Within the pediatric hospitalization experience, fear and anxiety are two emotions commonly felt by children of all ages. Hospitalized children can greatly benefit from interventions designed to help them cope with these emotions throughout their medical experiences. This study draws on each of our clinical experiences as volunteers at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, and uses a qualitative analysis of three semi-structured interviews with currently employed Child Life Specialists to understand and analyze the use of medical play, a form of play intervention with a medical theme or medical equipment. We explore the goals and benefits of medical play for hospitalized pediatric patients, the process of using medical play as an intervention, including the activity design process, the assessments and adjustments made throughout the child’s hospitalization, and the considerations and limitations to implementing medical play activities. Ultimately, we found that the element of fun that defines play can be channeled into medical play activities implemented by skilled Child Life Specialists, who are experts in their field, in clinical settings to promote several different and beneficial goals, including pediatric patient coping.

Within the pediatric hospitalization experience, fear and anxiety are two emotions commonly felt by children of all ages. Hospitalized children can greatly benefit from interventions designed to help them cope with these emotions throughout their medical experiences. This study draws on each of our clinical experiences as volunteers at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, and uses a qualitative analysis of three semi-structured interviews with currently employed Child Life Specialists to understand and analyze the use of medical play, a form of play intervention with a medical theme or medical equipment. We explore the goals and benefits of medical play for hospitalized pediatric patients, the process of using medical play as an intervention, including the activity design process, the assessments and adjustments made throughout the child’s hospitalization, and the considerations and limitations to implementing medical play activities. Ultimately, we found that the element of fun that defines play can be channeled into medical play activities implemented by skilled Child Life Specialists, who are experts in their field, in clinical settings to promote several different and beneficial goals, including pediatric patient coping.

This creative project explores the socioeconomic disparity seen amongst students in the pre-dental track along with the creation of a scholarship fund designed for need-based pre-dental students in order to cover dental school application costs. It touches on resources available for need-based students, scholarship effectiveness, as well as the service learning journals documenting the experience of researching and implementing a scholarship fund.

I conducted an oral history project of five women with journeys in the Christian faith who had experience working with asylum seekers and refugees in the Phoenix metropolitan area. I explore with this project the perceptions of the helping relationship through the stories of these women and how their beliefs about their faith and work inform each other to pursue meaningful connections for the benefit of others.

Samantha and Rachel both have a history in gifted education and wanted to create a safe space for the two of them and their peers to discuss the effects gifted/ accelerated education has had on them, specifically pertaining to burnout. To best dive into this matter, Gifted Kid Syndrome podcast was born! During which, our hosts interviewed students and professionals, allowing everyone to share their pasts, their hopes for the future, and what they’ve learned along the way regarding mental health, identity, education, and personal success.

Samantha and Rachel both have a history in gifted education and wanted to create a safe space for the two of them and their peers to discuss the effects gifted/ accelerated education has had on them, specifically pertaining to burnout. To best dive into this matter, Gifted Kid Syndrome podcast was born! During which, our hosts interviewed students and professionals, allowing everyone to share their pasts, their hopes for the future, and what they’ve learned along the way regarding mental health, identity, education, and personal success.