What Students Really Say About Farmington


Why did you choose Rehabilitation Services? Did you come in with that major?
No, I didn’t decide on Rehab Services until the end of my sophomore year. Actually, I didn’t have any idea of what I wanted to do. Then, I started working at the Fitness Center on campus and I loved how teaching fitness really seemed to help people. I was enticed into Rehab Services because it’s very much a helping profession. And it’s a wide open field — there are so many things you can do with it. I could do dance therapy or work in wilderness therapist or as a counselor. That’s what drew me to the program.

Have you had a favorite class at Farmington?
I’m in a class right now, Strategies and Techniques in Rec. Therapy, that I really like. The class exposes you the whole spectrum of active therapy — dance therapy, therapeutic horseback riding, expressive arts therapy, humor therapy, in a hands-on way. It’s great because I love hands-on stuff and I’m not very good at sit-down and lecture type situations. I’m also learning about different populations that certain therapies would be good for and then I actually get to do it. That’s probably the most fun I have had in a class.

Do you have a favorite professor?
My freshman year I took English Composition, with a professor named Elizabeth Cook [Assistant Professor of Composition] and she’s been my favorite so far. She was a mentor as well as a teacher. Whenever I had questions about papers I’d go to her office and she was just so helpful. And then we would end up talking about other things, like how college was going for me and stresses in my life. She was genuinely interested in how I was doing and I appreciated that as a freshman who was still trying to figure out things and was stressed out about a lot of it. She was really passionate about writing — a very nice lady.

How did you choose to come to Farmington?
I looked at other schools but I decided to come here because I wanted more distance between me and home. And I liked a small school. It felt like more of a community here. I love the college life but I also like that I now know a lot of people in the community, too. I’m very much a nature person, too, so I like that here I can go hiking with ease, go swimming in the river, all the hippy stuff [laughs].

Did you visit Farmington before you enrolled?
Yes, but only once and I fell in love with the place. I had had family that had come to school here, too.

What were your first impressions of UMF?
It was a lot smaller than any of the other schools I had visited. But it felt friendly and like it wouldn’t be as hard a transition, because I went to a small high school, too. I don’t have anything to compare it to because this is the only college I have been to, but the professors here are very friendly and so helpful, willing to help you out in any way they can — and that made it seem just more welcoming.

I know you’re part of the UMF Dancers; have you always been dancing?
I didn’t start dancing until I came here. I went to dances and things like that but I joined the modern dance company when I came here and fell in love with it. I’ve always been active, so it was just another thing I enjoyed.

Interesting, I assumed everyone in the dance company has been dancing for a while.
Not really — especially in this company. It’s a good half and half, half of them found it when they came to school here and it’s very different from more formal types of dance.

Tell me more about the UMF Dancers.
Well, there are thirteen dancers in the company. I’m going into my third year doing it, and a lot of what we do is improv. We’ll have an idea or a theme for a dance performance and then we’ll play with the concept and bounce ideas off each other. You don’t learn formal steps in modern dance; it’s more about learning how you can move your body and what feels good — almost a kind of meditative thing. And every once and awhile we’ll mix in some formal types of dance, too. For instance, in our major performance not too long ago we incorporated a little salsa dance in there, plus a kick line, and then we had some completely improvised stuff.

Are you choreographed or coached?
Yes, we have an instructor, Margaret Gold-Westcott [Assistant Professor of Physical Education]. She teaches us some of the choreography techniques, like “contact improv.” That’s when you improvise with other people in a way that incorporates a lot of touch, but there are certain ways to go about it so that it’s safe. You can’t just run at someone and jump into their arms and expect them to catch you. There are different ways to give and receive weight and continually move — but in an improvised way. In some ways we get a lot of dance structure from her but a lot is left to us to choose where we want to go with it. It’s a lot of fun.

Do you have a favorite memory about Farmington?
In my sophomore year, a bunch of friends I made here stayed in Farmington over the summer and we went swimming one night in the Sandy River, late, late at night. It was the first time I had done it at night and it was so peaceful and beautiful. It was funny because you knew the university was nearby but you could look up and see the stars so clearly. I remember that first time because we were having such a fun time.

What did you do here over the summer?
I had a job on campus over the summer. I’ve been working at the UMF Fitness and Rec center since my freshman year and I really liked my job during the school year and just wanted to keep working during the summer.

What do you do at your job at the Fitness Center?
Well, I started off as a lifeguard at the pool, and it opened a bunch of different doors for me. Later, I took a class in water safety instruction so I could teach swim lessons for any age. After that I became a lifeguard instructor, where I teach lifeguard classes — which are really fun. This past summer I got certified to be a group fitness instructor, so now I go right from the pool and teach stuff like kick boxing, step aerobics, and strength classes. I just love it.

Do you ski?
I do, sometimes. I’m not a huge skier but I enjoy it and now I’m learning to snowboard. I don’t do it all that often but it’s fun.

What advice would you give to a freshman or somebody who’s looking at the school?
If you like the city life — night life and clubbing — you won’t want to come here. That’s the number one thing I would say. But if you appreciate being in the country and you enjoy natural things around you and skiing, and you like doing active things outdoors, then Farmington is a great place.