The past couple of weeks, I have been interning at ACH Clear Pathways, assisting students with their homework and within the art program as well. My experience has certainly been captivating, to say the least. I have really enjoyed helping others in my community and cultivating the developing minds of these students has been nothing short of wonderful. In the art program, we are currently working on our showcase for the end of the year. I won’t get into too many details as to not spoil what these students have come up with, but getting to learn from seeing how these children express themselves in meaningful and creative ways has been inspiring. Along with the art forms that have been generated at ACH, we are also working on a script for our showcase. Since I am an English major, I have been tasked with developing the script as well, particularly working with the students to evolve their scenes and lines. This has been an interesting objective to tackle. Most of my previous writing has been for a specific purpose: either for classwork or for personal means. However, with the involvement of student’s inputs for their character motivation or lines that they want included, there is a whole new dimension to awareness of audience. Another essential lesson that I’ve learned from my short time at ACH Clear Pathways has been how I conduct myself in a professional setting around students. I tend to be shy, especially when it comes to meeting new people, regardless of who they are. In a setting like this, however, engagement is essential. There is a need to be outgoing, caring, and attentive, and the students at ACH have awoken my awareness to this need. I am really looking forward to the rest of my time here and can’t wait to see what else these students come up with!
A blog dedicated to current, past, and future students of Duquesne University's Department of English and Theater Arts
Building Bridges 