Melissa Reed is the community outreach and resources coordinator for Humboldt Domestic Violence Services, and she is a current volunteer at Dr. Terri Jennings’ private practice, Healing Strides.
After receiving an Extended Education bulletin in the mail, her interest was piqued by the description for the Intro to Equine Therapy course. Melissa has always been interested in animal-assisted therapy, and she is especially fascinated by horses (but never had access to them), so she decided to take the plunge!
One of the biggest takeaways that she got from the program was that you don’t need to start out as an expert. Many of the other students in the class already had experience with horses, which was intimidating at first. But Dr. Terri was so helpful and enthusiastic in answering any questions that came up for Melissa.
She says, “Honestly, taking the course reminded me that I am capable of trying new things! I sometimes struggle to get out of my comfort zone due to the fear that I might not know what I’m doing, or I might not be “good” at whatever it is I’m exploring. To others who are considering the program: Just do it! You never know who you’ll meet or what you’ll learn. Plus, you get to go out and be with horses. What’s not to love?”
Melissa finds her time at Healing Strides as “a great opportunity to connect with the part of me that loves to learn and enjoys a challenge — truly embodying the spirit of extended education, haha!”
See more student and faculty spotlights on the program website: extended.humboldt.edu/equine
