Sara Adler, UPenn Chapter Member, Class of 2028

My favorite memory from CogWell was volunteering at the Listen Up workshop for first-year nursing students at Penn. Before this experience, I had only participated in CogWell activities within our own chapter, so this was my first opportunity to see how one of our workshops could impact a larger group of students. It was meaningful to watch the students become more engaged as the workshop continued and see them connect the activities to their own experiences. 

One part that stood out to me was hearing Dr. Melissa Rice speak about her personal experiences and explain why active listening matters. Her openness made the lesson feel much more real and helped me understand that listening involves making someone feel heard, supported, and comfortable enough to share what they are experiencing. Her story gave the workshop a personal dimension that made the ideas especially memorable. 

I also enjoyed watching the students participate in scenarios involving different types of listeners, allowing them to recognize behaviors that can make a conversation feel supportive or dismissive. This activity powerfully demonstrated how people can interpret the same interactions in very different ways. It showed why it is important not to assume that we fully understand another person’s perspective and instead take the time to ask questions, listen carefully, and clarify what they mean.

This experience had a lasting impact on me because I was able to see CogWell’s mission in action. Watching the students reflect, participate, and practice new skills showed me that these workshops can genuinely change how people communicate with and support one another. It made me feel proud to be involved in CogWell and excited to help bring these conversations to more students.