Watching movies, listening to stories, and solving puzzles all day with older folks does not seem like a typical job, does it? However, Emily Kantner, a senior recreational management major on the therapeutic track, carries out activities like these and more through her internship at The Village at Penn State.
Kantner earned this internship through her advisor, who provided her contact information to the supervisor of the Village. An internship is required for her major, as she needs to meet 560 hours at a facility certified by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification. She visited the facility in December 2022 and adored the residents and workers she met. After this visit, Kantner decided The Village was the perfect place for her spring internship.
Kantner’s day begins around 7 a.m., where she makes a 40 minute drive to the retirement home from Lock Haven. Once there, she provides one-on-one sessions with some of the residents, discussing anything and everything they wish to talk about.
Around 10 a.m., she begins rounding up residents for morning activities which include very low-energy activities like reading stories or “balloon ball,” where residents sit in a circle and hit a balloon around the room. However, asking residents to join these activities is a daily issue, as some may choose to stay in their room until lunch or sleep. “It’s like pulling teeth to get them to attend activities,” says Kanter. Some days are better than others though, depending on the activity and even the weather outside. Colder, rainy days might yield less residents, but when the sun is shining and the weather is warm, residents are more likely to participate.
Once lunch is over, Kantner continues helping residents with puzzles or conversing with them. Afternoon activities begin around 2 p.m., and are typically more involved than the morning activities. Some days, the Village brings in a pastor and allows their residents to go to church, while other days have residents bowl or take trips outside the community. At 4 p.m., Kantner says her goodbyes and goes home.
This line of work was, at first, not what Kantner originally planned on doing. “When I first came to Lock Haven, I was a health science major,” says Kantner, “but an alumni who graduated from the recreational management program recommended it to me.” LHU also provided the education Kantner needed for this career. “It really prepared me. Even some of the courses not in my major, like psychology, helped me learn to deal with issues that may come up.”
The “Therapeutic Recreation and Leisure Services for Older Adults” class with Dr. Julie Lammel gave Kanter an understanding of the aging process. Students in this class read “Being Mortal,” which prepared them for how to deal with the death of a resident. Kantner sees this as the biggest downside of the job.
However, the best part of this career, according to Kantner, is the impact she makes on the residents. Kanter says “Even just saying hello to the residents in their rooms makes their day better.” She finds that residents who partake in or even just watch these activities appreciate the company. Simply having fun with residents and giving them a reason to smile makes Kantner’s work worthwhile.
Alex Ross
Alex Rossis a third-year Communication student at Lock Haven with a focus in Journalism. This is his second year as an active member of the Eagle Eye and has been the Arts and Entertainment editor, News editor, and an active writer. He focuses on writing reviews for the A&E section, but has written stories for news, sports, and opinions. Outside of the newsroom, Alex enjoys record shopping, reading classic literature, and analyzing films. Alex hopes to work for a film or music news site as a writer or editor after graduation.
