JOY!

Day 8 of the 31 for 21 Challenge

Hi, my name is Kris Mickelson. And as part of the 31 for 21 Challenge, Shepherds College has graciously asked me to post a guest blog for you. 

I am a huge fan of the college’s mission of training students with intellectual abilities to live lives of Appropriate Independence. In my former job, I was delighted to help the college by putting faculty in touch with my colleagues at Taste of Home to visit the test kitchen and publish a mention of the college in the magazine. 

Culinary Arts students visiting the Taste of Home Test Kitchen

You can imagine my excitement when I was invited to spend time with the students by attending classes and sitting down to lunch to talk one-on-one, then writing about my experiences. 

Some of my observations are what you might expect of any school or college… 

…the “ah-ha moment” when the light of understanding flipped on for a student. You could see it on Zoe’s face in Ready 4 Life class, his hand shooting up like a rocket! 

…a presentation by another student gifted with natural story-telling ability and dramatic flair. Charlie’s animated gestures during his “picture speech” won the hearts and appreciative laughter of his audience. 

But the biggest discovery I made during my visit at Shepherds College is something I think is rare in many of today’s classrooms. 

That rare quality is JOY!  

Whether attending class, walking down the hall or sitting at lunch, the students, teachers and faculty show genuine gladness in their work and their studies. It’s hard to explain, but I know I saw it when…

…in a warm classroom of sleepy students Mrs. Kolkman stopped the lesson for a mid-class exercise. “Walk, spin, wake up, ok, sit down,” she instructed. The students, now fully awake, were all ears!

…Lindsay raced down the hall and tackled Mrs. Griffis in an appreciative bear hug.  Several students stopped to pose for her camera, their smiles lighting up the hallway!

 …I sat down to lunch with Kati, Katy, Crystal, Amanda, Josh, Christian and Donovan and was immediately accepted into their exuberant conversation. “What are you doing here?” “I watched the ‘Avengers’ last night, have you seen it?" “ Have you read ‘Breaking Dawn’?” “ I’m going to see the Special Olympics tonight.” 

Since I can’t seem to find quite the right words to sum up my experiences at Shepherds College, I looked for and found a bible verse:

“For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done.” Psalm 92:4

You see, I left the campus exhilarated and full of joy, because that’s what I saw and experienced. Sure, there was also hard work…but it was covered in the joy of learning (or teaching others) to use the gifts God has given us. 

I hope to return to Shepherd’s College again soon. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to visit or volunteer among students and teachers who share the joy of what God’s Hands have done for us.

  

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.