Student Internship Highlights – Master of Applied Arts in Health

The Master of Applied Arts in Health (MAAH) program at Ohio University blends online coursework with hands-on experiences that bring the arts and health together. Each student completes a professional internship designed to apply what they’ve learned in real-world settings — building creative, compassionate approaches to community wellness, healthcare environments, and arts engagement.

Learn more about the MAAH curriculum to see how coursework and experiential learning connect to these internship experiences.

These internships reflect the diverse ways our students use the arts to support health, healing, and connection across different populations and communities. See how MAAH students are making an impact through their projects and partnerships:

Sabrina Day

Visual Artist
Summer 2026

Internship Site: 
Athens Birth Circle | Community Support for Parents

Project Title: 
The More We Create Together: An Intergenerational Weaving

The Athens Birth Circle in Athens, OH, gave Sabrina many opportunities to engage in outreach events with the Athens community through tabling and art activities at Farmer’s Markets and the Nelsonville Music Festival. She was involved with a range of program offerings at the Athens Birth Circle that included: Play Labs, Lullabies for Healthy Lives, ABC on the Road, online training for non-profit organizations, and the Village Café. Sabrina was also provided with experiences in advocacy, strategic planning, and AI policy development. Collaboration became central to Sabrina’s internship, and she even made connections with UpCycle Thrift Store | UpCycle Ohio where she volunteered for her Arts in Health Community Project class.

Sabrina’s perspective of her internship experience: “I am so grateful for all I have experienced and learned throughout this internship and am so excited to see how the Birth Circle grows. It feels like the organization is on the precipice of breaking through to some very extraordinary things... I got a lot of sweet messages from the moms at the Birth Circle, and some asked that I come back and visit. It warmed my heart to know that I had an impact during my short time…”. 

Sabrina collaborated with Hickory Creek of Athens - The Plains Nursing and Rehab Center and Hannah Westfall, LPMT, MT-BC from Central Ohio Music Therapy  to develop her intergenerational weaving project. After completing a PESTLE analysis, literature review, and observations, Sabrina determined there was an opportunity for the children and families who attended music therapy groups through Athens Birth Circle weekly at a long-term care facility to engage with older residents through textile art with a theme of creating together. Following music therapy, Sabrina presented the visual art project, and participants created a weaving that remains at Hickory Creek of Athens as a reminder of the intergenerational experience.  

Calvin Nemeth

Filmmaker
Summer 2026

Internship Site: 
Boston Children’s Hospital

Project Title: 
In the Treehouse with Laki: Filmmaking in a Pediatric Hospital

Calvin interned at Boston Children’s Hospital in Boston, MA, working alongside Laki Vazakas, engaging with pediatric patients through video projects. 

Calvin worked alongside professionals in Child Life, Social Work, spiritual guidance, Music Therapy, program coordination, and Art Specialists to develop an understanding of hospital culture, the need for autonomy for patients, and a consistent and ethical approach to filmmaking inside a healthcare environment. According to Calvin, his culminating project was developed in two parts – “a series of seven educational videos called In the Treehouse and a group art event called Movie Camp that took place over the course of 9, 3-hour sessions. Both parts of the project took place in the Treehouse at BCH, which is a space designated for the arts on the highest floor of the Hale building. The title of my project makes homage to educational, creative, conversational, and accessible children’s programming like “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood” and “Sesame Street.” Like Mr. Rogers and Big Bird, Laki’s work is environmental and that environment places the needs and wants of children ahead of everything else. Together, In the Treehouse and the Movie Camp were designed to increase access to arts opportunities for patients and families at BCH.”

Calvin goes on to describe his perspective of his internship project: “Movies are an act of creation. Providing children, especially those who are surrounded by loss of control, loss of choice, and loss of health, a chance to control a camera [and give] them a chance to hold the world, to choose a tree, to design the house, to watch it tumble and crush the pirates, the dinosaurs, the gorillas who speak to them in their dreams. This project has little biological evidence to support reduction in need for prescription medication, oxygen, or other expensive products. But it is evidence that filmmaking, at least four days a week, makes a positive impact on the children whose health brings them to visit Boston Children’s Hospital. And that’s something.”

Carla Briscoe

Theater Artist and Writer
Summer 2026

Internship Site: 
The Creative Center in NYC, NY

Project Title: 
Memory, Meaning, and Connection: A Memoir Workshop

The Creative Center in New York City is a renowned arts in health organization with extensive history. Carla wanted to work with this organization and was thrilled to be able to intern at this site.   

While she was provided with a range of experiences such as Laughing Yoga, Museum experiences, and events in New York city. Carla’s primary applied arts focus during her internship was engaging in the writing workshops. Carla’s culminating project involved developing and implementing four 1x weekly standalone sessions, 2-hours each, and explored memory through the lens of joy, gratitude, connection, and meaning. Each session was focused on a theme and designed as a complete experience, allowing participants to attend one workshop or all four without falling behind.

According to Carla, she “sought to address the potential autobiographical disruption community members may feel in relation to their life story, which, drawing upon Narrative Medicine’s notion of autobiographical disruption as well as additional evidence-based research related to Life Story Programs (LSPs), can sometimes occur in individuals living with chronic illness. One’s identity can sometimes be subsumed and/or conflated with their prognosis (e.g. "the cancer patient" instead of "[name], who has cancer”) due to constant reminders such as pain, public reception, mobility limitations, or constant care (pills, doctor’s appointments, pumps, oxygen tanks). This can sometimes result in a continual narrowing of one’s self-concept, erasing the fullness of an individual’s identity in all its richness and complexity prior to illness. With respect to my internship project, the concept of autobiographical disruption was a key consideration in its design, as was the safest pathway towards memories related to participants’ “self-concept” before the health concern, aware that some memories can be triggering and recognizing the limitations of my scope of practice.”

Heather Felden

Dance/Occupational Therapy
Summer 2026

Internship Site: 
Playhouse Square in Cleveland, OH

Project Title: 
Reflecting Attention and Connection Through Mirroring in Dance for Dementia

The Playhouse Square in Cleveland, OH is one of the most prolific arts organizations in the Midwest, and Heather Felden interned here in Summer 2026. 

Heather was provided with opportunities to participate in the Dance for Parkinson’s Program and lead some exercises by the end of internship. She also observed filming for a project in the Education department,  co-facilitated at Kemper Cognitive Wellness through a Brain-Fit class, attended the Lullaby Project, and attended many educational workshops. She was able to be part of meetings with Disney and The Lion King performers in discussions about how to make the performances work best for audience members with Parkinson’s Disease.

Heather found that “As I progressed through the Master of Applied Arts in Health program, I became increasingly interested in the intersection of dance, cognitive health, and social connection, leading me to explore the evidence supporting dance as an arts in health intervention for individuals living with cognitive impairment.” She found that while there are more established programs for dance such as Dance for PD®, there are fewer established programs for those with dementia. 

Heather was able to develop a mirroring intervention and pilot it in the existing Dance for PD® classes at Playhouse Square, with her site supervisor indicating that this may be integrated into the ongoing development of a new Dance for Dementia program. She emphasizes the importance of collaboration in developing her project: “Collaboration was an essential component of the project's development and implementation. I worked closely with Joan Meggitt throughout the process, drawing on her expertise in Dance for Parkinson's programming, adaptive movement, and arts-based programming for individuals with neurological conditions. Her guidance helped shape the mirroring intervention and ensured that activities were appropriate for the participants and aligned with best practices in arts in health.”

Rea Klinger-Neviska

Visual Artist
Summer 2026

Internship Site: 
The Gathering Place in Athens, OH

Project Title: 
An Archival Project: A Home for Gathered Hope

Rea interned at The Gathering Place, which provides peer support, linkage services, advocacy, mental health education, recreational and wellness activities, opportunities to affordable housing, access to healthy food, and community integration opportunities. During Rea’s internship, the organization was preparing for its upcoming 50^th anniversary, and Rea was able to lend art history and visual arts experience to archival projects. In addition to engaging in a range of experiences at the Gathering Place to learn about the culture and build relationships, Rea created a collaborative art piece that will be used as a centerpiece to the anniversary celebration in fall 2026. 

Rea’s project was a collaborative art project intended to highlight a spirit of collaboration and celebration at The Gathering Place through the co-creation of a mixed media scale model of the house, which is an integral space for the organization representing its ongoing support of all who enter its doors. In addition to the PESTLE analysis, observation, literature review, and design framework completed, Rea developed an evaluation of three levels of engagement for participants who worked on the art project. According to Rea, “A Home for Gathered Hope increased opportunities for meaningful member engagement by providing multiple accessible ways to participate in a collaborative arts experience. By incorporating archival materials alongside new artistic contributions, the project honored five decades of community history while creating a living time capsule that will continue to evolve beyond the completion of the internship. As a lasting installation, the artwork serves not only as a commemorative piece but also as an enduring reminder that the strength of The Gathering Place lies in the collective contributions of its community.”

Jenna Messina

Theater Artist
Summer 2026

Internship Site: 
The Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood, OH

Project Title: 
Stage Ready: A Trauma-Informed Theatre Workshop for Life Skills Development

Jenna was able to expand on her experience by interning at The Beck Center for the Arts. During her internship, Jenna was able to work alongside community partners including Life Exchange Center, Providence House, and Do Good Day Hub. In addition to bringing her theater background to the Beck Center, she was also able to teach an adapted art class, gained extensive experience in arts-based programming, research, program development and community outreach. She led art-based social groups and created educational materials tailored to needs of varied participants. In addition, she led adult acting classes at the Beck, facilitated a drama social group at the Life Exchange Center, and arts sessions at the Providence House, which provides temporary emergency shelter for children who have been removed from their homes due to crisis situations when no immediate family member or guardian is available to care for them. 

Jenna’s culminating project was an applied theatre intervention designed for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, presented to the clients of the Do Good Day Hub. This project was created in response to identified community needs and utilized theatre-based techniques to promote communication, self-advocacy, social interaction, confidence, problem-solving, and workplace readiness. Rather than emphasizing theatrical performance, it positioned theatre as a “rehearsal space for life,” allowing participants to practice real-world situations in a safe, supportive, and creatively engaging environment.

The meaning of the internship for Jenna: “This internship and this program have absolutely changed my life.  There are so many possibilities to do Arts in Health work than I realized, and there is much more interest than I thought.  Even though I was working in an Arts and Health program prior to starting this program, participating in it has opened up a world of opportunities to connect with other practitioners, organizations, and community members who I can collaborate with and who will benefit from the work I am doing.”

Mikayla Chacalos

Visual Artist
Summer 2026

Internship Site: 
The Canton Museum of Art in Canton, OH

Project Title: 
Clay Connections: Promoting Health and Well-Being Through Ceramics at the Canton Museum of Art

The Canton Museum of Art provides a range of opportunities for interns in the OHIO Master of Applied Arts in Health program. Mikayla interned at this site in summer 2026, first offering her technical experience in helping to develop arts in health components on the Bloomberg Connects app used by the museum and then engaging in educational programming, observing Arts in Health workshops, supporting community engagement initiatives, conducting a literature review, and participating in program planning for various audiences. 

Mikayla’s culminating project sought to identify opportunities for the museum to expand its educational interpretation of ceramics beyond artistic technique by emphasizing its role in supporting health and well-being. Mikayla found the internship to be meaningful in many ways as she states: “The internship emphasized interdisciplinary collaboration, reflective practice, program evaluation, and the translation of research into practical applications. Most importantly, it allowed me to combine my passion for ceramics with the emerging field of Arts in Health, strengthening my professional competencies while demonstrating how museums can foster meaningful experiences that support creativity, connection, resilience, and overall well-being through ceramic arts.”

Susie Thompson

Visual Artist
Summer 2025

Dual Site Internship: 
Passion Works and Heritage Community Clinic

Project Title: 
Caring for the Caregiver: Journal Making and Journaling for Self-Care

Passion Works provided Susie with opportunities to engage in multiple community sites such as Beacon Elementary School, Nelsonville Music Festival, and others while also engaging on site in the studio alongside artists of all backgrounds. Passion Works is highly engaged within the Athens and Nelsonville communities, so Susie was able to support numerous outreach events. While at OHIO Community Health, Susie observed and assisted with the food pantry and learned about the multitude of outreach programs that happen each week for the center. 

After completing an analysis of the site, Susie determined there was a need for caregivers to be provided opportunities to manage stress and use the arts for self-care. Susie developed her project to meet the needs of caregivers who worked in OHIO Community Health, hosting a workshop where they created their own journal books. Participants also were able to engage in journal writing based on a basic prompt provided by Susie and were able to determine if they would be able to use these experiences in the future.

Emerson (Emmie) Lancaster

Visual Artist
Summer 2025

Internship Site: 
Canton Museum of Art and JRC Adult Day Center | Canton Museum of Art

Project Title: 
Community Builds Connections: A Multi-Modal Exploration of Art, Wellness, and Public Engagement

Emmie was given multiple opportunities to engage with the community through intergenerational programs, a Christmas in July event for Mercy Hospital, summer art camps, leading gallery tours for a nursing home, assisting with leading an art project for medical students from Aultman, and exploring programming at the Canton Art Museum such as a farmer’s market on site. In addition to observing, assisting, and leading various arts experiences alongside her onsite supervisor, Emmie completed an analysis of the site and identified there was a need to better inform others about the community outreach programming for the museum. She formed a collage illustrating various community outreach programs and then encouraged participant art and comments to create a Unity Wall.

Jada Gee

Theater Arts
Summer 2025

Internship Site: 
We Care Arts, Inc.

Project Title: 
Integrating Theatre into Visual Arts for a Dialogue of Well-being

Jada was able to step inside a community arts program that worked with diverse individuals and groups as a theater professional. Jada observed and participated in community art activities, learned the structure of the organization, received training in a range of topics, and created materials for the site to use about cultural responsiveness and inclusive practices. After an analysis was completed, Jada determined the need to integrate theater arts and visual arts together to provide additional opportunities for participants to be inspired and informed in their personal and artistic expression. Jada created a project that involved a interpretive reading of "The Duck" by Rhi Lloyd-Williams and the participants created a visual art piece based on their interpretation of the story. 

Jordan Mitri

Visual Artist
Summer 2025

Internship Site: 
Sunshine Studios: Creating for the Community

Project Title: 
Sunshine Studios: The Maker’s Mark

Jordan gained a range of experiences working with the artists at Sunshine Studios, a vocational site for Sunshine Communities. This organization is a non-profit organization serving individuals with developmental disabilities. 

Jordan assisted with various art projects, learning about the structure of the studio and its community engagement, and assisted on outings into the community. Jordan got to know the artists very well and as part of her analysis, she determined that a need was to promote autonomy, increase confidence and individuality of the artists along with increasing the community’s awareness about the artists themselves and their role in the creation of art that is sold at the studio. 

Her project involved having artists create their own “Maker’s Mark” that was turned into a stamp. This stamp was then used to mark their individual art pieces. In addition, they all created color versions in canvas tiles of this mark that were displayed at the studio. An event for community members was held so community could meet the artists and increase their awareness about the role of the artists in the studio.