Recreation and Leisure Administration

OUR

STORIES RECREATION AND LEISURE ADMINISTRATION

Your future in the recreation industry starts at York College of Pennsylvania

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So, what exactly is the Rec major?

It's more than just fun and games.

Our students learn how activities can build skills and provide a better social experience for others.

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Ways to make your mark

Chelsea Farrington, Class of 2015, was told by her professors to follow her dreams. It led to a trip she will not forget.

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'Coolest major in the world'

Chase Colley embodies just about everything a Rec & Leisure major should.

Read about 5 Recreation and Leisure jobs that can help you give back to the community.

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Planning Spartapalooza

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Internship an ideal fit

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Leading by example

Want hands-on experience in event planning? The annual York College event is run by our students.

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Finding her calling

Ashley Buffton, who's pursuing a Recreational Therapy focus, found a natural fit with a recent internship.

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Helping in Kenya

Julianna Gulledge learned during an internship that small moments can be big deals.

Rec course partners with Communities in Schools to give YCP students the chance to mentor local children.

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Making a difference

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Camden Yards gig a big hit

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'What I'm meant to do'

The benefits of the 'Adapated Sports' Special Topics class go beyond the grade for many students taking the course.

Kelly Cavey credits York College for her landing an internship with the Maryland Stadium Authority.

Amanda Brogan works as a Recreation Director to improve quality of life in a nursing home and rehab center.

A BRIEF LOOK AT

REC & LEISURE

ADMINISTRATION

Our students learn how activities can build skills and provide a better social experience for others.

Every semester, Emily Connors, a York College of Pennsylvania adjunct professor of Recreation and Leisure Administration, takes a group of students to Broadmore Senior Living in York Township.

Their mission? Fun with a purpose.

Their time at Broadmore fulfills the requirements for the programming lab and provides hands-on experience in imple-

menting what they learn in the classroom.

It starts with a needs assessment. Students work with residents to figure out what their interests and challenges might be. Many students enter the Recreation program interested in working with kids, says Professor Connors, but working within diverse populations is essential for the major and their futures.

Their time at Broadmore provides instruction in preparing and implementing a successful program, marshalling resources, public speaking, and working with groups. “These seniors give us their

time and attention for an entire semester. They and the staff at Broadmore provide constant feedback to students and give them an opportunity to learn and improve in the real world,� Professor Connors says.

Students finding fulfillment After the initial assessment, students implement a program to address resident needs, which can include mental stimulation, physical activity, and, of course, must be presented in a fun way that encourages interest and participation. Students must market and budget for the program while making sure that it is relevant and interesting.

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So what do these activities look like? Whether it’s a fashion show, a luau, celebrations for National Potato Chip Day or a paint night complete with wine, Profesor Connors’ students are ready to engage and amaze.

While each event is filled with entertainment for the senior residents, it’s also based on what those elderly York County residents need most: an opportunity to connect with their peers, a chance to stretch the imagination, or the challenge of tackling a new, or reviving an old, skill. At the end of the semester, students are also asked to evaluate themselves and think critically on what went well and what could have been improved.

Students in the Recreation major at York College are not only having fun building their careers, Professor Connors says, but they’re finding fulfillment in brightening someone else’s day.

It’s a gratifying feeling that she has experienced many times over after she also graduated from York College with a degree in Recreation and Leisure Administration.

Hands-on experience As a member of the class of 1996, Professor Connors was originally a Psychology major.

“My aunt, who was an administrator at a nursing home, saw a description of the Recreation and Leisure Administration major in the course catalog and explained the opportunities I might have in the therapeutic recreation field,” she says. “From my first internship, I was hooked.”

That hands-on experience, a core 4

part of the program at York College, is built around applying classroom skills that benefit the college and the community, she says.

Planning Spartapalooza The Special Events Programming course that Professor Connors teaches every Fall semester focuses on one event the college is known for: Spartapalooza.

The fun-filled day welcomed more than 1,300 participants last year who challenged one another in team-building games, filled up on tasty treats and had the opportunity to ride a mechanical bull.

Students taking the course are broken into committees such as marketing, budgeting, food, entertainment and risk management. The committees then plan and implement a particular aspect of Spartapalooza.

Helping others outside of class Professor Connors' spring course Meeting Children’s Needs Through Movement Activities attracts Education, Recreation, and Human Services majors. Students spend half of their time in the classroom and half of their time in the Field House (a large open gym on campus) practicing affordable and easy methods of teaching children important life skills.

“We cover life skills that children need to be successful, like perceptual motor development and listening,” Professor Connors says. “Each week we cover a new skill, how to determine where a child is in mastering that skill and how to teach them how to further develop the skill.”

Then, the students take to the Field House and, using common and inexpensive materials, practice selected movement activi-

ties that will engage one child or a group of 35, whether in a classroom or at home.

The universal language of play The Introduction to Therapeutic Recreation course does a lot more than teach students how to design a Recreation program around a disability — it teaches students how to think from the perspective of a disability.

The mandatory course focuses on designing programs and facilities that accommodate people with disabilities while helping everyone feel equal when they participate in a program.

“We want our students to be exposed to all different kinds of physical abilities so they can become advocates for inclusion,” Professor Connors says.

Graduates of the course will enter their Recreation careers knowing about ADA compliance and universal design and are ready to take a stand that anyone should be able to participate.

Commitment to learning, teaching While she spends most of her time teaching the next generation of Recreation professionals, Professor Connors is still improving on her own skills. With plans to finish her master’s degree this summer, she has her heart set on staying at York College for several years to come.

“I love York College,” she says.

“The students are what make it such a great place to be. I get so excited for the great conversations we have and feel so lucky and fortunate to have spent 10 years teaching here. There’s a lot more fun to be had.”

York College of Pennsylvania | Recreation and Leisure Administration

Chase Colley (center), Class of 2016

'THE COOLEST MAJOR IN THE WORLD' One might say Chase Colley embodies just about everything a Recreation and Leisure Administration major should.

York College of Pennsylvania | Recreation and Leisure Administration

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uring a trip out west before his senior year at York College, Chase Colley learned about living off the land and the science of the wilderness while backpacking through Wyoming, canoeing down rivers in Utah and rock climbing in Idaho.

He wants others to experience similar excursions, specifically people with disabilities. After graduation this spring, he’ll get his chance.

“I’ll be starting an internship with Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center in Colorado in May,” Chase says. “I’m going to work on wilderness adaptive sports for people with disabilities, but my main goal is to do wilderness therapy for the intellectually disabled.”

Chase Colley, right, during his semester in the rockies

And he credits his experience and education at York College for putting him on the right path.

“I think my major is the coolest major in the world,” Chase says. “It’s really small, but you can do so much with it.”

Pinning down a school Chase, a native of Richmond, Virginia, was active well before he got to college. ‌ e wrestled for Hermitage High School and was H a two-time Virginia State National Team member and a Virginia State Qualifier.

When it was time to pursue higher education, one of his wrestling coaches told him about York College.

“Everyone (at York College) is here to help you succeed. That’s a cool environment to be in."

“I looked at a few other schools, but they were bigger,” Chase says. “I decided a smaller school was better for me academically.”

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York College of Pennsylvania | Recreation and Leisure Administration

— CHASE COLLEY, CLASS OF 2016

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After visiting the York College campus, he liked what he saw and decided to enroll.

Beginning his journey Not long after, he chose a career path.

“After my first semester, I knew I wanted to major in Therapeutic Recreation and Leisure,” Chase says. “Wilderness therapy is my specialty, helping people with disabilities have fun in the wilderness, go climbing, hiking, and whitewater rafting.”

In his first year at York College, both an academic advisor and the college’s rock wall supervisor suggested Chase look into the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), a program that offered a semester of college credits while exploring the outdoors.

While the organization operates all over the world, the Rocky Mountains appealed most to him.

“First, I backpacked for 10 days, hiking about 40 miles and gained about 5,000 feet in elevation on the Wind River mountain range,” he says.

He then went to a horse farm to get a Wilderness First Responders certification, which means if anyone gets hurt in the backcountry he can help them stay alive until other help arrives.

Next, he drove to Utah and canoed 127 miles on the Green River through Desolation Canyon. After that, he drove to Idaho to the City of Rocks and went rock climbing.

DID YOU KNOW ...

The Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) certification is available to all students who graduate from the Recreation and Leisure Administration major.

According to the National Recreation and Park Association, the CPRP certification is one of the most sought-after certifications in the park and recreation profession.

“Then, we went back to Utah and to Canyonland and the Grand Gulch Canyon and hiked in and out of canyons for close to 30 days – about 137 miles of hiking,” he says.

That semester of grueling work led to “lots of PE credits” through the University of Utah, as well as credits for environment and biology. He also earned nursing credits for Wilderness First Responder work.

He says all 19 of those credits transferred over to York College, no problem.

‘A cool environment to be in' After graduation, Chase's resume included an emphasis in Recreational Therapy, an unforgettable trip out west and four years of wrestling collegiately with the Spartans.

The intimate experience and small class sizes at York College, he says, will set him up to tackle whatever future adventures await him.

“Everyone is here to help you succeed,” Chase says.

“That’s a cool environment to be in.”

Chase Colley, second row from back, third from left York College of Pennsylvania | Recreation and Leisure Administration

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what goes into planning

Spartapalooza

It's where York College’s classroom and real-world experience READ MORE meet for one night of fun.

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York College of Pennsylvania | Recreation and Leisure Administration

Students in REC250: Special Events Planning are responsible for every aspect of planning and executing York College's annual Spartapalooza celebration.

The annual Spartapalooza is organized by Recreation & Leisure Administration students.

It's another example of hands-on experience that enhances our grads' employment opportunities.

Behind every cardboard boat that floats or fails in the regatta, every brick cautiously placed on the giant Jenga tower and even every sip of a slushie at York College’s Spartapalooza, there’s a group of students making it all possible.

Getting their hands on it all It’s a great opportunity for the students to gain experience in all that goes into planning a special event, said Emily Connors, adjunct professor of Recreation and Leisure Administration.

They’re the students in REC250: Special Events Planning, and they’re responsible for every aspect of planning and executing the annual night of fun, food and entertainment for the campus community.

“They’re really getting that hands-on experience in every aspect of planning,” Professor Connors said. “Even though they are on committees that focus on a single area, they know that we are all part of this team, and we’re all going to do what we have to do to make it happen.”

They hold the responsibilities of choosing a theme, recruiting volunteers to run the event, marketing, vendors and contracts – all within a set budget.

“Any stress that arose was handled as a cohesive unit to find the best solutions,” said Mari Tag-

gart, a junior Hospitality Management major. She worked on the entertainment committee and headed up decorations.

Sara Zalkind, also a junior Hospitality Management major, oversaw the volunteer committee, which was tasked with lining up more than 150 volunteers.

“This was a huge part of the event because there were only nine people in the class, and we needed so many more people to help us set up, during the actual event and to clean up at the end of the night,” she said.

But there were plenty of fun aspects to the responsibilities, too, Sara said.

“I think my favorite part of planning it was how excited the class would get when we got something nailed down,” she said.

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“One of my favorite moments in class was when we decided to get a slushie machine for the event this year. We all were so excited because that was something we had never seen before at a Spartapalooza.”

Measuring their success So, was the slushie machine a hit?

That’s determined by another of the students’ responsibilities – creating and collecting a postevent survey used to evaluate what went well or not so well at Spartapalooza. In some ways, the surveys provide some stress relief, Professor Connors said.

“At the mid-term point of the semester, they’re feeling overwhelmed and nervous,” she said. “It’s always great to be able to talk about it and look at the evaluations from campus and see what they did well, what they could improve upon, and see that process through the semester.”

“When we all sat down to have our meeting about what we thought went well and what needed improvement, we were all just so happy,” Sara said.

“To me, the best part of the whole experience was that feeling I had when it was over, just knowing that your work made someone have a great time and they did not have to do anything.”

Gaining confidence for the future After taking on every aspect of planning such a large event, Professor Connors noted, the students have solid selling points when going on interviews for internships or jobs.

“It gives them legitimate experience. They can talk about every aspect of planning and implementation,” she said. “I think it’s the best experience they

can get because it is so hands-on that it allows students to add those skills to their resumes and build their confidence.”

Mari hopes to enter the sales or beverage sector of the hospitality industry, and in either of those, she said.

"You need to be able to handle stress and deal with many different work ethics, and this class has helped me with that.”

Sara said the experience prepared her for a career working in country clubs, which host member events all of the time.

“This class really gave me that hands-on experience that I will need to be successful in the future,” she said. “I can now say that I planned an event for over 1,000 people.”

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York College of Pennsylvania Departments York College ofof Hospitality Pennsylvania Management, | Recreation Recreation and Leisure and Leisure Administration Administration and Sport Management

finding

her calling Ashley Buffton, a Rec major with a focus on Recreational Therapy, found a natural fit during her Easterseals internship.

During an excursion to Roundtop Mountain Resort earlier this summer, Ashley Buffton faced a challenge from a group of kids: Climb into an inflatable contraption known as an OGO Ball and roll down a hill.

Ashley Buffton, Class of 2018

“The kids were calling me a chicken, so I knew I had to do it,” says Ashley, a rising senior at York College of Pennsylvania. “It was really scary, but it was fun.”

Believe it or not, the wild ride was part of Ashley’ summer job with Easterseals. The nonprofit organization provides services, education and more to people with disabilities and special needs. The youth who dared Ashley were attending Camp Kidet, a program for children whose parents serve in the military and may be deployed. As a therapeutic recreation assistant, Ashley was tasked with helping Continued on Page 12

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Ashley’s recreational therapy classes last spring.

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them cope with any stressors through fun activities, including riding an OGO Ball.

“You could tell we were helping them forget about what’s going on at home, even if only for a few days,” Ashley says.

While that was gratification enough for Ashley, the York College student also earned valuable experience, a resume builder that will prove important after she graduates.

Finding her career path Considering she’s studying Recreation and Leisure Administration, with a focus on Recreational Therapy, Ashley found the Easterseals job a natural fit.

She worked at three camps throughout June and July, including one for young men with high-functioning autism, another for adults with disabilities, and Camp Kidet.

“It was honestly the best experience I could have gained,” she says.

Ashley has wanted to help people with disabilities ever since she joined Best Buddies during her freshman year of college. It’s another nonprofit that works with people with disabilities by providing them with one-on-one friendship, as well as employment and leadership development.

As Ashley’s buddy underwent physical and occupational therapy, she realized it was a career that would make her happy. She says she would like to earn a master’s degree in occupational therapy and one day aims to create a nonprofit that provides recreational therapy to sexual assault victims at little to no cost.

The Easterseals opportunity arose when Matt Ernst, a vice president of programs and business development at the nonprofit – as well as a York College adjunct faculty member – spoke in one of

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“As he was talking, I just knew that it was a place that I would love to work,” she says. “It’s just such an awesome organization. I could not have picked a better place to get experience.”

Learning on the job The work experience left many lasting impressions on Ashley, but one in particular stood out.

During the final camp, the program for young men with high-functioning autism, one camper fretted, saying he really wanted to leave. Ashley talked with him. He agreed to stay if she would help him with his social skills, an area that can be particularly difficult for those with autism.

Ashley kept her promise. When it came time to play volleyball, she made sure the camper had a chance to serve the ball. And she’d hit the ball his way, too, so he could stay involved. By the end of his stay, the camper was having a grand time.

“Giving someone a fun activity to get through their hard times or their struggles just helps them come out of their shells,” Ashley says.

Along the way, Ashley says she felt her own confidence growing as she compiled hands-on experience that will be helpful during life after college.

She saw first-hand how activities impacted individuals differently, a point that drove home the fact that each case its own unique circumstances.

By the end, she found herself truly admiring the people she was tasked with helping, even if they were daring her to take an adventure in an inflatable ball.

“What stands out the most is just how positive the people I worked with were,” she says. “It makes a difference and puts your life into perspective.”

York College of Pennsylvania | Recreation and Leisure Administration

Chelsea Farrington, Class of 2015

A TRIP SHE WILL NOT FORGET The biggest life lessons often come at the most unlikely times. Twenty-three-old Chelsea Farrington figured this out during a walk in the rain.

READ MORE York College of Pennsylvania | Recreation and Leisure Administration

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RECREATION AND LEISURE ADMINISTRATION

CHELSEA FARRINGTON. 2015

helsea Farrington, who graduated from York College of Pennsylvania in 2015 with a B.S. in Recreation and Leisure Administration, remembers returning from a six-week volunteer trip to Kenya where she worked at an orphanage and a girls rescue center.

There were many moments of the trip that had an impact on her, but the one she recalls right away was the night she had to walk for two hours in the rain to the remote village she was staying in.

She had two choices during that nighttime trek down a long muddy road: She could either cry and be miserable or smile and laugh about it.

She chose the latter. “‌ There’s no reason to complain,” Chelsea said. The fact that she was walking with a woman who was carrying a heavy 6-month-old kept the walk in perspective. The woman was used to these long walks. Farrington figured she couldn’t change the situation, so there was no need to stress about it.

“A lot of professors said if you want to do it, just do it.

Follow your dreams.”

Back in Kenya This was Chelsea's second trip to Kenya. She’d visited in 2013 with a group lead by YCP Geography professor Dr. David Fyfe and visited several national parks including Masai Mara and Serengeti National Park.

— CHELSEA FARRINGTON, CLASS OF 2015

But the trip she took from February to March of this year was different.

She was traveling on her own – not affiliated with any school or organization – to pursue volunteer opportunities she’d learned about from a Kenyan woman she’d met by chance last summer.

I‌ nstead of traveling as a tourist, she’d be staying with host families for six weeks, living in tin huts. The first family she stayed with had no running water.

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There was an outhouse, and when she needed to shower, a bucket. They cooked over an open flame and it wasn’t unusual for a goat or chicken to wander inside the hut for a visit.

The first couple days of her trip were awful, Chelsea said. Her luggage was lost, she had problems with her visa and she had no easy way to get in touch with her family and friends back home. But by the end of the first week, she fell in love with the people and her new home.

She spent her days helping out in the orphanage and school doing everything from cleaning and gardening to helping kids with their English and writing and organizing activities for them after school.

She misses walking into the orphanage and having all the kids run up and jump on her. Most of the couldn’t wait to learn how to make the friendship bracelets Chelsea shows them how to create.

“Obviously, they do that to all the volunteers, but it was still really cool,” Chelsea said.

‘The smiles on their faces' At the suggestion of a friend, she raised money via Go Fund Me to help the orphanage and the girls rescue center, which works to end genital mutilation and stop early forced marriages and pregnancies.

She decided to wait until she talked to the school children and villagers to figure out how she would spend the money.

One day, one of the villagers asked if they could use a portion of the $825 she’d raised to buy food for the orphanage, which was about to run out.

FIVE 1. Wilderness Therapist

If you can’t imagine spending your life in a cubicle, a career as a Wilderness Therapist will allow you to make the great outdoors your office while sharing your love of nature with others.

Wilderness Therapists adapt outdoor activities for those who might not otherwise be able to experience them because of physical or intellectual disabilities.

2. Activities Coordinator

Many senior centers, summer camps, and even cruise ships employ an Activities Coordinator to plan and implement entertainment, recreational, and sports activities. The job description will vary depending on your employer, but you might oversee weekly Bingo Nights, organize a kickball tournament, or direct a performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on stage.

The end goal is to inspire others to have fun and partake in activities within their community.

3. U.S. Army MWR Employee

The U.S. Army’s Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Programs employ nearly 30,000 civilians around the globe to carry out programs and services for soldiers and their families. Job opportunities include everything from being an Army Outdoor Recreation Program instructor to working at one of the Army’s 48 golf courses to overseeing a base’s Community Recreation Center.

REC JOBS THAT CAN HELP YOU GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

4. Correctional Recreation Specialists

Although prisons are often thought of as a way to punish those who break the law, correctional facilities hope to rehabilitate offenders before their release. Correctional Recreation Specialists organize a range of activities that might include card games, basketball tournaments, and music classes for those serving time in custody. Some facilities might allow for more specialized activities including theater, gardening, and even pet therapy. Designing programs that increase socialization while teaching inmates skills they can use after their release is extremely rewarding.

5. Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist

Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRS) use activities including dance, sports, and crafts to help their patients heal, recover, and adapt to life after an illness or injury.

May 2015 graduate Kelly Corrigan was able to combine her love of art and service in a position at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. As a CTRS, Corrigan organizes art therapy and other programs for Good Shepherd’s pediatric patients. CTRS can find work in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, residential facilities, and even the government.

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So she gave them enough for a three-month supply of non-perishable food and extra to go toward buying things like fruits and vegetables every week.

“They were so excited for the oranges – to see the smiles on their faces – definitely something you don’t forget,” she said.

The rest of the money went toward buying an extra school uniform for the each of the 16 children at the orphanage. Chelsea said they each only had one school uniform that they wore throughout the week and washed on the weekends – most of which were tattered and worn out.

She also raised $875 for the girls rescue center, which she used to pay for one of the student’s school fees and create two garden plots. Now, she says, her goal is to raise enough money to provide them with food for a year.

DID YOU KNOW ...

Students majoring in Recreation and Leisure Administration at York College participate in a 120-hour Experiential Learning in Recreation (ELR) and a 480-hour Directed Field Experience (DFE), giving them a competitive edge in the job market. visor Emily Connors, a lecturer in Recreation and Leisure Administration, was not surprised to learn that her former student was planning to travel to Kenya as a volunteer focusing on therapeutic recreation.

"As her advisor, my first impression upon meeting Chelsea was her passion for working with those less fortunate,” she said. “Every time I met with Chelsea about her career path, she spoke about her desire to work abroad.”

Education put to good use Today, the Wappingers Falls, N.Y., native is working as a nanny save up money for her next adventure – she’s hoping to find work in a third-world country doing activities for people with disabilities.

Chelsea said her experiences abroad aren’t the only things that have shaped her post-YCP life. As a student at York College, Farrington played women’s rugby and served as a resident assistant, too.

The support Chelsea received from her professors at YCP was one of the motivating factor for her.

She wanted to travel the world, but knew it would be difficult to pay for.

“Both experiences helped me develop to the person I am now and helped me learn different qualities such as leadership, teamwork, problem solving and perseverance,” she said.

“A lot of professors said if you want to do it, just do it. Follow your dreams.”

And she put her Recreation and Leisure education to good use coming up with adaptive programs to entertain the children she met in Kenya.

Chelsea’s academic adviser and internship super-

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York College of Pennsylvania | Recreation and Leisure Administration

Helping individuals, families and organizations make the most of time away from work.

What if you could improve the world through recreation?

That's at the heart of our recreation and leisure administration major — developing programs, organizing events, and helping others use recreational and leisure activities for therapy, exercise, or entertainment. Our innovative curriculum provides a competitive edge in the job market.

We have relevant, quality educational and experiential learning opportunities, from our massive Spartapalooza campus event to wheelchair rugby, to prepare you for a successful career in the industry.

APPLY NOW

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SMALL

MOMENTS

BIG DEALS

Julianna Gulledge is studying Recreation and Leisure Administration with a therapeutic emphasis, making her internship an ideal fit.

Small moments are big deals to Julianna Gulledge, a volunteer turned intern at Maryland Therapeutic Riding.

The rising York College of Pennsylvania senior remembers a time she was volunteering maybe five years ago when a boy who had trouble stopping came to the 25-acre for a therapy session. For whatever reason, the boy would run but couldn’t stop his feet, even if it meant knocking into objects.

So, MTR therapists put him on a horse. As they walked the horse around, with Julianna at its side, the boy would stop the animal. It went on for about 20 minutes. When the boy dismounted, they told him to run toward a cone and stop right there.

He did.

Julianna Gulledge, Class of 2018

“I know it’s so little,” Julianna said, “but that was amazing.”

Julianna is likely to experience more of those moments as an intern at the Crownsville, Maryland-nonprofit facility, where human and horse interaction improves the lives of children and adults with disabilities.

She’s working there through mid-August and will receive credit for the internship, which is part of York College’s focus on real-world experiences for students. She’s studying Recreation and Leisure Administration with a therapeutic emphasis, making the internship at MTR an ideal fit.

Internship ties into career goals After graduation, Julianna wants to work in a pediatric hospital, helping children return to active lifestyles after surgeries and other procedures.

That’s been Julianna’s goal ever since she heard a York College alumnus talk this spring about her experience at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital in Baltimore. The gratification from helping children was apparent.

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“Seeing the light in kids again is just the best feeling in the world,” she says.

Working at MTR is the perfect real-world experience for Julianna. She loves horses, and the job is a resume-builder that comes with valuable life lessons.

MTR offers therapeutic programs that teach individuals with special needs everything from riding skills to how to read equine body language.

Known as hippotherapy, sessions with MTR’s specially trained horses, instructors and therapists can treat conditions such as autism and multiple sclerosis. Interacting with the horses also can build socialization skills and help clients communicate better.

One success story highlighted on the organization’s website recounts the time a child with cerebral palsy took his first steps and spoke his first word after spending some time on the back of a horse.

“Clients can be brushing the horse and, suddenly, they’re talking to the horse – and they’ve never said a word before,” Julianna says.

A natural extension of the York College experience After volunteering at MTR on and off over the past five years, Julianna now works 16 hours a week. She shadows the leaders, learns how hippotherapy works, aand interacts with clients and their families.

The tradition of York College graduates painting their names on “Old Spart” (the large green rock outside of the entrance to the bookstore) continues today.

The internship aligns well with a York College classroom curriculum that often relies on professionals with real-world experience to teach upper-level classes. Julianna’s summer internship builds upon those insights – and shows potential employers she has experience working in the field.

Most important for Julianna, the work is rewarding, especially when small moments turn into big deals.

“I just love seeing that people benefit from the littlest things,” she says. “Seeing people happy makes me feel so much happier – knowing that anything you do, they’ll appreciate it. Even though you’re not doing that much, they’re getting so much out of it.”

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LEADING EXPERIENCES THAT MATTER

by example

Course partners with Communities in Schools to give college students the opportunity to mentor local children.

Throwing a beach ball back and forth with a group of elementary school students might not seem like class work, but for York College students it's a way to contribute to the community while getting a quality education.

Dr. Julie Saville, professor of the class, sees students from across the York College campus looking for ways to give back.

“They’re not all Recreation majors,” she says. “Some are Human Service, Psychology, Sociology, Criminal Justice majors. But they’re all students who want to work with people and that's the focus of the class.”

brings community resources inside public schools.

The idea is born Alex Kadyszewski, a 2010 York College graduate and History major, is a site coordinator for Communities in Schools, a national nonprofit organization that 20

The York College REC 103 Leadership and Group Dynamics class recently ran teambuilding initiatives with local elementary school students.

Retired professor Dr. Jeff Witman, who led the REC 103 class before Dr. Saville, brainstormed an idea with Alex to bring area elementary school children to the college. The goal was to let them “have fun and learn some skills to bring back to their classroom to share with their classmates and

potentially become leaders in their classroom,” Alex says.

Reflecting further on how and why the idea developed, his passion is evident.

“I wish I had more of these kinds of opportunities to see what’s on the other side of the fence,” Alex

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A career in the recreation industry involves designing and leading group activities for organizations or venues such as parks, camps, veterans’ groups, correctional facilities, youth organizations, senior centers and many more.

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says. “Some of these kids don’t even realize that there is a college nearby or that they are allowed to do some of these activities we’ve shown them.”

Energy, support, and truth The students from the participating area elementary schools – McKinley, Hannah Penn, and Jackson – engaged in fun and educational team-building activities with the REC 103 students.

Some initiatives included activities focused on energy, support, and truth.

Ryan Taphouse is a sophomore Criminal Justice major from Long Island, N.Y. His group’s initiative was truth, which illustrated to the younger students how important honesty is in a leadership role.

One activity to demonstrate this included a beach ball with questions attached to it, which was tossed between the group members. When caught by the person whose name was called, that person was to answer the corresponding question quickly and truthfully.

Positive partnership Ryan sees the two-way benefits to college students like himself and the elementary-age children.

“The partnership with Communities in Schools and working with the kids from local elementary schools definitely helped me personally become a stronger, more effective leader,” he says. “We’re working with kids who may not be coming from the best of backgrounds.”

Dr. Saville echoes his sentiments from the college-level perspective.

“College students act as a role model for the younger students so they can see themselves as a possible college student in the future. Being exposed to the possibilities is so important for the younger kids,” she says.

Making an impact “If you like to apply what you’re learning in the classroom, this is the class for you,” Dr. Saville says. “We don’t just read about it, we do it. We don’t just study it, we practice it.”

The true reward of the REC 103 class, Ryan says, comes not from a grade but rather the experience.

“Seeing the instant reaction and receiving the positive feedback from these kids is more rewarding than getting a good grade on any test.”

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Students in York College's Adapted Sports class participate in an adapted kayaking lesson.

MAKING A

DIFFERENCE BENEFITS OF NEW CLASS GO BEYOND THE GRADE The 'Adapted Sports' Special Topics class focuses on the process of taking a standard existing sport and modifying it in some way to accommodate an individual’s needs.

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York College of Pennsylvania | Recreation and Leisure Administration

READ MORE

C

ole Fenton was born without a radius bone in his right arm.

Despite many surgeries, his right arm remains much shorter than his left. “I was a disabled kid growing up,” says Cole, a native of Hopewell, New Jersey. “I was always considered that guy.”

Today, Cole majors in Recreation and Leisure Administration at York College of Pennsylvania. Last semester, he heard about a newer Special Topics class called Adapted Sports. It clicked with him immediately, and he enrolled as soon as he could.

“When I found this class that’s showing me how to adapt things into a way that I could’ve used growing up, it made me instantly love it,” Cole says. “I can help so many kids that are in a position like I was. It can give them a way to express themselves, play sports, and do things that I didn’t have growing up.

The Adapted Sports class is “all about having opportunities for all, regardless of ability.”

Cole, a sophomore, says the class was kind of a hidden little secret.

“For someone who didn’t know a lot about what the class was and just went with it, I’ve never looked back,” he says. “It’s awesome.”

A vast scope of participants Pamela Lehnert, who has 25-years of industry experience, co-teaches the Adapted Sports class with Matthew Ernst.

Professor Ernst graduated from York College after studying Therapeutic Recreation and is the current Vice President of Programs and Business Development for the Central Region of Easterseals in Western and Central Pennsylvania.

“It really shows you how everyday life is affected. You see how different the world is – say, from a wheelchair – than just walking around.”

— COLE FENTON, CLASS OF 2019

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Adapted Sports is a professional field with the potential for significant growth.

“There’s been a big push for inclusion and acceptance of people with disabilities in regular mainstream programming,” says one York College professor.

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“Adapted Sports is the process of taking a standard existing sport and modifying it in some way to accommodate an individual’s needs,” Professor Lehnert says.

"This class is all about having opportunities for all, regardless of ability," Professor Ernst added.

"Whether you are going into sports management, therapeutic or community recreation, human services, or a variety of other fields, this helps you to think outside the box and develop opportunities serving everyone."

Those needs can be any range of disabilities. It could be someone with autism or an intellectual or physical disability.

“The scope of the individuals who take part in these programs and services is very vast,” Professor Lehnert says.

Class details The class is currently held two days a week. One day is lecture. The other is an experiential class held in the Field House. There, the class introduces students to a variety of adapted sports that vary by semester.

They include the following: wheelchair tennis, wheelchair basketball,adapted kayaking,cycling

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(handcycles and recumbent cycles),sitting volleyball,and goal ball. Students are also introduced to adapted equipment used in teaching adapted water skiing and snow skiing.

The current maximum number of students allowed in the class is 12.

“If the class is too large, it’s more difficult to get everyone engaged,” Professor Lehnert says.

Growth and benefits Adapted Sports is a professional field with the potential for significant growth.

“There’s been a big push for inclusion and acceptance of people with disabilities in regular mainstream programming,” Professor Lehnert says.

For students, it’s more than a filler class to reach the minimum number of credits needed for full-time status. The benefits extend well beyond the grade.

“It really shows you how everyday life is affected,” Cole says. “You see how different the world is – say, from a wheelchair – than just walking around.”

It’s an opportunity that few people get to have or experience, he says.

“It’s cool to be able to make a difference.”

York College of Pennsylvania | Recreation and Leisure Administration

'I THANK THEM FOR PUSHING ME'

Camden Yards gig a hit for Rec major Kelly Cavey credits York College for her landing an internship with the Maryland Stadium Authority.

One of the best parts of Kelly Cavey’s workday is her walk around Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Like the batters who ply their trade in Baltimore’s baseball stadium, her trained eye sees things average fans miss.

Kelly, a lifelong Orioles fan who graduated from Hereford High School in Maryland, is spending the summer before her senior year at York College of Pennsylvania as an intern with the Maryland Stadium Authority.

Kelly Cavey, Class of 2018 fan – her love of sports was even one of the reasons she ended up at York College – but her path to this internship wasn’t a direct one.

The Recreation and Leisure Administration major now knows how to spot problems before they arise at the venerated stadium.

During her daily walk around the park, she looks for things that might be amiss so they can be fixed before they affect fan experiences.

“I’ve learned so much in my last four weeks,” she says.

Getting to the big leagues Kelly has always been a sports

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She ended up following her sister’s footsteps in choosing York.

She knew her sister had a great experience at the school, and Kelly wanted to play volleyball collegiately. The match was a perfect fit for her. Picking a major, however, was a bit trickier.

Kelly began her collegiate career gunning for a degree in History, but she didn’t know what she would do with her career after

getting the degree.

It wasn’t until she discovered the Recreation and Leisure Administration program during her sophomore year that she knew what she wanted to do. She quickly switched majors and hasn’t looked back.

“They were great,” she says of the professors and staff in the department. “Julie Saville, my advisor, helped me with anything I needed.”

Her classes have taught her to think critically as she prepares

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Kelly Cavey, '18, says one of the best parts of York College’s program is that it requires internships. It's part of what pushed her to apply to a summer gig with the Maryland Stadium Authority — a position she ultimately landed.

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for and works on a project. Now, she knows what problems can arise if she’s planning a camp. She understands what safety protocols should be put in place and what paperwork should be completed.

“My classes have put that in my head so that when I’m here at my internship, I’m already thinking about that,” Kelly says.

Take her out to the ball field Kelly has several responsibilities with the Authority, which is a public organization that oversaw the development of several stadiums, convention centers, and other facilities in the state and also maintains them.

Kelly helps the Authority with its progress in earning Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications. It’s a green initiative that rates buildings and neighborhoods for things like energy consumption.

the stadium where she watched her favorite player, Miguel Tejada, roam. But every day she gets to go to work in the iconic warehouse that towers over right field.

“I had no idea what I wanted to do going into school,” she says.

Now, she helps make sure her current favorite players, like Jonathan Schoop, get to play in a home stadium that shines every night. She hopes she can return to the Authority for another internship before she graduates.

Kelly says one of the best parts of York College’s program is that it requires internships.

“It’s awesome. It gets you out in the field,” she says.

“I love having them pushing me. It’s a great requirement, and I thank them for pushing me to find the internship.”

As part of the project, Kelly might check things like electric meters at Camden Yards to see how much energy parts of the park are using.

Growing up, Kelly wouldn’t have imagined working for

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York College of Pennsylvania | Recreation and Leisure Administration

A REWARDING CAREER

'This is what I'm meant to do'

Each student must complete a 600-hour internship experience spent at one job site.

Amanda Brogan works as a Recreation Director in New Jersey to improve the quality of life in a nursing home and rehab center.

Amanda Brogan wanted a career that allowed her to help people and impact their quality of life.

The opportunity came sooner than the 2016 York College of Pennsylvania graduate expected.

A nursing home and rehab center in New Jersey recently named her Recreation Director.

“I never thought my first year out of college I’d be taking on a director position,” Amanda says In her new position, Amanda plans daily activities for the center’s residents. Each activity aims to meet residents’ physical, emotional and spiritual needs.

“Being able to go to work and know I’m making a difference in someone’s life makes for a very rewarding job,” Amanda says. “I can’t thank York College enough for its work to prepare me for a career I love.”

'Instantly fell in love’

When considering schools, Amanda thought York College was too far away from her hometown of Franklin Lakes, N.J. A few high school classmates

Amanda Brogan, Class of 2016 said they were going there, though, so she applied. After York College accepted her, Amanda and her father made the three-hour trip to campus.

“When I visited, I instantly fell in love with the beautiful campus,” she says. “It felt completely right.”

She wasn’t sure what career path she wanted to pursue at the time.

York College offered a number and variety of majors. She chose Sport Management first.

Her sophomore year, Amanda switched to Recreation and Leisure Administration. She thought the therapeutic recreation track aligned with her career goals.

Experience makes a difference York College’s Recreation and Leisure Administration curriculum includes in-depth field experience. It's designed to give students a competitive edge when they enter the job market.

Amanda spent her Directed Field Experience at the Margaret E. Moul Home. The long-term care facility in York is for adults with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis and other neuromuscular impairments.

“That internship is what really spoke to me,” she says. “It made me say ‘Wow, this is what I’m meant to do.’ It reassured me that I picked the right major.”

Getting the most out of school Amanda’s education was more than sitting in a classroom. It was going out and getting hands-on experience.

“York College did an excellent job with teaching me how to be professional,” she says.

For Amanda, her experience and education helped her stand out.

Her teachers left an impression on her, too.

“Professors make a huge impact on the department,” she says.

“They have so much experience and knowledge to share with students. They go above and beyond to make sure you’re getting the most out of your education.”

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