Written Proposal

Assignment #14 

01/16/2017

" Written Proposal"


In addition to the all the research I have been doing, the interview I recently did with the psychologist have given me an advance to further continue my research.  When I first thought of what my essential question would be, I was not too sure I would be able to discover more information on it. However, during the interview, I was able to connect my question with several of the questions. So I have a very strong desire to make this research successful, so that I can show all my peers, mentors, and the Honors Mentorship adviser that there is indeed something worth showing. I also would like to make my mentors and the psychologist I interview proud of how my capstone display all the time I spent at the Place of Forsyth.

Yes, I tweaked my essential question to make it more specific. My essential is now "How does having the foundation of charity and volunteer work  implement to the growth in the psychology field? "  I personally like the change I made to my essential question because it is more professional and interesting. Before it was insipid and improper.

For my capstone project at the end of the school year, I envision myself publishing a brochure for a specific audience or creating a model. These two ideas are extremely fun and will help my presentation.

Finally, for my real inquiry, besides using just books information from online, I will conduct more interviews and person to person interactions with professionals and people with experiences in the field. I want to get as much input as I can from  a variety of people. I also want to search for articles and statistics for my research.

Interview 1 on 1

January 13, 2017 

Assignment #13 

" Essential Question Research Interview "

For the interview, I was required to ask the person ten questions I believe would further support the research I will be doing for my essential question. I will have the question listed along with the response and my reflection. Here they are! 

1. What do I believe is your biggest accomplishment in your work?

·  My biggest accomplishment is helping people connect with others and helping people understand their own battles and making sure they understand each other. I want to connect with them. 

· I think that is one of the most important factors in the field. Before yourself, you have to put your clients as one of your top priorities because they are putting their trust in you to help them. I admire that you consider that as one of your accomplishments. Truly amazing! 

2. Has dedicating your time to volunteering( if you have that experience) impact the work you do now? 

·  Yes,of course! My experiences throughout this journey completely changed my view of the career. I worked and trained in several different areas; I counseled people from different backgrounds. All of it was new to me, but I am now able to connect to with everyone on a different level. You feel the pain and the joy they feel. You grow to care much more than for the people than the actual requirements of the job itself. It is truly amazing. 

·  This answer was extremely eye-opening to me. I remember when I did my last post on my essential question, and one of the information I found talked about opening yourself up to gaining the experience needed before starting the career path. I believe that most people consider school itself is just the right amount of experience. That is not true! School is most definitely helpful for gaining the knowledge needed, but it is a completely different story when you go out there and experience the real thing. You never know what you will discover about yourself. I once again admire how you value the times you spent volunteering and doing charity work. 

3. Where do you think the field of social work( or specific profession) is heading in the next 5 years or so?

· I think that in 5 years  from now  psychology will continue to expand, and not just psychology, but the different careers within the field. In terms of social workers, it will continue to grow, though there are areas where it is needed more.  It will be more important because we are living in a world where there is just so much commotion occurring. Maybe it is divorce or the death of someone close, in conclusion, people find it more bearable to talk to an expert whom they trust will help them cope. 

· I agree one-hundred percent with the answer. The answer reflects on why it will grow over the years. It optimistic. The world continues to grow and change everyday, so people find it comforting at times to talk to someone who can just listen or give them help. It does not matter how much it might cost. 

4. How does your experiences make you right for this role?

·  I always listen to my patients and thrive to understand their opinions, but I also show them other ways of dealing with the obstacles they face and values that they can later on use so they can reach a more peaceful level. 

· This one example of how much more amazing it is to have those experiences in the field. Though it is good to have the knowledge, it is more inspirational to be able to have more compassion towards the people you work with.  It is truly amazing to view how much passion you have towards your clients and the problems you help them face. 

5. What personality traits do you have that help you communicate effectively?  

·  I have a very strong personality. At times, I might seem to come off as scary or over the top. Typical. However, I always work with my heart and have strong values and truthful to my patients. I thrive to be honest, hopeful, hard-working, kind, and open- minded, and so on. Not that I am bragging, but these are traits I have develop over the years after much hard work because I wanted to be the best at what I do. 

· This is an honest and sweet answer because she saw what people could have believe made her not applicable for this career, but she proved people wrong. She pushed herself to develop amazing character traits that will continue to do help her do great deeds. Wow, I am so impressed by how refreshing you are. That might seem like an odd compliment, but you truly are an amazing role model. I hope that I can push myself to develop more traits like these over the years. 

6. What is one of the most challenging situations you have dealt with? 

· One of the hardest situations I usually come across is  trying to help a patient when they do not want to be helped. It is really difficult trying to help someone who struggles like this. Sometimes, the patient might not fully know if they want help or not, because the situation could be overbearing and tough. In those stages, I have to be extremely careful as to not make them feel uncomfortable with them. I want them to open up to me. Those can be tough to break through, but with time and patience I get there. 

· I cannot begin to imagine how difficult that can be. The feeling that comes with this response is pain. I think one of the hardest things is not knowing what to do when you are in a difficult time. This shows how important it is to be patient because if you are not, then you might potentially miss out helping someone who really needs it. 

7. How does the experience  you have working with people whose culture, race or sexual orientation impact or hep you now?

·   It made me stronger in some situations and made me understand that everyone is different and have more tolerance with some situations. There are so many things going on in the world, and when you see them you change completely. 

· I wished there would've been more depth to this question, but I am very pleased with the response. Seeing things you might have never seen before can either change you for the better or for the worst.

8. What are some rigor requirements do you feel someone should have going into this field? It can be before or after college. 

·   You have to have dedication and to like helping others and most importantly listen to others, and love what you do. This might seem like a simple answer, but when you love what you do, you never want to stop doing it. 

· This is true on so many levels. I know someone who went to school for something, and he got a degree. In the end, he said he is grateful for all the years he had the opportunity to do what he did, but he is now realizing that he wanted something else. The pressure of everyone on him made him not see what he wanted. What is the point of going to school for something you are passionate about? You are wasting your time and money. 

9.What are some ways social workers or anyone in the psychology field can have an impact on a macro level?

· We can have an impact on macro level by using social media to share your experiences of the good this career can do. Moreover, it is more important on  how you treat your patients and how to deal with all their feelings and make them find peace. 

· This is true when it comes to using social media to spread the good word. There is so much negativity on social media about things that are irrelevant. We need to have more positivist out there!  

10. Do you think volunteering or charity work have a tremendous impact emotionally or mentally on a social worker? 

· 

Yes, it does because we deal with different types of people and stories, so it can be very hard and emotionally and mentally. So we need to be able to, like I said before, connect with each individual on a certain level. 

· * Thank you for interviewing me and letting me share what I believe is important.

· I believe it is! Colleges and institutions are not just looking for how much you are acing your classes and the amazing trophies you have( not that it is not impressive), but they are looking for how passionate you are about something. They look for if you took some time to see what that job or career field is really about.  

My Essential Question Relflection

"Essential Question"

Assignment #12

My essential question: How does having the foundation of  charity and volunteer work implement to the growth in the psychology field?

1. Why did you select this as your essential question?  

I     I selected this as my essential question because while I have been interning at the Place of Forsyth, I constantly question how the career I want in psychology would incorporate into the work people do at the Place. Some of the questions I ask myself are," does just having a degree without experience benefit you? How much more can you relate to your clients if you just have a degree in psychology? Will you really see the reality of being a social worker or psychologist?" Overtime, I have realized that one of the first misconceptions is assuming that a degree alone will get me a job after graduation.  In today's world, employers expect much more from an applicant than just a degree alone. The questions they will ask you transitioned from "do you have a college degree?" to "what experience and skills did you gain while you were in high school or college? " This brings me back to my question. Striving to gain several types of experiences, such as research , internships, volunteering and part-time jobs on my resume by the time I graduate will benefit me greatly.  These types of experiences will not only help me decide on a career path, but they are necessary to landing my first job and/or being accepted to the graduate program of my choice! However, it is more than just being accepted to my dream graduate program.  A chartered psychologist named Ruth Lowry once said," long term volunteering is a form of pro-social behavior that involves commitment given over an extended period of time."  In conclusion, you will definitely find the real value of the career instead of acquiring it and just doing the job like it is no different. No, volunteer and charity work has challenged me to do things I  have never done before and commit to amazing things. There is always so much more to learn and to do with an amazing career like this. 

     

    2.  What excites you most about finding the answer to this essential question?

        I am extremely excited to share what I have discovered about this question with other people. I am excited to find other students or people who are interested in the same career as me, and to give them an insight on the most important parts of pursuing this career. Throughout my life, I have known that helping people is the only thing I want to do. Everyone wants to make a difference in someone's life, but I want to learn and educate myself the right way. so I can be the light in people's lives.   I am an immense fan of movies, and there are several movies I have watched with a psychologist, psychiatrist, or a social worker. The characters who played these roles did an amazing job portraying how several people actually do their job. They do not commit to the time they have with each client; it is only about the money. They do not have the experience needed to help them connect with their clients. They are not committed to the job itself, and they overall do not strain to push themselves out of their comfort zone. Therefore, I do not want to be like one of those psychologist or social worker. I want to show people that committing to doing things like volunteering an doing charity work will take you a long way. You will not just be brighter on your resumes, but you will also discover a whole different side you might have not known you had. 

      3. Do you feel that this question accurately reflects a desire/need that you have to find out more about this topic?     I most definitely fee that this question accurately reflects the desire I have to find out more about this topic because I feel like there are people in the world who are blessed with this amazing career and they take advantage of it. Most of them might not feel the need to acquire any experience, but that is completely inaccurate. I am also not speaking about the school experience; you definitely need to gain that experience, but I am discussing the work with people from a different background and situation type of experience. At the Place, I work with a variety of different people; people with all different types of situations come and ask for help. I have always tried to make sure that they felt comfortable, so sometimes I would play with their kids or talk to them about their life. Most of them always find it so interesting when I talk about Haiti. Just for that moment, the maybe forgot about their life situation. It is the little things like this that pushes me to see a whole new light of wanting to be a psychologist. It is easier to talk to interact with people who are different than me. I learn to listen to their story and I can find ways to help them feel more content. It does not even have to be an enormous gesture; It can just be by telling them how well they raised their children or telling them of all the great things there is to look forward to in life. I have the desire to learn more about my question and the different impacts it it will on someone like me. 

"The First Soft Skill to Develop in Students"

Assignment #11
12/3/16

"The First Soft Skill to Develop in Students"


What is social intelligence? Social intelligence is "the capacity to effectively negotiate complex social relationships and environments." This is extremely important when it comes to first impressions. It is having the ability to create relationships with people you encounter. Social intelligence is an important factor in a person's life because according to Goleman's research," your social relationships have a direct effect on aspects of our physical health, such as blood flow, breathing, moods such as fatigue and depression, and the weakening of our immune system. In fact, the deeper the relationship, the deeper the impact"(Goleman).  It allows your to grow internally and externally, and you will be able to create more stability in your character. 

Now in our days, the youth society faces a lot of difficulty in today's workplace because of several factors. First, even though most college graduates have an outstanding degree, they might not have the right character. During interviews, HR executives say that the young adults come across as the following: too loud ,too forward ,too self-absorbed, and lacking self-awareness. Even if they have the right qualifications, the smallest thing like being lazy or gossiping too much can have a lot of affects.
The young adults need to know what they should expect and the things they need to know about the real world.

In the article, I was extremely shocked and startled by the judgment the youth faces. It is upsetting to see that even if you were to have the perfect qualifications for a job, if you do not know how to create a comfortable environment with the people around you or know how to create a great first impression, then you might not have a chance. It does not matter how good you are at the job, there are things you should've been told before entering the work force. However, that is not the case.


https://growingleaders.com/blog/first-soft-skill-develop-students/

Assignment #10


Career Field Presentation prezi:

http://prezi.com/xer30hkgs_dn/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Ayesha Jean

Honors Mentorship

Assignment #9 

November 7,2016



In regards to my internship at the Place of Forsyth, the men and women I work with or encounter with at work help play a role in my education. When I first started my internship, I did not exactly what I was going to learn or do at the Place. Nor did I think I would be impacted so much. My two mentors are extremely professional women who has done quite a bit in their life. They each have a story to tell that shows why they have achieved so much in their life. They value education and the doors that it opens up for you. Every single day  I intern there, I realize how fortunate I am to have the benefits of getting an education just like them. 

There are many people that walks in the Place, and I see how much they do to help their children. Some women are not able to afford to buy food to feed their kids. Some might have financial problems that prevents them from giving their kids the luxury needed to enjoy their childhood. Others will give everything they have to qualify for programs that will give their kids the benefits or receiving free school or supplies and so on.  The Place provides all that. These people including my mentors show me how important it is to push myself in school, so that I can go to school for something I will one day do to help people. They have pushed me to try new things I would have never thought of doing. 


At the Place of Forsyth, there are many different parts and jobs. One job I particularly like is the social worker. A social worker helps people who might be struggling in an abuse relationship, a financial situation, or anything else.  It is a very neat job because I am a people person. I like to listen to people tell me what is on their mind.  It is something I do now with my friends. If they ever have wanna talk about anything, they will often come to me for advice. Every other like the receptionist, volunteers,  and the financial aid helper are jobs that helps people regardless how small or big the task is. Every makes an effort to help the client feel as comfortable as they can. 

During my time interning, I have made a set of goals to achieve. One of my most important goal is to be more comfortable speaking my mind when I am asked to. I am not a timid person, but I sometimes feel uncomfortable to speak out in a group of people. There are so many things I want to say and show people, but at time I feel like my accent will slip out every now and then, or I'll look ridiculous when I am talking. Therefore, I have been interacting much more with the people I work with regardless of age. I have many new friends, who are very experienced and kind, that pushes me to grow. As of now, there are not many goals for me to change. I am focusing on reaching my goals before I decide to change any of them. 

Mentorship Write Up

Ayesha Jean


My profile-  Hello, my name is Ayesha Jean and I am seventeen years old. I am currently a senior at Forsyth Central High School. I am the youngest of four siblings. I was born in Haiti, however, when I was three years old my family and I moved to the United States. There are so many experiences I have made that has changed my life.  A few of my favorite hobbies and activities are reading, singing, volunteering on the weekends, cooking, filming, and lastly, is relaxing. After high school, I want to go to an excellent university where I can major in psychology. One day I hope to become a professional psychologist or social worker. Helping people has always been my passion, and the Honors Mentor-ship program has given me the chance to work with a professional who serves as my mentor. I am honored and blessed to be a part of an amazing experience!

My Mentorship- I am currently mentoring at the Place of Forsyth, which is a nonprofit Social Service Organization that has passionately served residents of Forsyth County since 1975. The Place assists resident families with emergency basic needs in difficult times. In addition, The Place also operates a thrift store on-site that provides affordable merchandise to the public. I work with several amazing men and women, but my mentors are Joni Smith and Sue Meyer.

I have made some of the best experiences at the Place! I get to help fix food in the market located above the thrift store for families to bring home. I have made several social media sites for the place, so that more people can call, volunteer, or visit us when needed. I babysit some nights during the week days for parents taking classes at the Place. I get to work with different people to learn the different jobs. Most of all, I get to see the smiling faces of the people who receives the help they need.

I am extremely blessed to be able to work with people who devote all their time to helping others.

My future- After I graduate high school, I plan on attending college. I am going to major in psychology, and continue my path till I graduate with a master’s degree. My mentor-ship has given me an insight on life and the world around me. I believe that to be successful in this career field, you need to experience what it is like to work outside of your comfort zone. You need to have hands-on experience with people who are different. The Place has given me this. My mentors showed what it looks like to be devoted to helping people.