Holy Cross volunteers form close bonds with students

Friday, Jul. 15, 2016

PARK CITY — Six students from St. Mary’s College and the University of Notre Dame in Indiana arrived in Utah in May for an eight-week internship with Holy Cross Ministries Summer Camp, which will run through July 22.

Halfway into the program, the interns have already formed strong bonds with the children in the Summer Camp and grown close to each other as a team, they said.

The Summer Camp is held in partnership with 19 organizations, including the Park City School District, to make it a success, said John Hall, Park City School District Summer Program director. 

“The focus of the Summer Camp is to teach the kids specific learning skills they can apply to any subject,” Hall said. “We use the STEM approach (science, technology, engineering and math) to take the focus off remedial learning as a way to teach the students perseverance, planning, designing, learning from mistakes, making modifications and changes. The learning process is what is important; we also ask the students to explain why the process makes sense to them; we want them to learn they already obtain the skills to be leaders.”

The first half of the day the interns work with Park City school teachers assisting students in the first through sixth grades who need help with literacy, said Sean Corbin, Holy Cross Ministries After School program coordinator. 

This year, each intern was assigned to a specific grade; in the past they went into every classroom.

“By having one intern for each classroom, they get to know the students and can monitor their progress emotionally and educationally. The students also learn how to interact with the interns,” Corbin said. 

In the afternoon the students participate in recreation and enrichment activities such as dancing, swimming, tennis, fishing and physical education, which is run by the HCM After School Program staff, Corbin said. “The interns have had a huge part in us being able to implement the program.” 

Jenna Buche, an intern from St. Mary’s College, is studying elementary education; she is co-teaching first grade and “gaining hands-on experience by getting to know the students’ different learning styles and their abilities and needs,” she said. “They are teaching me while I am teaching them.”

Shea Kelly-Buckley was seeking an internship based on her minor in poverty studies and is gaining a better understanding of social issues, she said.

“The kids are friendly, outgoing, energetic and willing to learn,” Kelly-Buckley said. “They relate well to each other and to adults. A challenge for them is balancing between Spanish and English; most of their parents only speak Spanish.” 

Three of the interns are studying social work and this internship has given them an opportunity to work with children and a different culture, they said.

As a social worker, Elizabeth Tietema will be working with a lot of different populations, she said. “I have learned that most of these kids are reading below their educational levels and that many of them live in poverty. The kids are loving and open; some of their parents don’t have time to spend with them because they work more than one job. The relationships I have formed with them causes me to miss them over the weekend.”

Aspen Davis has noticed when the kids who are struggling in literacy and academics excel in recreational activities and receive praise, their self-confidence increases, which carries over into the classroom, she said. 

This internship experience has caused Davis to consider changing her major from social work to education, she said. 

“To see some of these kids who have slipped through the cracks is upsetting for me,” Davis said. “Working one on one with them, I have learned that some of them have adult responsibilities at home.” 

Allie Hidalgo, a Spanish major, wanted to practice her Spanish as well as work with children and get experience with the culture, she said. 

Liza Felix, a social work and Spanish major, also wanted to practice her Spanish and work with children. She was familiar with Holy Cross Ministries and their work with the children, she said. 

“This opportunity has also helped me grow spiritually,” she said. “I’ve noticed the kids need help reading, but more, they are lacking attention at home. Sometimes when they lash out it’s because of an underlying issue. I correct the problem, but then I ask them questions to find out how they are feeling and how their day is going. The kids have shown me patience, trust and love; it’s been a beautiful experience.”