Eastern Student Emma Kuehnle Participated in Alternative Presidents Day Weekend Break

2012 Apr 11

Eastern Connecticut State University student Emma Kuehnle '15 from Durham, CT, participated in an alternative Presidents Day weekend trip to Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center in Greenfield, NH. Kuehnle is a Psychology major.

During the five-day alternative break, Eastern students, led by Brit Cava, the AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer and Event Coordinator in Eastern's Center for Community Engagement, worked alongside Crotched Mountain staff and visited residents with brain injuries. Students visited both an adult and children's hospital, where they interacted with patients by talking and reading to them. Some patients taught the students card games. Students and residents participated in arts and crafts projects, including making postcards to send to families. They also sang karaoke and had a movie night together. During a beach-themed party in the Crotched Mountain gym, students helped decorate, played volleyball and danced with residents.

Students also helped clean and paint five rooms in a house in Greenville owned by Crotched Mountain that is used as an adult day center.

"All of the students on the trip were highly engaged with the activities and wanted to participate in those that were not even planned," said Cava. "I was really impressed by how much they all wanted to continue volunteering. The staff offered the students opportunities for future internships due to their hard work over the weekend."

Eastern Connecticut State University is a member of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities under the Board of Regents for Higher Education. Eastern is the state's public liberal arts university and serves approximately 5,600 students each year on its Willimantic campus and satellite locations.

It is the policy of Eastern Connecticut State University to ensure equal access to its events. If you are an individual with a disability and will need accommodations for this event, please contact the Office of University Relations at (860) 465-5735.