I participated in an internship for the National Ability Center in Park City Utah. I spent five weeks working with people of varying abilities to provide access to therapeutic recreation with an emphasis on adaptive strategies. I was a Day Camp Intern that worked specifically with young adults on the autism spectrum.

Working at the National Ability Center provided me with a real life example of what it would be like to work for a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the disability community. It was my first time working for a larger company and I experienced many new situations that helped shape my perspective in this line of work. Additionally, meeting and working with new people has given me novel confidence because I was able to make friends and feel purposeful. This experience helped me believe no matter where I go in the world, I’ll be able to find kind people and feel welcomed. I had not previously experienced meeting so many new people in a new place so this experience was scary but a genuine thrill. 

One interaction that led to my change in confidence during my time in Utah was the relationship I built with my bosses. I had two young female bosses who were exceptional leaders and wonderful people. They were gracious trainers and worked to make a sixteen  person staff feel connected as one big team. I will use their leadership style as an example moving forward because they were so incredibly positive and strong leaders. Although my bosses were kind and confident, they were also stern when needed and took the job very seriously. This brought professionalism to the workplace allowing us all to work our hardest. Uniquely, outside of work all of my coworkers and I agreed about how much we appreciated our bosses. I appreciated being in the presence of strong leaders and I look forward to staying in touch with them. 

Another activity that helped transform my confidence in Utah was when I would participate in rock climbing and the challenge course with our participants. Until now, I had zero climbing experience, but I met multiple very kind peers in Utah who were willing to teach me the ropes and provide trustworthy support. When climbing, there is a weird clarity that comes over your brain. I was amazed at how blank my mind would go and how much fear I would feel. Regardless, I was amazed by the kindness and companionship between myself and the person at the bottom belaying me. When climbing, you are in a two person system and you put your life in another human’s hands. This experience carried me far out of my comfort zone and I was very proud of myself. 

Finally, my experiences working with participants of the NAC are what impacted me the most during my time in Park City. It was eye opening to work alongside individuals with varying mental and physical abilities for many reasons. First, I witnessed the harsh reality of mental disabilities including abuse and neglect from parents. These horrific situations gave me a greater sense of what is really going on and reminded me of why I want to serve this community in any way. Second, I was moved by the determination and ability of the participants. I would see a participant struggle to speak, but with prompting and encouragement they would get up and try all kinds of new challenging activities. Their ability to push boundaries and try activities most would expect them to never try brought me to tears. 

I am very afraid to go into my junior year of college. I had two older brothers who attended Ohio State and did not make it through their junior year. I wanted to push myself this summer so I would have extra confidence going into uncharted territory of school. This experience helped me believe in myself and willing to try new things. I look forward to going back to school and facing challenges head on. Personally, this trip to Utah will impact me for my entire life and I am grateful to have had this experience.