Horsing Around

By the end of student teaching, I was able to do three SAE "visits" with Central Columbia students. 

My first visit happened in June 2020 when I traveled to Bloomsburg to tour the program. At the time, I wasn't able to visit the student at the site where their placement SAE takes place, so she came to the school to discuss her SAE. Her SAE involves working at a florist, where she packs flowers to ship all over the world. We filmed a quick video of her talking about her SAE to share within the school district.

My second SAE visit was with the chapter president, who was in the process of applying for a Keystone Star. She has five SAEs, all of which are located at Ridge Road Stables.The specific SAE that I was observing was Brooke giving riding lessons to young children. The lesson that I observed was for Mrs. Good's daughter, who was more than happy to let me tag along and take a few pictures!

It was really awesome to see a student truly in their element and doing something that they're passionate about. Brooke was patient and encouraging, while still coaching her student and correcting them. While chatting with Brooke, I found out that her other SAEs include working with her show horse, working in the office of the stable during horse shows, and competing on the show circuit. Each of her SAEs is helping her develop her skills for a future career in the equine industry.

My final SAE visit was to the local hardware store, where one student has a placement project. The student has had lots of growth at his job and now is qualified to do almost every job there.

Each visit that I did was so different, and it was great to chat with these students about their passions. Whether these students future careers will directly relate to their SAEs or not, they are all developing skills that will transfer over.