2013 Ankeny Leadership Institute Participants Visit On With Life for Empathy and Sympathy Training

On With Life welcomed 19 members of the 2013 Ankeny Leadership Institute to their Ankeny campus on February 12. As part of their visit, On With Life representations conducted an empathy and sensitivity program to show life through the eyes of a brain injury survivor. Participants of the Institute visited various stations that simulated experiences of brain injury survivors including visual defects, mobility and swallowing.  At the end of the exercises the attendees discussed the thoughts and feelings they had as they completed each station. Our hope was to provide attendees with just a small glimpse into the frustrations and even triumph’s persons with brain injury experience as they go through this journey in their quest to get “On With Life”.

Photo captions:

Food - Members of the 2013 Ankeny Leadership Academy work through the swallowing station. Left: Marcus Johnson, First National Bank Ankeny; Right: Matt Jenkins, Ankeny Police Department

Discussion - Pat Stilwill (center), administrator at On With Life, talks with members of the 2013 Ankeny Leadership Academy. L to R: Marcus Johnson, First National Bank, Ankeny, Matt Jenkins, Ankeny Police Department; Jeremy Schlee, Snyder and Associates; Kate Adams, On With Life; Pat; Brian Kroska, Ankeny Police Department; and Carla Dippold, On With Life

Cane - Larry Anderson, Veridian Credit Union, works his way through the mobility station

Walker - Members of the 2013 Ankeny Leadership Academy work through the mobility station. L to R: Tom Brazelton, City of Ankeny; Jess Borysiewicz, On With Life; and Josh Craighead, Community State Bank