# Wellness Center experience - Savonia AMK

> Wellness Center is an entrepreneurial learning environment for Savonia’s health-, tourism- and business students. Wellness Center provides wellness services for customer groups from babies to the elderly.

## About the Wellness Center
Wellness Center is an entrepreneurial learning environment for Savonia’s health-, tourism- and business students. It provides wellness services for customer groups ranging from babies to the elderly. At the center, students practice independent production of services with the support of a teacher and coordinator, learning essential skills such as entrepreneurship, customer service, clinical practice, and service planning. The center hosts dozens of exchange students each semester from physiotherapy, nursing, and business degree programs.

## Internationalization and Learning
As a learning environment, the Wellness Center offers opportunities to practice future working life skills related to international activities. It challenges international students to independently plan and implement activities with peers, emphasizing dialogue, tolerance for different working styles, and adaptability.

For domestic students, the center provides "internationalization at home." By working alongside foreign exchange students, those unable to travel abroad gain the international and cultural competence expected in an increasingly multicultural working life. This is a core component of the Wellness Center’s internship guidelines.

## Student Experience: Carmen Presa Carrera
Carmen Presa Carrera, a physiotherapy exchange student from the University of A Coruña, Spain, completed an internship at the Wellness Center in the spring of 2023. She shared her experience:

> “Stepping foot into the Wellness Centre at the University of Applied Sciences in Savonia as an exchange physiotherapy student, I was warmly welcomed by Wellness Center staff and supervising student who were there to help and guide me all throughout this experience.
>
> This unique institution has provided me with an opportunity to explore a diverse range of activities within physiotherapy, opening doors to endless learning possibilities. All of this was new for me, but I was adamant to make the most of it.
>
> Throughout my time at the Wellness Centre, I had the privilege of participating in a variety of activities that broadened my horizons and challenged me to step out of my comfort zone. Collaborating with fellow students on projects every day presented also a new opportunity for growth and learning. These interactions not only enriched my academic knowledge but also expanded my view on Finnish students and their culture. I would really want to thank them properly for letting me by their side on all these activities and including me all through the process. They have definitely made these experiences even more enriching.
>
> One of the most remarkable aspects of my experience at the Wellness Centre was the chance to explore activities I had never done before. Every day was something different and new for me, preparing for these activities was also a great opportunity to refresh and also acquire knowledge. But beyond the academic and professional sphere, my exchange experience at the Wellness Centre facilitated tremendous personal growth. Living in a new country, immersing myself in a different culture, and interacting with students and clients from various backgrounds and at different stages of their life taught me invaluable life lessons. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and kind, and there are no words to fully describe how at home they made me feel.
>
> I leave Wellness Center with a newly refreshed love for my studies and having grown as a person and developed adaptability, resilience, and a greater appreciation for diversity. In retrospect, my time as an exchange physiotherapy student at the Wellness Centre has been nothing short of amazing. I will forever be grateful for this life-changing experience, as it has shaped not only my career but also my outlook on life.”

## Strategic Context
Savonia’s strategy 2021-2024 prioritizes internationalization to develop education, RDI, and business activities. The university aims to increase the share of highly educated people in the region and participate in internationally attractive innovation ecosystems. The Wellness Center’s international internships serve as a practical implementation of this internationalization plan.

## Authors
* **Salla Lommi**, Service Coordinator, Savonia University of Applied Sciences (salla.lommi@savonia.fi)
* **Sanna Hukkanen**, Project Planner, Savonia University of Applied Sciences (sanna.hukkanen@savonia.fi)
* **Carmen Presa Carrera**, Physiotherapy exchange student, University of A Coruña, Spain

## Sources
* Äijö, Marjo (ed.) 2020. *Vireyttä ja hyvinvointia Viretorilta -kuvauksia viretorin hyvistä kokeiluista ja käytännöistä tulevaisuuteen*. 2nd edition. Savonia University of Applied Sciences publication series 10/2020.
* *Savonia strategia 2021-2024. Savonia kestävän kasvun kumppanina ja osaamisen varmistajana.*