Kari Cedergren, St. Joseph has been awarded an AATH Scholarship which will cover the fees for attending the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor’s Academy this spring in Phoenix.
Cedergren, a speaker, shares stories from her experience growing up on a farm in Minnesota. She has a unique perspective on mental illness, dementia, death and other “light-hearted” subjects. Cedergren uses her background in finance to discuss the secretive subject of money. Her mission is to give caregivers and those with ongoing health concerns the freedom to bring up those “elephant-in-the-room” subjects in hopes they will plan for a brighter future.
The conference theme is “Rev’ing Up Your Humor” and brings together an international group of experts, researchers, practitioners and others interested in the theory, rational and scientific research of therapeutic humor as well as the application of therapeutic humor in diverse fields. AATH describes therapeutic humor as any intervention that promotes health and wellness by stimulating a playful discovery, expression or appreciation of the absurdity or incongruity of life’s situations. This intervention may enhance health or be used as a complementary treatment of illness to facilitate healing or coping, whether physical, emotional, cognitive, social or spiritual. The Humor Academy, which occurs the day before the conference, offers graduate coursework and certificate options in humor studies.
Justin Terhaar, St. Joseph, was admitted to Cornell College for the 2016 fall semester.
Cornell College, a selective liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa, is recognized as one of the “colleges that changes lives.” The academic immersion of its one-course-at-a-time curriculum allows students to focus on a single academic subject per 18-day block. Since professors only teach one block at a time, students have more access to professors, and professors can teach students off-campus in whatever venue best fits the material. With a student body from 45 states and 18 foreign countries, and renowned visiting speakers, faculty and entertainers, Cornell offers the world from its hilltop campus.