Hard to believe that this awesome Colorado immersion trip has been completed for a while. We were all fired up about serving in Aurora, Colorado, but I know it went by so fast! I kept drifting away almost the whole day after this adventure ended, maybe hasn’t ended yet:-P We had an immeasurable amount of memories in colorful Colorado. Thank you so much for being such amazing participants who made this rewarding trip possible! Your guys’ good feedback touched my heart deeply!
Literally, this Colorado immersion trip focused on using therapeutic play to engage with at-risk youth in hospital. We know that children’s hospitals are safe places that help children to overcome many obstacles and recover. Nowadays, many hospitals are using therapeutic play to connect with pediatric patients they serve. During this past Spring Break, we served in Children’s Hospital Colorado from Monday to Thursday, and had a great time making connections with the kiddos there. We were separated into small groups and then switched to play with the children in creative play room, or invite more children to make crafts and color puzzles. We also ran the potato racing on Wednesday to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! It seems that playing with the kids is not difficult, but how do we engage in therapeutic play effectively is not simple. Just like what we learned from the orientation: “Let the child lead you by: allowing them to make decisions; create their own rules to games; and by letting them explore their environment.” Throughout the service, I realize that the therapeutic play is a kind of mind’s language, which is sensitive to the child’s needs during stressful experiences. Play engages them on their own level and meets them where they are at cognitively, socially, and emotionally. In addition, therapeutic play allows them to cope with their feelings in an unfamiliar environment. After the service in the morning, we explored Denver and Aurora by visiting Red Rocks & Amphitheater, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver Zoo, Denver Art Museum and Rocky Mountain National Park for the rest of the day. We also hiked 7.5 miles on Rocky Mountains with joy and pride! The mountain view was amazing and breathtaking! We had a blast in Colorado!
I spent all of my two Spring Breaks during the Master’s working with Bear Breaks to engage with people in generating thoughts and ideas related to social issues. And all of the experiences had positive impacts on my life, which helped me to recognize the importance of making contributions to the community and being an active citizen. I love what was written on my “Pawscar”, a kind of award I received from Bear Breaks after the trip: “Most likely to stay on her immersion trip forever!” That’s exactly what I want!
Since the training for trip leaders started from the retreat last September, we spent almost one academic year making preparations for the Spring Break trip. I enjoyed working, learning, and growing with the Executive Board and other trip leaders. What we talked and created during the meeting was really helpful and practical when I applied them into my group. Thanks to Bear Breaks who has taught me how to be a better leader and given me the opportunity to do more service in the community. Serving as a bear has been truly an honor for me!
As the only one international student among trip leaders, I found that language is not the biggest barrier to do the teamwork at all. Because the power of full involvement and engagement will definitely beat it, and what you could feel is warm and love from your teammates. Special thanks to Alex, Ellen, Sarah, Liz and Aiden who helped me a lot and gave me many good opportunities to make more connections with people and the community. Thanks to my great advisors Michaela and Chris for driving us and giving me so much comfort and encouragement on the trip! As I approach to my graduation this May, Bear Breaks is something I will hold close to my heart and miss most!
I’m ready to be immersed in different challenges wherever I am in the future! Proud of being a Bear, proud of being a Trip Leader, proud of being a member of Bear Breaks, and proud of what we were dedicated to our community! Go Bears!