Day 4 of the 31 for 21Challenge
It’s easy to get caught up in all the important, serious things
of college – the reading, the counseling, the studying, the testing, and of
course, planning and preparing for THE
FUTURE. It’s why the students are here.
But it’s also important to remember that while in the midst
of doing all the mind-expanding, future-building stuff, other activity should
be going on – new friendships are developing, appropriate relationships are
growing, character is strengthening, social skills are being enhanced, purpose
is becoming clear, and God is becoming more and more real in individual’s
lives.
It’s this other activity that gives richness and depth to
the educational experience.
When I hear stories of moments that add color to the black
and white of the daily learning process, when our students are active and happy
and engaged in life, when students look beyond their own struggles and look for
ways to positively impact another’s life – I put aside my other plans of writing
Board reports and press releases to tell them. These moments are part of the
growth and success of the students as they go through the Shepherds College
program.
Thank you to Angela Houk, Dean of Shepherds College, for
sharing this story with me:
Mrs. Brasch is the Residential Life staff for Home A, the
living area for our 2nd year female students.
She is also very pregnant with baby Noah.
Our student Katy wanted to celebrate and honor Mrs. Brasch
during this exciting time in her life so came up with the idea to throw a baby
shower. Her Academic Advisor, Mrs. Konopasek, thought it was a great plan and
began organizing the event with Katy and the other students.
The girls worked out a way to get Mrs. Brasch out of the
home on the night of the event. She was asked to visit another student in her new apartment, and Mrs. Brasch went. Their plan was successful!
They had 20 minutes to hang streamers, balloons and signs.
They quickly displayed the gifts and set up the games. Then they turned off the
lights, found hiding spots, and waited…
“Surprise!!”
Mrs. Brasch walked in the door to laughter, yelling and hugs
from the students. They gave her a ribbon of honor reading, “It’s a boy.”
The party was filled with lots of groans and laughter as the
ladies played guess the baby food and candy bar games. Jars of unlabeled
baby food were passed around the table for tasting and smelling before guessing
the types of food Noah would someday eat - beef and gravy, sweet potatoes,
beans, turkey and broth, bananas, pears, carrots, applesauce, and peas.
The fruit was a hit, but the meat and vegetables alarmed more than a few taste
buds.
The next game consisted of diapers filled with melted candy
bars. One by one, the diapers were passed around and the ladies guessed
the candy bar by looking, touching, and I’m horrified to say, occasionally
tasting!
The last game was Guess How Big - the ladies unrolled toilet
paper to estimate Mrs. Brasch’s circumference. Is it polite to say that she and Noah needed 13 squares to wrap around their middle?
Winners of each game received lip gloss and hand lotion as prizes...
... and then everyone enjoyed a brownie ice cream sundae, coffee, or hot
chocolate.
Presents were next, and Noah received toys, diapers, lotion,
and outfits.
Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.
No comments:
Post a Comment