Rec Therapy Month: Student Spotlight Ariyana Williams

February is National Recreational Therapy Month! Join HHP as we celebrate all month long.

Name: Ariyana Williams

Graduation year: 2021

Do you have any hobbies?
Basketball, singing and shopping

What brought you to ECU?
An opportunity to compete at the collegiate level, the supportive staff and community and it felt like a home away from home.

Why do you want to enter the field of recreational therapy?
I want to enter the field of recreational therapy to help individuals engage in activities they enjoy while enhancing their levels of functions, independence and well-being in life. To give individuals things that will benefit them throughout the lifespan.

Can you tell us about your recreational therapy internship?
I am currently interning at Broughton Hospital in Morganton, NC. This is a regional psychiatric facility that offers mental health services for Adult Admissions, Geriatric, Adult Extended Treatment, Adolescent, and Medical/Psychology. Broughton also offers specialized services for deaf consumers with mental illness from any county in North Carolina. I have been able to observe an all male unit, all female unit and a kids unit. The unit I am serving is an all-female Patient Care unit (PCU). On this unit we are providing hands on activities where patients can learn skills that are crucial for their recovery, to meet their treatment goals and for discharge and post discharge success.

What aspects of recreational therapy do you enjoy the most?
An aspect I enjoy the most about Recreational Therapy is we can work with almost anyone in almost every environment. We are providing individuals with activities that not only help with their treatment but that they also enjoy and thought they may never get to participate in again. There is so much space for creativity in this field and we get to watch others succeed!

What has been your favorite experience working in recreational therapy so far?
I actually do not have a certain favorite experience. All of my experiences so far have been great from learning to shadowing and observing to meeting and working with individuals who benefit from the services that we provide.

Do you have a favorite recreational therapy course or professor?
My favorite Recreational Therapy professor at ECU is Mrs. Whisner, who is a wonderful teacher who has so much knowledge about the field. I always enjoyed her classes and how she did not just teach but she always kept us involved which made class a much better experience and place to learn.