Turning Dancing Into Miracles
- February 21st, 2024
- in Uncategorized
The art of dance has existed for thousands of years across the globe. Historically, it’s been a way for people to celebrate or rejoice for any number of reasons. Today, many people see dancing as a way to stay in shape or even just to have fun. For others, it’s a serious passion. Rachel Frick, a native of Tupelo, Mississippi and a rising senior at The University of Alabama (UA), has pursued her desire to dance for several years. She was a member of Tupelo’s Civic Ballet company in high school and now pursues a double major of dance and communicative disorders.
During her time with the ballet company, Rachel and fellow dancers rehearsed and performed year-round as they prepared for recitals, showcases and even fundraising events, including an annual event in Memphis to raise money for St. Jude. When she arrived at the Capstone for her freshman year, she knew she wanted to continue this tradition however she could.
“I really looked for something similar to that. . . something that could replicate that experience in a college setting,” she said.
Fortunately for Rachel, it didn’t take long to find this new experience. She soon registered for UA Miracle (formerly UA Dance Marathon) after one of its members spoke to her sorority. UA Miracle, one of the programs available through the Center for Service and Leadership (CSL) in the Division of Student Life, is a student-led philanthropic organization that coordinates an annual full-day dance marathon to raise money for Children’s of Alabama.
The CSL strives to enhance the student experience through active and diverse engagement opportunities in the community. It works to accomplish this goal by coordinating several programs, including UA Miracle, in and around Tuscaloosa that allow UA students to serve the community while increasing their own leadership skills and capacity for civic responsibility.
As a freshman, Rachel first began in UA Miracle as a “miracle maker,” someone who attends the final day of celebration, called BAMAthon, but doesn’t work on any of the organization’s student-led committees. BAMAthon is a full day where the UA Miracle team commits to dance for 24 straight hours in celebration of the money they’ve raised for Children’s of Alabama. After her first BAMAthon ended, Rachel knew she wanted to continue her involvement within UA Miracle. After all, it was similar to the fundraising events she participated in with Civic Ballet, and she finds intrinsic reward in making a difference in the lives of children. So, in her sophomore year she sought out a way to increase her involvement beyond the role of miracle maker.
Rachel found her place with the Morale Committee, which acts as a hype squad for the other committees and miracle makers during BAMAthon. She later decided to continue moving up within UA Miracle and has served as the vice president of membership and administration during her junior year and president of the entire organization her senior year!
Every year, UA Miracle has 15 families they help, called “miracle families.” The children, known as “miracle kids,” are either being treated or have been treated at Children’s of Alabama. This year, they raised $201,413 to support these families through Children’s of Alabama. In 13 years on campus, they’ve been able to touch the lives of 90 miracle families. For Rachel, they’re what it’s all about.
“They get to come to campus multiple times a year and we personally meet and greet them at BAMAthon. It’s so cool seeing the fruit of our labor come to fruition at BAMAthon by meeting the families, hearing their stories and just seeing how big of an impact [it has] on their lives,” she said.
After a year of hard work overseeing UA Miracle and its diverse operations, a handful of staff members within the Division of Student Life took notice of Rachel’s leadership. That’s why Rachel was chosen as the recipient of the Unless Award at this year’s Exemplo Capstone Awards Ceremony, where Student Engagement honored students, student organizations and full-time staff members who “serve compassionately, engage masterfully and live boldly.” The Unless Award takes its name from Dr. Seuss’s “The Lorax,” specifically the Lorax’s quote of “unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” This award reflects the core values upon which the CSL was founded.
“As silly as it sounds that it’s from a kid’s book, it really does have such a deep meaning. It really meant the world to me,” Rachel shared.
She could never have known that her life would change so drastically after her first BAMAthon as a miracle maker. She worked from the ground up in UA Miracle and helped organize one of its most successful years to date with around 1,000 people in attendance at the 2023 BAMAthon. Becoming more involved with the CSL not only helped her continue her tradition of giving back to others through dancing, but it also provided her with unique opportunities for personal development.
“My experience with the CSL has helped me grow not just as a leader, but as a person. I truly think the foundations you learn in the Center – the foundation of service – helps you become a better human being overall. When you witness the community in action and see how it can have an impact, it changes your whole perspective on life.”