Patty Waters: Running with Girls on the Run

Service work is something that truly comes from the heart… and sometimes the feet. Patty Waters, an assistant professor of education at SJC, took a personal passion and ran with it, moving forward to shape how she’s giving back.

“I’ve been volunteering with Girls on the Run since 2012. Volunteering with this program was a natural fit since I’m a runner. I started volunteering with them when I was living in upstate New York, and once I moved to Maine it was important for me to find and connect with the branch here. I credit volunteering with Girls on the Run with helping me transition from teaching K-12 into higher education.”

Girls on the Run is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating elementary age girls of all abilities about the importance of physical and emotional health. Participants in the after school program are guided through topics like making healthy choices, identifying and responding to emotions, all while training to run their first 5k. The ten week program culminates in a statewide 5K, where all of the participating schools in Maine come together to not only run, but to celebrate.

“I volunteer twice a week leading sessions where we do so much more than run. Every session begins with a question. The purpose of this is to  help us focus and introduce a theme of the day. I’ll then encourage participants to take part in discussions where we cover anything from emotions, bullying, and all the challenges middle and upper elementary girls face. Then we spend some time writing and journaling about the discussion. Last but not least, we gear up for the physical activity component, we’ll warm up with stretching, mobility exercises, and running laps. Each of these components usually has a game or activity that encourages the girls to reflect on whatever the topic of the day is.”

Having been involved with the organization for ten years now, Patty has been lucky enough to watch Girls on the Run participants grow into accomplished athletes. “Girls who I taught back when they were in third grade are now sixth graders signing up for 5ks with the intention to win, which is great, but that’s the secondary goal of Girls on the Run. I find it just as exciting and an equally significant experience when I walk into a school and have a former Girls on the Run participant recognize me from the past.”

As it turns out, the participants in Girls on the Run aren’t the only ones who walk (or run) away having gained something. “What’s interesting to me, as someone who is a runner, is that my work with these girls and volunteering with Girls on the Run reminds me to not be so goal oriented. It’s been a refreshing way to share my love of running in a non competitive way, and they remind me that there’s so much more to sports than first or second place. I think that alone has helped put me in a healthier place with my running.”

Service work is something that has been at the center of Patty’s core values for many years, and is something she hopes to instill in her students at Saint Joe’s.

“Before working at Saint Joe’s, I had a job where I was lucky enough to coordinate community service programs, so, volunteering is an important part of what I do in my personal life. I believe we should practice what we preach, and if my goal is to get more undergrad students involved with service projects, I think it helps to lead by example.”

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