For an hour every Thursday night, SAGE and the Engle Center host “She, Us, and I.” Working with 28 students this semester, Hannah McBride and Samantha Campbell facilitate the program for female students to learn about healthy relationships with themselves and others.
McBride, an advisor for SAGE, said there is not a set definition of “relationship” in the space as the curriculum provides lessons on friendships, as well as romantic, familial, roommate, and work relationships. While they start with a curriculum, the facilitators let students’ interests and questions guide some of the lessons. For example, the students attending this semester are particularly interested in the impact COVID has had on our friendships and relationships with peers.
Even though this is the first year the group is called “She, Us, and I,” it continues to be a confidential space that, as McBride says, allows students to consider and explore the “impact of where they’ve come from or what they’ve grown up hearing” at home, school, or church. The confidentiality of the space also allows for clear group agreements that emphasize respecting others, especially when topics such as same-sex relationships or sex come up.
While “She, Us, and I” isn’t a form of group therapy, McBride says it’s a group that many students find therapeutic. The array of backgrounds and opinions let participants graciously converse with and listen to each other. Even McBride and co-facilitator, Samantha Campbell, have different views. Campbell, an Engle Center counselor, and McBride both have unique experiences to draw from, giving students multiple perspectives.
The vast experiences let She, Us, and I be a vulnerable and honest space for growth. If you’re interested in learning more about your relationship with yourself and others, contact scampbell@messiah.edu or hmcbride@messiah.edu and consider attending “She, Us, and I” next semester.