Dan Bigelow could hear his friends talking about what to do with his body. He’d collapsed at a friend’s house after a drug overdose. One person wanted to throw him in a ditch. Another argued they should call an ambulance. Fortunately for Dan, someone called for help.
He told his story recently to Discovery Academy students as part of an experiential activity. But his brush with death wasn’t the only thing that had students mesmerized. Bigelow replaced doing drugs with studying spiders. Specifically, tarantulas.
As a teenager Dan told students he had used milder drugs. Time in a residential treatment center didn’t help him overcome his habit. He went on to cocaine, heroine, and then meth.
After his overdose he spent a year in rehab. That’s when he decided if he wanted to kick drugs for good he would have to fill the void with something else. He decided to collect spiders. An older sibling had a tarantula so Dan decided to study that species.
D.A. students were fascinated as Dan shared his story and his hobby. He explained unique characteristics of the spiders and talked about his life now.
Bigelow says he’s been drug free for the past eight years. Married with a young daughter, he says it’s a struggle to stay clean. “There’s temptation around every corner,” he told the students. “But fill your life with good things and don’t leave room for the bad.”
Discovery Academy is proud of the men and women who work with our students as therapists, educators, and front-line staff. Each newsletter brings you a more personal look at some of the professionals who make Discovery Academy such a rewarding experience. We hope you'll enjoy getting to know them better.
Rita Munson, Girls’ Mentor
Provo, Utah is a far cry from the Galapagos Islands where Rita Munson grew up, but she says Discovery Academy feels like home. The mother of three grown children is guiding an entirely new group of young women – the girls at Discovery Academy.
“I love working here!” she exclaims, “I love it!”
Rita joined the Discovery Academy staff three years ago. She was going to nursing school during the day and serving as a mentor on the night shift. Girls who woke in the night for a trip to the bathroom or a drink of water would see often see her pouring over her textbooks or studying at the computer. She says she thinks it’s good for the girls to see her working to reach for her goals.
“I always wanted to be a nurse. I know I’m an old lady but I can do it!” she says laughing. “It takes a while but once you set your mind on doing something, you just do it.”
She also thinks D.A. girls benefit from having a mentor who is also a mother. “Being a mom helps me to understand how they feel,” she says. “Teenagers are fun. I love my kids so much so it was easy for me to love the other girls. I have lots of fun with them.”
This year she and her husband will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. She’s also preparing to take her state nursing exams.
“I’ve had a wonderful life and I feel like I want to give back,” she explains. Discovery Academy helps her reach that goal. “It’s a really good chance for me to be with the girls and help them.”
Xolani Radebe, Residential Supervisor
Xolani (pronounced Ko-lawn-ee) Radebe was looking for a full-time job when he heard about Discovery Academy from his wife’s friend. He assumed he’d need a graduate degree to work there and postponed applying. But he liked the school’s mission statement and decided to give it a shot.
During the interview he discussed with D.A. administrators the volunteer work he had done in his native Johannesburg, South Africa. He and his friends organized talent shows and community events to raise money for a local recreation center. “We wanted to keep kids off the streets and get them involved in sports,” he explained.
Besides his volunteer work in his homeland, Xolani had served a two year mission for his church and was working on a Bachelor’s Degree in communications. His wife had just given birth to their first child and the couple had decided to take a breather from school.
D.A. officials were so impressed with his resume they hired him on the spot. Now Xolani works full-time helping D.A. students in a variety of ways. He says he loves to see students change and grow. When students first arrive at Discovery they are often angry with their parents and miss their old lives.
“At some point something just lights up and they realize, hey, this is where I need to be,” Xolani says. “They actively seek help from the mentors and work through their program.”
Xolani is able to connect with students that other staff members may have struggled with. “Seeing students progress is one of the things that make my job worth it.”
“I write music as a hobby and I used to do drama in high school,” he adds. So He was happy to help out with the recent Parent Seminar production of “The Lion King.”
“It was fun because I got to know the same students we work with on a different level,” he says. He adds many of the actors would never have been involved in theater at home. “The people they hung out with might not think it was cool to be a drama geek.”
Xolani explains, “The message we’re trying to put out to the students is that there are multiple opportunities for them to be somebody somewhere in this world, and those opportunities can be to help others or be an example.”
That’s a message his own life illustrates.
Welcome to “In the Loop”, – the quarterly newsletter for Discovery Academy. We’re pleased to offer news and information to enhance your family’s DA experience. In the coming months you’ll see updates on programs, information about our staff, relationship helps and parenting tips from respected authors and speakers. We welcome your contributions as well. Please give us your feedback at editor@discoveryacademy.com
“It’s not about good acting. It’s the process of thinking, feeling and putting themselves in the place of someone else.”
That’s how Brent Hall, Executive Director at Discovery Academy, describes the school’s new drama therapy program.
Drama therapy has been around for decades. At its core, drama therapy is the process of a student playing a part that is very different from who or what they are. “The idea is we want to give the student an experience well outside of their comfort zone and let them try on different hats,” Hall explains.
While new to Discovery Academy, drama therapy compliments D.A.’s other experiential therapy activities like equine and ropes. “It’s the process of helping students have an experience that draws self-awareness from it,” Hall says.
Hall says drama therapy gives students a chance to develop empathy. It also gives them a chance to practice getting positive feedback on life choices. “Sometimes when students act positively they don’t think they’ll get a positive reaction,” he says. “Putting on that role and getting a positive response can be very self-fulfilling.”
Students also get a rush from their brush with acting. “There’s something about performing that is laden with risk,” Hall says. “Once it’s accomplished it’s an exhilarating feeling.” He says some students have verbalized the thrill of a great performance was the same kind of feeling they were looking for when they did drugs. This time the rush carries much less risk.
Therapist Nate Mitchell was hired to coordinate the drama therapy program. As a therapist and an accomplished film and stage actor, Mitchell brings a unique blend of experience to his new role at Discovery Academy.
Every student will have the opportunity to rotate through the program. Each session lasts approximately 12 weeks and students will perform for their peers at the end of the rotation. Some of that material may also be used in the Parent Seminar presentations.
“As a therapist, I would love to say that in a 50 minute session I changed a child’s life,” Hall says. “The truth is, it takes a variety of interventions to help students discover who they are and what they can become. Drama therapy is one more extension of our commitment to provide those therapeutic experiences.”
Nathan Mitchell always dreamed of becoming an actor. He trained for it in college, appeared on local and regional stages, and landed some significant film roles. He was well on his way to launching the career of his dreams. And then he woke up.
He’d just finished filming a major motion picture for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he realized acting was no longer his life’s passion.
“After a production like that everything else pales in comparison,” he explains. “I felt I had something more important to do.”
While working on his Bachelor of Arts Degree at Brigham Young University, Nate taught beginning acting classes to incoming freshmen. He loved working with young adults. At the same time, he was completing a theater history course.
“I did a research paper on psycho drama,” he explains. “I could see the potential for the therapeutic benefit, not just the entertainment value of acting.”
With a minor in psychology, he began exploring ways to combine his two interests. His interest in psychology would now take center stage. He found a graduate studies program and began working on a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling.
At Discovery Academy he leads the school’s new drama therapy program.
“We don’t teach kids how to act,” Nate explains. “They already know that. We teach them how to stop acting.”
Drama therapy gives students the opportunity to “try on” different roles, different reactions to various settings – some from real life and some from literature. Students take turns playing various roles and then spend time processing their performance, not in terms of dramatic quality but life application.
Nate conducts two drama therapy groups each week, in addition to his regular caseload. About a dozen students are in each group. He says more students are on stage than in the audience. All of them participate in acting and reviewing.
“Kids don’t view drama therapy as conventional therapy,” Nate says. “They think they’re just doing an activity but there are opportunities for us to process with them.”
Nate says his mind is always going with new ideas he can use with the drama groups. “Often I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and jot down an idea. Some ideas work a lot better than I had imagined and some work worse. I’m keeping a journal of lessons I prepare, ideas that I have, and what I learn from each experience. It’s intensive!”
Will he ever return to his acting career? “The world doesn’t need any more good actors,” he says. “I think the world needs more good therapists.”
Discovery Academy’s new Academic Center is rising from the snowy field west of the current facility.
Utah’s heavy snow and cold have not delayed construction on the 26-thousand square foot center. Contractors hope to have the new learning facility finished by this summer.
Mari Allman, D.A.’s Admissions Director, says the new facility is sparking interest among education consultants and families who are looking for a therapeutic boarding school with a solid academic record.
Brent Hall, Executive Director of Discovery Academy, says the new facility is unlike any other therapeutic boarding school facility. “Most other programs design their learning opportunities around the physical space they have,” he notes. “The Academic Center at Discovery Academy is built specifically to compliment the learning systems we already have in place.”
The $3-million center features nine “smart rooms” that offer the latest computer technology as well as lecture and presentation applications. Each room is equipped with state-of-the-art computers and wireless Internet, as well as built-in firewalls and safety features.
The emphasis on technology is illustrated by the fact D.A. is moving computers away from a separate lab area and putting the technology in the classroom itself. Students will have instant access to educational activities and supplementary materials offered by safe Internet connections.
Hall says the learning fundamentals at Discovery Academy will remain the same. That process is based on students and teachers working together to determine how much material a student should master in a given time. Then students work at their own pace, under faculty direction, to learn subject matter and test for competency. There are only 10-12 students per class so each student receives one-on-one attention from the instructor.
In addition to cutting edge classrooms, D.A.’s library will be expanded and updated. The new center will also house girls’ residential living, a fitness center, and a new cafeteria.
“We are creating a learning environment that rivals any program in the nation,” Hall says.
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