Claire Cipparrone ’25 completed her degree in recreation and sport management with a sequence in therapeutic recreation in August. During the summer, she gained a hands-on experience she described as transformative through a 14-week senior internship at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (SRAL) in Chicago.
At SRAL, Cipparrone was immersed in a clinical rehabilitation environment where she collaborated with professional recreation therapists to design and implement meaningful recreation activities, which in turn helped patients improve their physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being. “Every day at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab brought something exciting,” Cipparrone said.
“Whether it was seeing a patient reach a new goal, participate in an activity they hadn’t tried since their injury, or celebrate being discharged home, each moment felt incredibly rewarding.”
Claire Cipparrone
It was during her junior internship in 2024 that Cipparrone first developed a passion for adaptive sports. But after talking with her professors and observing therapists at SRAL, she came to appreciate the importance of clinical experience prior to entering the field. She pursued this internship because she realized it would push her and broaden her knowledge of the field. “The way SRAL combines clinical rehabilitation with adaptive leisure and sports is what drew me in. It gave me an entirely new viewpoint on recreation therapy that I had never seen before,” she said.
Throughout her internship, Cipparrone actively planned, prepared, and facilitated the individual and group therapy sessions for patients with a range of needs. She led specialized groups like dance, boccia, and boxing, all of which aimed to improve social skills, strength, and coordination. Additionally, she assisted in organizing community reintegration activities that provided patients with opportunities to practice practical skills outside the hospital.
Her responsibilities extended beyond direct patient care. She documented treatment sessions, developed individualized patient goals, and even took on her supervisor’s full caseload by the end of the internship. For her special project, she researched and developed adaptive outdoor recreation programming in collaboration with SRAL staff to expand SRAL’s offerings for patients.
“Hands-on experience like this can’t be replicated in a classroom,” Cipparrone shared. “I learned to think on my feet, adapt activities to each person’s abilities, and strengthen my communication and documentation skills. These experiences taught me what it truly means to provide person-centered care.”
Cipparrone credits her success in a clinical setting to her time at Illinois State University. Supportive faculty mentors pushed her to step outside of her comfort zone, and courses in facilitation, leadership, and adaptive activity planning equipped her with the skills she needed to enter professional practice with confidence. “ISU’s recreation and sport management program provided me with a solid foundation and amazing support,” she said. “During my internship, professors encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone, think critically, and apply theory to real-world situations”.
One of the most memorable moments of Cipparrone’s career, which she recalls, is when her supervisor surprised her with a card containing handwritten notes from the patients she had worked with on her last day at SRAL. “It was really emotional to read those messages and see how my time with each patient had made a difference,” she said. “It made me realize why I chose this line of work.”
Looking ahead, Cipparrone aims to utilize her clinical background and passion for adaptive sports to develop inclusive leisure activities for everyone.
“Don’t be scared to step outside of your comfort zone. Take the risk even if you’re not sure; you might discover a new passion or realize what isn’t right for you. They are both equally valuable.”
Claire Cipparrone
Summing up her internship experience in a single word, Cipparrone mentioned it as a “transformative” experience. “I gained hands-on experience, strengthened my confidence, and discovered a deeper appreciation for the impact recreation therapy can have on people’s lives. It was an experience that not only confirmed my passion for the field but also shaped the kind of recreation therapist I aspire to be.”
To learn more about therapeutic recreation at Illinois State, visit the School of Kinesiology and Recreation’s website.
