Acadia SMILE story - Letter from Patricia (parent)

I just cannot thank you enough for Mick.  There was an instant connection from both ends and George looks forward to S.M.I.L.E. every week and has done exceptionally well this semester.

I am sure you are aware of the difficulty George had at the pool last year. This child who used to run around the pool crying, and not wanting to go in, now looks forward to pool time with so much of anticipation, just because of Mick.  He also dreaded the deep end, but is now swimming in the deep end throughout the whole session. Mick has helped George transition really well. George started off needing assistance getting in the pool and within a few sessions Mick has managed to get him to go into the pool voluntarily.  It was remarkable watching George succeed in such a short while.

Mick has done an excellent job with George.  He is good with raising concerns, coming up with ideas, asking for my opinion and implementing them rightaway. Mick is amazing and I could not have asked for a better instructor for George.

S.M.I.L.E., I would like to thank you once again for all that you have done for my children and what you do for the community.  My boys are very happy after the program every weekend and we go back home content and happy parents.

Thanks... Patricia

Acadia S.M.I.L.E. Story - Jody Stevenson (Acadia S.M.I.L.E. Parent)

Something happened to me a couple of on a Tuesday morning that I should share with all of you.  A little background first:  I am a SMILE mom and I am also a Resource teacher at KCA in Kentville.  As a parent, I have had many opportunities to personally witness the benefits of the SMILE program, but as a Resource teacher, I have not had that much involvement beyond sending the forms home and enthusiastically recommending the program to parents.

I have always been amazed that so many university students, all of whom have busy academic and social lives, are willing to get up so early on a Saturday (or Tuesday or Thursday) morning and spend three or more hours of their free time working with children with special needs, some of whom have significant behavioural, cognitive and physical challenges.  Sometimes I can't even believe that it's true (after all, aren't university students supposed to sleep in whenever they get the chance?), and I have counted my lucky stars that I live in the Valley so many times I couldn't even begin to keep track.  SMILE is a huge commitment, and the fact that so many of you are willing to make that commitment is mind-boggling to me.  I did my fair share of volunteering in university, but I never got up at 7 am to do it!

I could write a page (actually pages and pages) about how much SMILE has meant to my family, but I want to focus on the morning that motivated me to write this letter.  Two weeks ago, one of our KCA SMILE drivers was sick and unable to make it to school.  Unfortunately, we didn't really have a back-up driver, and the decision was made that one of the older students - I'll call him Ryan -would stay back.   I thought that he would be able to handle it better than some of the younger kids, and I really didn't think it would be a big deal for him, as he is not autistic and generally handles change and surprises as well as anyone else.  Twenty minutes after the decision had been made, I was called to the lobby to provide support for a upset student.  Running downstairs, not knowing who I was being called to support, I found Ryan sitting on one of the benches in the main foyer of the school, sobbing uncontrollably and incoherently because he couldn't go to SMILE.  It broke all our hearts, and thankfully, the decision was made that I could cancel my classes for the morning and bring him to SMILE myself. 

During the car ride to Wolfville, I found out exactly how wrong I was when I thought that missing SMILE would not be a big deal for Ryan.  It turns out that SMILE is the ONLY opportunity he has each week to drive in a car, the ONLY chance he has to visit another town, and the ONLY time he has the one-on-one attention he craves.  Ryan feels safe, accepted and important when he goes to SMILE - feelings that he doesn't get to experience as much as we would all like him to in the rest of his daily life.

Watching Ryan and two other KCA students that I work with in the pool that morning, I finally fully realized what SMILE gives to students like Ryan.  To put it simply, SMILE brings smiles to their faces - smiles that are not there nearly enough, smiles that light up their faces and make people see them for who they really are - wonderful, playful kids, having fun and enjoying a swim with a friend.  It was a very moving experience for me, and made me determined to try even harder to make them laugh and smile when I see them in school.  Thank you to each of you for helping me learn the value of a smile!

Anyway, I just wanted to write to express my thanks to all he volunteers and hopefully help everyone understand how important they are to these kids.  If it weren't for you, kids like Ryan might not have a solid hour of fun and laughter in their lives, or they might not have a positive role model outside of school.  If it wasn't for you, they wouldn't have as many opportunities to enjoy being a kid or as many reasons to smile.  Thank you for everything you do to make SMILE such an amazing program for all the kids that get to participate.  Your energy, enthusiasm, dedication and patience is recognized and appreciated by parents, Resource teachers, EAs, and anyone else lucky enough to be part of the SMILE experience.

Sincerely,

Jody Stevenson
(a.k.a.: Nora and Anna's mom)

Acadia S.M.I.L.E. Story - Pat Murphy

December 20, 1995 the founder and director of SMILE passed away.  This individual had a positive impact on hundreds of young people and, in many cases, the impact was profound and life changing.  I was one of those young people in the profound category.  I’m no longer that young, however, I feel the influence of this man every day. 

He was, a strong teacher, a national winning coach, a good father who became great, an excellent role model for service and for me, he was a fabulous friend.  SMILE was the embodiment of its creator.  The program at its core was about the awesome power of relationships.  It is a belief that a bond with a significant person in your life makes a difference and sometimes it makes all the difference. 

I still, to this day, come into contact with people who tell me stories of how this man changed their life in small ways and, in many cases, in deep and potent ways.  Often the stories are related to career paths, personal determination and variations of their personal character development.  I meet many parents of children who were involved in SMILE and they talk of the influence of the program on their children and affect it had on their development.  Those parents still speak of his kindness, compassion, sense of humour and how he influenced their outlook on their life and that of their children.

Without Jack I would not be what I am today, such as it is.

Acadia S.M.I.L.E. Story - Kerry Worbets BKIN '12

Wolfville Nova Scotia, the stomping grounds of students from Acadia University who flock to Main Street come the start of every school year. I remember the air fresh with excitement of finally being on your own, rekindled friendships at ‘Just Us’ or ‘Library Pub’ (dealers choice), that first night back at the ‘Anvil’ where you literally know everyone there, and the anxiety of starting yet another semester of school. These are the memories that flood my mind when I remember the start of the school year, but not what defines my experience at Acadia University. The Acadia SMILE Program is what defines my experience. One thing you may not appreciate or even realize is that Acadia is a gold mine for opportunities to get involved and gain experience that may shape the road you take after you do leave that town. So while you still are still walking that beautiful campus, please do yourself a favor and get involved. Acadia hands opportunities out to their students on silver platters, and it is your choice to take them. One of the best decisions I made was to involve myself with SMILE.  I started out my first year as an instructor, and had the pleasure of getting more involved every year finishing my time as Student Director for Tuesday/Thursday mornings. This program truly changed my life and is the greatest influence on the path that I have taken in my life.

I can promise you that you will never be HANDED another opportunity like this to be involved and make a difference like you can in this program. At its very basics, SMILE is an 8-week program where you develop a plan and set goals that are specific to a child to try to make their experience the best possible. However, once you get involved you will realize how much more it is than that. You will become part of a community and part of a child’s life in a capacity that is unexplainable. You have the opportunity to spend one on one time with a young child who will adore you from the minute you step into that gym or pool. You are the one person in their life that they can call their own. They have to share parents, teachers, friends, but their SMILE buddy is their own. I can promise that your SMILE buddy will make as much a difference in your life as you do in theirs. Being a student director I had the pleasure of being able to be watch these relationships form on the pool deck, to watch goals being met and the excitement of everyone involved as this occurred. The first time a child swam without a lifejacket, danced on the pool deck, played in a group game, swam a lap across the pool, asked a new friend to play a game, and YOU were a part of that. My Tuesday and Thursday mornings were what got me through the busy and tough times at school. For an hour every morning I got to watch friendships being formed, games being played, and people with happy hearts. My advice to you all is to get out of your comfort zones and to get involved; it will be the best decision you will ever make.

Acadia S.M.I.L.E. Story - Michael Del Bel & Mike

My Acadia S.M.I.L.E. story started four years ago, when I was a terrified first year looking to get involved in the Acadia community. My sisters before me had been involved with the program and highly suggested it, so I thought I'd try it out, and I've never been more happy about a decision that I've made! I was matched with my buddy and all set to go, again, I was terrified and I had no idea what to expect. When I met my buddy, Mike on that first night in September, my fears were soon gone and I had the realization that Mike and I would be friends for a long time. Four years later and we're still good friends! Being able to develop a relationship with Mike and to see him grow in confidence and character each week made my decision to be a part of the S.M.I.L.E. program well worth it. I'll never forget my time with the S.M.I.L.E. program at Acadia, it has been (and will be) one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and will be tough to beat in the years to come.
This year, I'm very thankful to be in a leadership role within the program. Having the opportunity to give back to the program and help facilitate the weekly events that take place for the Friday Night group is truly a privilege. I look forward to each Friday, not because it's the weekend, but because I get to go to S.M.I.L.E.!!!