Interns help students see real-life experiences

Friday, Aug. 07, 2015

PARK CITY — Four interns came to Park City from Indiana to work with the Holy Cross Ministries Summer Program to assist students in their skills and enhance summer activities.

Two students from Notre Dame University and two students from Saint Mary’s College joined four HCM staff members to work with students in kindergarten through fifth grade and some middle school students.

Maria Hernandez attends Saint Mary’s College, where she is studying business administration and political science. She would like to see more Latino families become interested in politics. She came to Utah to learn more about their living and working environments. 

“We showed the students how to apply what they learned in the classroom to real-life situations or what they could potentially do,” Hernandez said. “For example, the students did archery, which is applied physics; they also learned how grapes turn into raisins. We did a lot of science projects.” 

The students also played card games, which helped them learn numbers and math. 

“We did a scientific experiment where the kids made bouncy balls; they put Borax, water and other ingredients together, which helped them learn how to measure, learn fractions and how to follow instructions,” Hernandez said. 

Hernandez learned that each child has his or her own story, she said. “What they are able to learn and how much, is amazing, given their backgrounds,” she said. “Working with the kids was fun for me.” 

One project that stands out for Hernandez was talking to the children about their Latino identity within the United States. The team took the students to a Latino exhibit at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts called “Nuestro America.” 

“It was interesting to hear them talk about how hard it is hearing racial comments and being a Latino in the [United States],” she said. “The kids opened up and talked about their individual stories.” 

Hernandez showed the students a photo of a store they would find in a Latino community that sold Latino products and compared it to a mainstream store in Park City. 

“I compared it to a Walmart with a Hispanic food section in it,” said Hernandez. “My heritage is also Latino. I was not born in Mexico, but my grandparents were. We talked about identity and mixing their Latino culture with their American culture and combining the two identities to create one identity that is unique to them.” 

In the process, Hernandez asked the students about their families: What foods their mothers cooked and where the ingredients came from. She then cooked them a meal and described where each ingredient came from using the analogy that mixing the ingredients from Walmart and a traditional American store was the same as combining their Latino heritage with the American culture. 

“The result was a delicious meal unique to the environment,” she said. “The students discussed how difficult it is when they don’t understand things as quickly as American students. They want people to know that they will eventually understand; they want people to be patient with them.”

The middle-school students deal with other issues, reading being one of the hardest, said Hernandez.

“The students are scared when it comes to reading because they read on a lower level – English is a second language for them,” she said. “They are not comfortable asking for help. Their emotions and feelings are not always considered when they are being taught.” 

Also teaching the students in the summer program was Kaitlyn Kessler, a Notre Dame University sophomore. 

“It was fun to get to know the kids’ stories; their backgrounds shape who they are,” said Kessler. “Sometimes when they act out, it’s a result of their environment. This program gives them extra attention and it’s good because their parents are at work and they know their kids are being cared for in a safe environment. HCM provides the kids with some awesome experiences.”