When I was 18 years old in health sciences at a CEGEP in Montreal, I spent my summers working at Easter Seals camps as a counsellor for children living with cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis and developmental disabilities. Through these meaningful experiences and relationships, I felt reassured that the health sciences stream was right for me as it would lead to a career that would allow me to develop skills in health care.
Many of us have had similar experiences in our lifetimes. These opportunities light a spark, open a new door or solidify what we thought we wanted to do.
While the classroom experience is pivotal, experiential learning fills in the gaps at the very least and paints a whole new picture at most. As you know, the University of Waterloo takes experiential learning seriously and is considered a leader in the country. We’re trying to maximize those opportunities for Faculty of Health students by expanding financial support and increasing experiential job opportunities for our students. If you are in a position to help recruit Health students in co-op, practicum or other experiential learning roles, please contact emily.burgess@uwaterloo.ca or read about the benefits of hiring students.
Also in this issue of Health Hub magazine, you will find accounts of how three of your peers had their careers supported by experiential learning, whether it be through a first co-op placement, a graduate practicum, or volunteering while studying. All three avenues are gateways to a lifetime of fulfilment, and I suspect you may have similar stories yourselves.
I am hoping that we can continue to place students in meaningful experiential positions in the years to come and would like to thank you if you can play that type of role for our young learners.
Yours sincerely,
Lili Liu
Dean, Faculty of Health
Photo top: Students learn about recreation program design and evaluation at the REC 120 overnight retreat.
Photo inset: Dean Liu relives her camp days and aims for new heights on the University's rock climbing wall in the new Student Life Centre (SLC)/Physical Activities Complex (PAC) expansion. Check it out the next time you're on campus!
