Author: Blythe

Ahnia Young volunteers with Sunshine Horses, Inc, a local non-profit organization that strives to find horses who have left the racing world “Forever Homes.” Their mission also includes “helping people to realize their own potentials as they help these horses on their journeys. Through youth programs and adult volunteer programs, we draw upon the strengths each participant brings to the program, and seek to provide personal growth and enrichment. Many program participants face unique challenges of their own, and can empathize and bond with our horses in a special way as they help prepare them for adoption.”

Ahnia had this to say about her experience:

“At Sunshine horses, my goal is to help give the horses the best possible chance of becoming adopted. Many of the horses at Sunshine come from the race tracks, others have been neglected or no longer have an owner that can devote the amount of time and money needed to care for a horse. Many of the horses have not been ridden as pleasure horses, or have not been ridden in a long time. I have a somewhat varied experience working with horses, I spent about 10 years at a bareback therapeutic riding stable, where I learned to train horses safely and gently. I strive to help the horses at Sunshine learn ground manners, lounging, and how to be a riding horse. I try to alleviate any fears that they might have, and teach them to be a responsive and enjoyable to ride. By making these horses safe for riders that are less experienced, I hope that I will increase the possibility that they can find homes.”

You don’t have to have all the riding experience that Ahnia does in order to help the horses; they also need help in horse care–chores such as feeding and pasturing horses, cleaning stall, and barn maintenance–and publicity which can help bring in potential adopters, and find ways for Sunshine to get more funds to support their horses.

Welcome to a new feature of the Honors Blog! We will be publishing profiles of Honors students and their amazing community service work each week. Weekly is the plan….but there are so many students and projects worth telling you about, you may hear from us more often! If you would like to spread the word about your organization and the work you do, contact us at Honors. We want to tell the world about the great things you do.

Alec Hembree is our first student to be featured. Alec worked at the Revolutions Community Bike Shop in Memphis, a charitable organization that is dedicated to providing residents of Memphis with bikes  that work well. Their mission, they say, is to “save the world, one bike at a time.”

Alec wrote about his civic engagement experience, explaining the impact it had on him:

“Working at Revolutions has brought me closer than anything to the transportation issues faced by the poor populations of Memphis and the powerful effect that a large, supportive bicycling community can have on these issues. Revolutions has allowed me to bring my own mechanical expertise and love for cycling into this community so that I may contribute to solving the transportation and fitness needs of people of all economic and social status. Through this experience I have become engaged with, not just a part of, a large community at the forefront of Memphis’ city growth. In the future, my experience at Revolutions will help me determine how I can best apply my knowledge and experience to the benefit of any organization or community.”

If you’d like to connect with a similar organization here in Syracuse, check out Bikes for Peace.

 

Would you like to work with high school students in the Syracuse City School Distract who have emigrated to the United States in many cases escaping severe political repression, poverty, and civil rights injustices? If this sounds like a challenge you would like to take on, then you need to check out the International Young Scholars Program coordinated through the Office of Engagement Programs located in Hendricks Chapel.

Many Honors students have taken part in this program, working with the same student for as long as four years, watching them grow, mature and graduate. It’s not only a fulfilling and very worthy project, it will also help you fulfill your global experience requirement for Honors!

No experience is necessary — mentors need only come with patience and a desire to help students succeed! Interested? Please contact us at iys@syr.edu

Help is at hand if you need support finding and arranging civic engagement projects. This blog is of course a great resource of information, and you can always stop by my office to discuss your civic engagement passions, confusions and aspirations.

Here are two additional on-campus places to explore:

The Shaw Center for Public and Community Service is located in the Schine Student Center (right across from Career Services), and can put you in touch with many service opportunities throughout the city. The Shaw Center even has a van and can help transport you if you need it. Stop in and fill out their volunteer interest form and get to know these helpful people.

 

Visit the basement of Hendricks Chapel to find the Office of Engagement Programs. There is a wealth of activity emminating out of this dynamic office including the International Young Scholars program which you can read more about in another blog post. Stop by to learn more and connect in.