Sunday, March 4

Becca Riedel:

After a long day of driving yesterday, I was so excited to finally begin our experience today! Our first stop was Rocky Creek Ranch, which is set on over 500 acres of land. When we pulled up to the main building, the view was absolutely incredible. The lake was sparkling, there were horses roaming in their pastures and the sun was shining. I absolutely love being in nature, so I couldn’t believe that I would have the privilege to spend time at this beautiful place for the next week. We learned a little bit about Rocky Creek and the services they provide to those struggling with mental health and then took a tour of the grounds. I was shocked that all of the animals were so friendly, and how calm I felt around them. After relaxing for a bit, we loaded the vans and headed to Triple Play Farm for a barbecue. Again, I was blown away by the farm itself and the animals that lived there. I was also so inspired by all of the individuals that worked at these two farms, because after speaking to them for just a few minutes, it was clear to see that they put their whole hearts into these farms. I can’t wait to learn more about the individuals that work at these facilities, and more about the missions they are trying to spread.


I have heard of animal therapy before, but never knew that equine therapy was so popular. I’m a psychology major with a counseling minor and I one day hope to be a mental health counselor, so just learning that places like Rocky Creek and Triple Play exist was very interesting to me. Both facilities work to improve their services every day and give everyone who visits the farms the best experience they can. I never realized that there were so many alternatives to typical one-on-one therapy sessions. I’m now looking forward to learning more about the equine therapy and other techniques that the farms use, to one day apply these ideas to my career as a mental health counselor. Places like Rocky Creek and Triple Play both have similar inclusion goals that LEVEL has, and I cannot wait to grow as an individual and learn from the experiences that this week will hold.

Sam Saferstein:

For our first official day in North Carolina, we got a tour of the two facilities, Rocky Creek and Triple Play Farms. We met the staff, with whom we are excited to work as we got to know them and share the same mission as them this week. These farms, in a predominately conservative area, are attempting to get rid of the stigma that disabilities receives, thus changing the way people see ability and LEVELing the playing field. We previewed some of the projects we will be working and played around with some of the animals on the farm. Specifically for me, I had fun playing with a goat.

Tonight, all of the students, staff, major donors and Villanova alumni all gathered together to have dinner at Triple Play Farms. It was a great networking event and a way for all of us to learn from each other and what we hope to accomplish. The connection to alumni was important, as LEVEL is relatively new for them and we are raising alumni support for what we do. As we begin our week, it is apparent that we are all excited to get going. The energy is there, and we can’t wait to start.

Katie DeNicola:

After some much needed rest from yesterday’s travels, I was ready for the trip to really begin. Some of the group and I woke up a little early to go to church which was a really cool experience. It was interesting to see mass in a different way from what I am used to, which set the tone for a day of new experiences.

After getting back, we headed over to Rocky Creek for a little orientation. Erica, Tracy, and the staff welcomed us with open arms. They told us a little bit more about what we would be doing this week and gave us a tour around the beautiful facility. Everyone was a little distracted by the animals we met today, including the goats River and Honey, a horse named Taxi and a pony named Willow but we still learned a lot. The best part, that was hearing about how we can and will help to enhance the program at the ranch. 

 

From there we made our way to Triple Play Farm where we had an amazing dinner with the staff from both facilities and some Villanova alumni. The food was great but the company was even better. We even played a game to help us get to know everyone. This game led to lots of laughs as we yelled out facts about one another in order to get some really cool t-shirts.

We ended the day with reflection. Again we told our highs, lows and excitements for the trip. After, we did an activity where we wrote down a timeline of our lives and shared them with a small group. This was a really powerful experience for me. We had a lot of great conversation and learned about one another in a very personal way. Even though it is only day 2, this trip has been incredible. I am so excited for all this trip has to offer because I know it will exceed all of my expectations.