Windsong Equitherapy

With the help of teachers and my efforts, I have been successful and was even a recipient of an academic achievement award for students with a 3.6 GPA or higher. It is not always easy learning the materials, studying and placing my thoughts onto paper, yet I will continue to advocate for myself in any circumstance necessary. Despite having learning challenges in the classroom, it does not limit my activities outside of the classroom. I love to volunteer! One of my favorite activities includes being a volunteer buddy for the Miracle League of the Fox Valley. The Miracle League is a baseball organization for children and adolescents with physical and/or cognitive challenges. My role of a buddy is to assist my fellow buddy in any needs she may need, protect her from possible injuries and make sure she is having fun! I love having the opportunity of being a buddy, it has formed a forever lasting companionship and provided smiles that touch us all! Addition to the Miracle League, I’m a member of National Honor Society in which I volunteer in several community organizations to help better the community. I was honored to be selected as a Link Crew member. It has been one of my greatest opportunities to advocate for my peers with disabilities. This is a first time that Appleton North Link Crew created a program for students with physical and cognitive challenges to be included in a freshman transition program in

After seeing the smiles that seemed almost permanent that week, I realized how important it is to work with and help younger children. I also learned what it’s like knowing that you’ve made a difference in someone’s life. I’ve been a counselor at that same camp for two more years since that first summer, and it gets better every time. Even though it can be difficult and frustrating to work with children sometimes, the reward that you, as well as the children, receive is well worth the effort.

My life's journey is aspiring to further my education to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) as well as acquiring the credentials for Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC). Upon achieving a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, I plan to apply my skills in a rehabilitation setting focusing on individuals with disabilities. My goal is to make an impact in the lives of many families and to empower these individuals to strive to their fullest potential. Furthermore, I find it gratifying helping individuals reach their goals and most importantly their dreams. I am currently working with the community and volunteering with the Autism Services Clinic at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). Assisting children with special needs has been an exceptional

I have distinctly applied for Special Needs Education because special education has always been what’s near and dear to me in the field of education. Being a special education teacher would be an inevitably rewarding job, in which I get to watch my students grow, as I celebrate their small breakthroughs and victories with them. These small breakthroughs and victories will improve over time and turn into giant leaps, which will leave a lasting impact and ultimately change the child’s life. Beyond just educating children with special needs, I aspire to educate the public about children with special needs and special education. By doing so, I hope to remove any uncertainty and fear the public has on this group of children. Not only do I want to impart knowledge on these special children, I also want to advocate for them, which is something that goes

My personal experience gives me emotional strength and purpose to serve the vulnerable sections of society through pediatric health care. Growing up in a remote town in

Throughout the years I feel that I’ve had a number of valuable experiences, my most significant experience is my volunteering experience at Children’s Hospital Colorado. I still remember feeling utterly terrified on my first day volunteering, pondering all the possible ways things could go wrong. I suddenly felt as though I have never experienced this before. I was on my own, responsible for myself and all of my actions.

In ninth grade, my mother suggested that I volunteer with peers at my high school who are special needs. She thought it would be good for me to meet other people my age who have their unique struggles in school, much like myself. I protested originally, but little did I know I would love volunteering with my peers, regardless of their disability. During this time, I signed up to volunteer with a local organization called Buddy Ball. At Buddy Ball, I had the opportunity to teach children with disabilities ages five through twenty-one baseball. When I volunteered with my peers, I mainly saw high schoolers with severe autism, intellectual disabilities, and emotional disturbances, whereas with Buddy Ball most of the participants had severe autism, intellectual disability, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, epilepsy, or a multiple of disabilities. Both of these experiences allowed me to gain knowledge of a variety of special

For two years I worked as a camp counselor for the Western DuPage Special Recreation Association (WDSRA). In this time, I have worked day camps, inclusion camps, social program,s and even an overnight camp for children, teens, and adults with special needs. My responsibilities were to plan crafts and activities that were inclusive to the various needs and abilities of the campers. Most of all, being a camp counselor meant creating a safe and fun environment for each

I joined a group at my elementary school called Mustang Mentors. One of the service projects I remember most was working with Reins from Above our local therapeutic riding center. Reins from Above specializes in serving children and adults (ages 3 and up) with a wide range of special needs, such as autism, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, sensory integration disorder, Down Syndrome, traumatic

Throughout high school, I volunteered at a reputable childrens therapy facility called Equi-kids. Equi-kids is a nonprofit organization that teaches disabled children how to interact with animals and build core strength on horseback. I have volunteered as a horse-walker and side-walker for thousands of lessons and watched each student gain remarkable confidence. Even some of the most severely disabled riders have found comfort alongside the helpful staff and loving animals at the farm.

Volunteering for the Special Olympics was an incredible experience, while interacting with the athletes I learned to be more appreciative and I saw genuine happiness. I was given the amazing opportunity to volunteer at this event because I am a part of Grace club. Grace club is an organization in my school that helps and interacts with kids who have special needs. One of the club's main goals is informing others about the disabilities these children have and how to properly interact with them. It also works towards building respect for people with disabilities and changing the public's perception of these disabilities. I decided to join Grace club for various reasons, but the main reason I decided to join the club was because I would be able to help and interact with these children. I believe lots of compassion and patience is needed when interacting with these children. Volunteering in this club and the Special Olympics fulfills my needs of helping

Special needs individuals have also deeply impacted my life. While employed with Skill Creations, I monitored the daily activities of six young men with mental and physical needs exceeding the care family members could provide. Unfortunately, some endured incredibly difficult circumstances before admission. The group home provided daily medical care as well as therapeutic services designed to encourage independence. Subsequently, my daughter's diagnosis of autism forged awareness of the innovation special needs parents exhibit discerning services to pursue for their child's future

“I know if it wasn’t for horses in my life I don’t know where I would be,” said Alicia Rybak from Sunshine Incorporated of Northwest Ohio during our interview (personal communication, November 9, 2017). Alicia Rybak is the barn manager and therapeutic riding volunteer coordinator at Sunshine. It is evident that Alicia values her job and, what it does for others. As the barn supervisor, she is in charge of the general animal care, managing staff and volunteers, and training new instructors that come in. Additionally, as the therapeutic riding volunteer coordinator Alicia is the one to set up the barn safety training, required for all volunteers, and teaching the volunteers what to do. Though Alicia says that her work is divided evenly between

After this camp, I continued my volunteer hours by job shadowing at a nursing home for alzheimer and dementia patients. This helped me to know how to better communicate with not only younger children,

For my final project I interviewed my mother’s friend Tammy Carnes who’s son is diagnosed with cerebral palsy. During our interview we discussed what it is like we raise a child with a disability, and how the educational system aided in dealing with her child’s everyday needs. After completing this interview I feel a little more understanding of how the parent of said child may feel when dealing with the educational system meeting their child’s particular needs. A high point of the interview was Ms. Carnes’s surprise to the amount of dedication the educational system is making to ensure their teachers are well prepared for the different types of disabilities children may have. A part of the interview that surprised me was how truly patient