Gina Senato. I am currently a senior attending Binghamton University majoring in Human Development and minoring in education as well as health and well-ness. I am from Long Island, NY (as more than half of Binghamton students are). When I first came to college I was not sure what I had wanted to do with my career. However, after taking different classes and volunteering at GiGi’s playhouse over the last couple years, I am certain that I want to be in the education field. Over the past two years, I have volunteered at GiGi’s by being a tutor and helping out in GiGiFit. Being at GiGi’s has always given me such an overwhelming sense of joy knowing that I am making a difference in the lives of individuals and families. Everyone here has always been so welcoming and has made me look forward to coming every week. I have met such amazing people which is why I know being an intern here is going to give me so much knowledge and life experiences that I will never forget and use for the rest of my educational career. What I love most about GiGi’s is that they never fail to make every individual feel included and proud of themselves. Therefore, I am so lucky to be returning to Gigi’s Playhouse and to be a part of GiGi’s family and community.”

“Hi guys! My name is Nicolette Diaks. I’m from Long Island, NY. I am currently a senior at Binghamton University studying Human Development with a minor in Education. I plan to continue my education upon graduation to become a certified Special Education teacher. For the past several summers, I have been working at Camp Anchor (a summer camp for children and adults with special needs). When I found out about GiGi’s, my sophomore year of college, I was overjoyed to have a place in Binghamton that I could build on my experience with children and adults with special needs. I started out as a literacy tutor for two semesters then I went on to become a tutor support for fellow students who needed help creating lesson plans. The next two semesters I was lead volunteer for Fantastic Friends: Lunch Bunch and Art Explosion. I am excited to continue my involvement as an intern this semester! The staff, volunteers, participants, and families have been unbelievably warm and welcoming since the start and has made GiGi’s one of my favorite parts of my college experience! I am lucky to be a part of the GiGi’s family and hope that I could share this incredible experience with new and returning members this year!”

This semester we will be managing and assisting the volunteers throughout the tutoring process as well as programs such as GiGiFit, GiGi’s Kitchen, Destination Discovery, Gratitude, Art Explosion, and Fantastic Friends. It is our mission to make sure that everyone has the best experience possible when visiting the playhouse. We have a lot of ideas for these next couple of months to ensure everyone is going to learn and have a great time while doing it. If anyone has any questions or concerns please never hesitate to reach out! We cannot wait to continue working with all of you!