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Kristen Mantlo<\\\/h2>\\n \\n <\/p>\n
\\n \\n I never thought I’d become a social worker, let alone a founder and the Executive Director of a nonprofit.<\\\/p><\/p>\n
\\n \\nI went to James Madison University, planning to become a writer, either a novelist or journalist. All that changed (along with my major a few times) when I met a social worker at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, VA. She opened my eyes to the social work profession, program management, and research.\\n <\\\/p><\/p>\n
\\nWhile in college, I came home weekly to visit my sister Samantha (yes, THE ‘Samantha’ in Samantha Makes It a Little Easier) while she underwent cancer treatment. We experienced firsthand the many challenges a child and their family members face during various stages of medical care, including the difficulty of funding costly medical equipment. A few days before Sam passed away, she asked me to use the money people raised for her to purchase a quality prosthetic to help children ‘like her.’\\n<\\\/p><\/p>\n
\\nAfter completing my Masters of Social Services (MSW) at Bryn Mawr College outside Philadelphia, PA, I returned to Hampton Roads. I worked for a few different nonprofits while founding SMILE with a fantastic group of women. Since SMILE’s founding, I have had the opportunity to complete my Ph.D. in Health Service Research at Old Dominion University, focusing my research on young adult survivors of childhood cancer and late effects.\\n\\n \\n<\\\/p><\/p>\n
\\n I love my job and am honored to be able to serve such wonderful children and their families.\\n <\\\/p>\\n \\n