Sylvie “Sunshine” Daggett is a long-time volunteer at the Red Barn. This past Summer, she accepted a position as an intern and worked three days a week at the Barn. Sylvie helped with lessons and daily operations while receiving training in order to become a certified instructor through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH). We appreciate all the hard work Sylvie puts in to helping the Barn, and are thrilled to announce that she recently accepted a full-time position on our staff! I decided to sit down with her so she could share some insight into her experience over the past few months. I hope you all enjoy this exclusive, behind-the-scenes look into the life of a Red Barn intern!
Connor: You’ve been volunteering at the Red Barn for a few years now, correct? How’d you originally hear about the Barn?
Sylvie: Shelley Jones (a former Red Barn instructor) came to my school, Evangel Christian School, for a school orientation and mentioned the Red Barn as a place to volunteer. I had been looking for a place to serve and like horses so it sounded cool to me.
Connor: What drew you towards pursuing an internship at the Barn?
Sylvie: Having the opportunity to work more with so many of our awesome students, like Hailey Grace.
Connor: In what ways has your experience as an intern differed from your experience as a volunteer?
Sylvie: You get to see the background, like all that behind the scenes jazz, at the Barn more as an intern and how much work goes into everything. As a volunteer, you’re more guided from lesson to lesson.
Connor: What advice do you have for anyone interested in becoming an intern?
Sylvie: Just to get ready to fall in love with the hardest job that gives back the mostest.
Connor: Do you plan on going into the field of therapeutic horseback riding or do you have another career path in mind?
Sylvie: Yep to the first part! I’m currently working on becoming a PATH-certified instructor.
Connor: Do you have horses of your own? How long have you been riding?
Sylvie: I’ve been riding consistently since I was 13 and I have two horses, Chica and Molly.
Connor: What’s your favorite color?
Sylvie: Uhhhh… Peach, it’s a happy color! Or maybe grey.
Connor: Anything else you’d like to add? Any shout-outs?
Sylvie: Yeah, I’d like to give a big shout-out to my boy, Billy the goat.
-Connor