My essential question:
What are some specific mental illnesses I can identify and dissect that affect human development and create conflict within patients their and families?
I will be focusing on this essential question because I am hoping to major in Human Development and Family Science next year at UGA. I love this topic because I am so intrigued by mental illnesses, especially in children and in family settings. I want to dive into the study of humans, their behavior, and factors that cause this behavior. Mental disorders are something I've enjoyed researching since my AP Psychology class last year. I can't wait to see how an illness like schizophrenia or anxiety can not only control ones mind and actions, but it can also create conflict within families. In addition to learning about how they affect families and patients, I might want to look at how psychologists can help with this.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Week 11.10.14
Recently at my mentorship, Kid's Cove Weekday Daycare, I've been helping with the one to two year-olds. Everyday we go to carpool to get the kids out of their cars, and then come back to our rooms. Usually there is some group playtime, and then we split the one to two year-olds into two classes: one in the butterfly room and the other in the snail room. I help with the snail room most often, so I have 5 main kids that I work with. My responsibilities include putting up their bags, getting their diapers ready to be changed, and getting snacks ready for after their playtime. Then I help feed the kids their snacks and clean up. We just celebrated Halloween with a big Noah's Arc where all the kids and teachers dressed up as animals. Now we are preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The other day I had to trace the kids hands for their hand-turkeys, and boy, was that an experience. In case you didn't know, some one year-olds don't want their hands traced, and they will scream and cry until it's over. (: Anyway, lately we're getting Thanksgiving coloring pages ready for them to paint.
Last year I took AP Psychology, and I think that's been a huge help for me in my mentorship this year. We did a section all about kids and their stages of development. This is perfect for my internship at the daycare because I get to watch one group of kids grow and pass through different stages of development. For example, one stage of development includes the idea of object permeance. This is where when an object is not visible to a small child, they believe that it no longer exists (like a ball hidden behind a book). I saw this at my mentorship just today when one of the little boys kept grabbing a wipe and putting it in his mouth. I took it and hid it behind a chair, but he kept trying to grab it. Even though it wasn't visible to him, he still knew it was there and was reaching for it. I knew then that one year-olds are past the object permeance stage, because the boy still knew that wipe existed even though it was hidden. I was really excited when I caught myself making this connection at my mentorship to my psychology class last year.
Last year I took AP Psychology, and I think that's been a huge help for me in my mentorship this year. We did a section all about kids and their stages of development. This is perfect for my internship at the daycare because I get to watch one group of kids grow and pass through different stages of development. For example, one stage of development includes the idea of object permeance. This is where when an object is not visible to a small child, they believe that it no longer exists (like a ball hidden behind a book). I saw this at my mentorship just today when one of the little boys kept grabbing a wipe and putting it in his mouth. I took it and hid it behind a chair, but he kept trying to grab it. Even though it wasn't visible to him, he still knew it was there and was reaching for it. I knew then that one year-olds are past the object permeance stage, because the boy still knew that wipe existed even though it was hidden. I was really excited when I caught myself making this connection at my mentorship to my psychology class last year.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Week 11.3.14
This week I read an article called, The First Soft Skill to Develop in Students, which can be found at http://growingleaders.com/blog/first-soft-skill-develop-students/ .
After reading, I learned that social intelligence is a key part to getting, and keeping, a job. Social intelligence is the ability to maintain complex social relationships, or simply put: being able to make friends and keep them. This is extremely important in the workplace because in a job, you have to work with others. There's no way around it, relationships must be made, whether they're personal or strictly professional. If employees can't work together, a business will never succeed and grow.
One big thing I took away from this article is that my generation is having a lot more trouble getting and maintaining jobs than the generation before us. I learned that younger people tend to be more self-absorbed which creates problems in the workplace. I think that as a successful employee, one must focus on others and the business more than oneself. If every employee took the time to listen to what needed to be done, and work together to achieve the task, business would run much more smoothly.
After reading, I learned that social intelligence is a key part to getting, and keeping, a job. Social intelligence is the ability to maintain complex social relationships, or simply put: being able to make friends and keep them. This is extremely important in the workplace because in a job, you have to work with others. There's no way around it, relationships must be made, whether they're personal or strictly professional. If employees can't work together, a business will never succeed and grow.
One big thing I took away from this article is that my generation is having a lot more trouble getting and maintaining jobs than the generation before us. I learned that younger people tend to be more self-absorbed which creates problems in the workplace. I think that as a successful employee, one must focus on others and the business more than oneself. If every employee took the time to listen to what needed to be done, and work together to achieve the task, business would run much more smoothly.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Week 10.20.14
This week I'm creating a profile describing myself and my mentorship...
Profile:
My name is Grace, and I'm 17 years old. I play volleyball and tennis, and I'm also involved in several clubs at my school. I'm a follower of Jesus Christ, and I go to Lakewood Baptist Church. At this stage in my life, I'm discovering my passions, along with things I don't particularly enjoy. One of my bigger passions is learning about brain development, and I also love kids. I took AP Psychology last year, which is what got me interested in human development and the study of the brain. While I couldn't do much with psychology through a mentorship, due to confidentiality, I was able to find a mentorship involving child development.
Mentorship:
I mentor with the Lakewood Baptist Kid's Cove daycare every morning for two periods. Every morning all the teachers at the daycare arrive about 30 minutes early to get everything ready, and we have a prayer/praise circle, catching up with each other. Then we go to pick up the kids in carpool and walk back to the Kid's Cove area. I work with ages one to two so we usually start with a little playtime and then snack. I help clean the kid's hands and get their snacks ready for them. After snack, depending on the day, there will be other activities like music, crafts, or playtime. By this time I have to get back to school. My favorite part about my mentorship is getting to watch the kids grow. I love building relationships with the kids because even if they can't talk, I can tell when they start to recognize me after a while. One little girl is just starting to walk, and I am so amazed when I watch her learn on her own. I love my mentorship at Lakewood; it has taught me not only about kids and how they grow, but also about myself.
Future:
I hope to attend the University of Georgia next year and major in Human Development and Family Science. This would be ideal because I am so interested in how children and people in general grow and mature, and I would also love to learn about how families function. This ties together my passion for psychology and my passion for children. My mentorship is preparing me for this because I'm getting real-world experience in a daycare, and I'm learning all about kids and how their minds work. I am extremely thankful for my mentorship at Lakewood, and I can't wait to see what my future holds.
My name is Grace, and I'm 17 years old. I play volleyball and tennis, and I'm also involved in several clubs at my school. I'm a follower of Jesus Christ, and I go to Lakewood Baptist Church. At this stage in my life, I'm discovering my passions, along with things I don't particularly enjoy. One of my bigger passions is learning about brain development, and I also love kids. I took AP Psychology last year, which is what got me interested in human development and the study of the brain. While I couldn't do much with psychology through a mentorship, due to confidentiality, I was able to find a mentorship involving child development.
Mentorship:
I mentor with the Lakewood Baptist Kid's Cove daycare every morning for two periods. Every morning all the teachers at the daycare arrive about 30 minutes early to get everything ready, and we have a prayer/praise circle, catching up with each other. Then we go to pick up the kids in carpool and walk back to the Kid's Cove area. I work with ages one to two so we usually start with a little playtime and then snack. I help clean the kid's hands and get their snacks ready for them. After snack, depending on the day, there will be other activities like music, crafts, or playtime. By this time I have to get back to school. My favorite part about my mentorship is getting to watch the kids grow. I love building relationships with the kids because even if they can't talk, I can tell when they start to recognize me after a while. One little girl is just starting to walk, and I am so amazed when I watch her learn on her own. I love my mentorship at Lakewood; it has taught me not only about kids and how they grow, but also about myself.
Future:
I hope to attend the University of Georgia next year and major in Human Development and Family Science. This would be ideal because I am so interested in how children and people in general grow and mature, and I would also love to learn about how families function. This ties together my passion for psychology and my passion for children. My mentorship is preparing me for this because I'm getting real-world experience in a daycare, and I'm learning all about kids and how their minds work. I am extremely thankful for my mentorship at Lakewood, and I can't wait to see what my future holds.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Week 10.14.14
Over the course of this year (so far), I think I see the church in a whole new way. I've been a member and attended Lakewood regularly for a while, but now that I've been behind the scenes for a few months, I know it's much more work than it may seem. There are people I've met at my internship at Lakewood that I didn't even know (which I think is rare at a church). For example, I'd never thought of custodians at Lakewood, even though it seems like an obvious necessity. Also the financial staff at Lakewood does so much that I wasn't aware of until this year. When I think about a church like Lakewood, I think of church on 2 out of the 7 days of the week and assume not much work is put in to organize these services. However, Lakewood does much, much more than host two church services a week. We have a missions team that works on yearly mission trips, an adult ministry alone with the student ministry, and there's also a kids ministry. Lakewood even has a preschool program every weekday morning that I didn't even know about. Speaking of, as you know (if you regularly read my blog), my mentor just moved this past week. That means that I need a new mentor. I decided to stay at Lakewood and I will now be working in the Kids Ministry with the preschoolers every morning. I am extremely excited to work with these kids, and it fits perfectly because after recently applying to colleges and researching majors, I've realized I want to major in Human Development (or something of the sort). I will start working with the kids on Monday and I can't wait!
I am going to make sure that at this new internship in Kids Cove at Lakewood I will work on improving my all- around behavior and responsibility level. This is not to imply that my new mentorship is any more important than my last one, but I know that my new one will require much more responsibility since I will be trusted with young children, and I will be a role-model/example to the kids.
I am going to make sure that at this new internship in Kids Cove at Lakewood I will work on improving my all- around behavior and responsibility level. This is not to imply that my new mentorship is any more important than my last one, but I know that my new one will require much more responsibility since I will be trusted with young children, and I will be a role-model/example to the kids.
Week 10.6.14
Lately my internship has been teaching me a lot. Not just about how a church student ministry runs, but also about characteristics a great employee should have. For example, I'm learning to be more responsible, because I can't be late to my internship. I'm also better at communicating with professionals (like my mentor), because I have to let her know in advance if I can't make it to my internship. These types of qualities are what I'm learning all about, at my mentorship this year.
Just to recap what I've been doing at my mentorship recently... I've been making another copy of a folder full of information for planning the Girls conference (that just occurred a few weekends ago), Imprinted. I understand it's not the most glorious job at Lakewood, but I also know that I'm helping my mentor. She is moving this next week and wants to bring the original copy of this folder with her, in case she plans another Imprinted. However, she also wants to leave a copy of the folder here at Lakewood for when we hire another Girls Minister, in case she needs help planning Imprinted. As I copy every page of this folder, I remind myself that even the "boring" parts of my internship are imperative to the church. I know that one day my mentors replacement will (hopefully) be very grateful for the planing folder, and my mentor will be able to continue planning it where she moves. By making these copies now, I may be helping many girls across the country learn more about God because they'll be able to go to these conferences with the help of the planning folders.
Just to recap what I've been doing at my mentorship recently... I've been making another copy of a folder full of information for planning the Girls conference (that just occurred a few weekends ago), Imprinted. I understand it's not the most glorious job at Lakewood, but I also know that I'm helping my mentor. She is moving this next week and wants to bring the original copy of this folder with her, in case she plans another Imprinted. However, she also wants to leave a copy of the folder here at Lakewood for when we hire another Girls Minister, in case she needs help planning Imprinted. As I copy every page of this folder, I remind myself that even the "boring" parts of my internship are imperative to the church. I know that one day my mentors replacement will (hopefully) be very grateful for the planing folder, and my mentor will be able to continue planning it where she moves. By making these copies now, I may be helping many girls across the country learn more about God because they'll be able to go to these conferences with the help of the planning folders.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Week 9.29.14
Over these past few weeks interning at Lakewood Baptist Church, I've learned a lot of "unwritten rules" around the offices of my mentors. Without my mentor having to tell me directly, I understand that the high school minister is technically "above" me and the other employees; therefore, I should be quick to help him with anything he needs, even if I'm in the process of working on something for my mentor. If what he needs is urgent, that should be my first priority. Also I sometimes go help out the head pastors secretary, because she is so busy all the time. However, I know that if there is something that my mentor needs to have done, I should be helping her instead of the pastors secretary. I also know this woman personally, but I know that I shouldn't be going in her office just to socialize, because she is very busy and needs to focus on her work. I also know that if I ever can't be at my mentorship, I need to tell my mentor at least by there day before, in case she was planning on having me work on a specific project.
Around the Lakewood Student Ministry, most people dress pretty casually, but still professionally. Obviously, on Sundays and Wednesdays everyone dresses more nicely, but on the weekdays no one comes in except for the student ministers. This means they can can dress casually, but of course still appropriately. I follow my mentors lead and dress nice on most days, but still go for casual on occasion. If I know I will be going over to the Fellowship Hall (where the head pastor and financial department employees work), then I will dress more professionally because I know that, as an intern I should be an example of the church.
At the church I only work closely with about 4 people, those being my mentor (the girls minister) the high school minister, the middle school minister, and their shared secretary. Two of these being men and the other two being very mature women, there isn't really any "office-gossip." This is very helpful to the entire Student Ministry, and it's a big part of how it runs so smoothly.
I love my internship, and although my mentor will be moving soon, I have enjoyed every day spent working for her, and I look forward to working with another mentor at Lakewood.
Around the Lakewood Student Ministry, most people dress pretty casually, but still professionally. Obviously, on Sundays and Wednesdays everyone dresses more nicely, but on the weekdays no one comes in except for the student ministers. This means they can can dress casually, but of course still appropriately. I follow my mentors lead and dress nice on most days, but still go for casual on occasion. If I know I will be going over to the Fellowship Hall (where the head pastor and financial department employees work), then I will dress more professionally because I know that, as an intern I should be an example of the church.
At the church I only work closely with about 4 people, those being my mentor (the girls minister) the high school minister, the middle school minister, and their shared secretary. Two of these being men and the other two being very mature women, there isn't really any "office-gossip." This is very helpful to the entire Student Ministry, and it's a big part of how it runs so smoothly.
I love my internship, and although my mentor will be moving soon, I have enjoyed every day spent working for her, and I look forward to working with another mentor at Lakewood.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Week 9.22.14
Possible colleges---
1. University of Georgia
Athens, GA
www.uga.edu
Ranked 20th in the nations top public universities
At UGA I would probably major in Human Development and Family Science. It focuses on how kids grow up and how families interact. This is similar to my mentorship because right now I'm working in the student ministry of a church, so I'm learning how the church caters specifically to children's needs.
2. University of North Georgia
Dahlonega, GA
www.ung.edu
Ranked 22nd in the nation out of universities in the south
At UNG I might like to major in Child Care Studies. This is about children and helping them out of abusive situations. At my internship now with the church's student ministry, I'm learning how to treat kids and how to help them if they're going through difficult times. This is very similar to that major.
3. Berry College
Mount Berry, GA
www.berry.edu
Ranked 89th in the nation out of universities in the south
At Berry I might major in Philosophy and Religious studies. The religion is obviously related to my mentorship now because I'm interning at a church, and I'm very interested in diving deeper into studying things like philosophy or other types of religions and how they compare.
For me personally, I've picked these colleges because of their locations and their academic programs. I'm interested in psychology, religion, and helping people in general. This is very different from studies like calculus or engineering, which is obviously why I didn't include a school such as Georgia Tech. The three schools above all have great programs that include psychology and other studies like Child Care Studies or Human Development. They also have majors related to Religion which is an area of interest for me. For these majors at these particular schools there aren't any special requirements, but in preparation I've taken classes like AP Psychology. This class is what really got me interested in the study of human behavior and human development.
My number one choice is UGA (to which I've already applied) mainly because of the variety of majors (in case I change my mind a lot later on), and the location. It's a big school, but has many opportunities to get involved in smaller friend groups which is a good thing. I like that it's relatively close to home, but not close enough to go home too often. Along with the educational and regional aspects, just look at the sports! There would be so many opportunities to go to many different sporting events like football games or basketball games. I would love having those experiences as well as the academic ones. UNG is my back-up plan if I don't get into UGA. It has great programs and majors like psychology and religion that I would be interested in. I know it's not big like UGA, but I don't think I would necessarily hate going to a small school. I would be able to make friends and get involved pretty easily. Last is Berry mostly because of the amount of scholarships I would have to get. The campus seems absolutely stunning, and it's educational opportunities are right up my alley with the child care and religious studies; however, I don't want to go there enough to find that many scholarships. The tuition is obviously much more than UNG and even UGA, but I think I'll apply there in case I have a change of heart this year.
Possible Scholarships---
1. Wendy's High School Heisman
This is a scholarship I've recently been selected to apply for. One of my coaches recommended me, so I will apply and if it goes well, I'll be one of the two finalists for my school. If that happens I'll compete with other students across the nation. The scholarship is for student athletes who excel in their studies, sports, and communities.
2. Key Club International Scholarship Program
This is a program through Key Club (which I am apart of) that offers many different types of scholarship opportunities. I'll probably end up applying for many of these scholarships with the help of my Key club advisor at school.
3. Jackson EMC Walter Harrison Scholarship
This is a scholarship that focuses on a students needs, academics, and extra-curriculars. I am eligible to apply for this, and when it opens later in the year I plan on applying for it.
1. University of Georgia
Athens, GA
www.uga.edu
Ranked 20th in the nations top public universities
At UGA I would probably major in Human Development and Family Science. It focuses on how kids grow up and how families interact. This is similar to my mentorship because right now I'm working in the student ministry of a church, so I'm learning how the church caters specifically to children's needs.
2. University of North Georgia
Dahlonega, GA
www.ung.edu
Ranked 22nd in the nation out of universities in the south
At UNG I might like to major in Child Care Studies. This is about children and helping them out of abusive situations. At my internship now with the church's student ministry, I'm learning how to treat kids and how to help them if they're going through difficult times. This is very similar to that major.
3. Berry College
Mount Berry, GA
www.berry.edu
Ranked 89th in the nation out of universities in the south
At Berry I might major in Philosophy and Religious studies. The religion is obviously related to my mentorship now because I'm interning at a church, and I'm very interested in diving deeper into studying things like philosophy or other types of religions and how they compare.
For me personally, I've picked these colleges because of their locations and their academic programs. I'm interested in psychology, religion, and helping people in general. This is very different from studies like calculus or engineering, which is obviously why I didn't include a school such as Georgia Tech. The three schools above all have great programs that include psychology and other studies like Child Care Studies or Human Development. They also have majors related to Religion which is an area of interest for me. For these majors at these particular schools there aren't any special requirements, but in preparation I've taken classes like AP Psychology. This class is what really got me interested in the study of human behavior and human development.
My number one choice is UGA (to which I've already applied) mainly because of the variety of majors (in case I change my mind a lot later on), and the location. It's a big school, but has many opportunities to get involved in smaller friend groups which is a good thing. I like that it's relatively close to home, but not close enough to go home too often. Along with the educational and regional aspects, just look at the sports! There would be so many opportunities to go to many different sporting events like football games or basketball games. I would love having those experiences as well as the academic ones. UNG is my back-up plan if I don't get into UGA. It has great programs and majors like psychology and religion that I would be interested in. I know it's not big like UGA, but I don't think I would necessarily hate going to a small school. I would be able to make friends and get involved pretty easily. Last is Berry mostly because of the amount of scholarships I would have to get. The campus seems absolutely stunning, and it's educational opportunities are right up my alley with the child care and religious studies; however, I don't want to go there enough to find that many scholarships. The tuition is obviously much more than UNG and even UGA, but I think I'll apply there in case I have a change of heart this year.
Possible Scholarships---
1. Wendy's High School Heisman
This is a scholarship I've recently been selected to apply for. One of my coaches recommended me, so I will apply and if it goes well, I'll be one of the two finalists for my school. If that happens I'll compete with other students across the nation. The scholarship is for student athletes who excel in their studies, sports, and communities.
2. Key Club International Scholarship Program
This is a program through Key Club (which I am apart of) that offers many different types of scholarship opportunities. I'll probably end up applying for many of these scholarships with the help of my Key club advisor at school.
3. Jackson EMC Walter Harrison Scholarship
This is a scholarship that focuses on a students needs, academics, and extra-curriculars. I am eligible to apply for this, and when it opens later in the year I plan on applying for it.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Week 8.25.14
This week I read an article called Growing Leaders, from Tim Elmore's blog. It was about how an internship should not be seen as simply an "internship" by the student. It should be considered a 12-week interview, meaning everyday the intern should be just as attentive and productive as the first. It gave an example of a man who regretted ever allowing interns to work at his business for a summer. The article also give advice to interns, like me, about how my boss and I can both have a successful and beneficial experience, discussing teachability, initiative, responsibility, and energy.
After reading the article I've obviously learned that I need to treat my internship as, for me, a 9 month interview, never getting lazy. This is a huge oppurtunity that I've been given, and Lakewood honestly doesn't need me, so I have to continually work hard and learn as much as I can every day. While I said that the church doesn't necessarily need me, I could still make my bosses jobs easier everyday, and that is one of my goals for the year. I will focus on being teachable and responsible everyday, so that my boss looks forward to my arrival, rather than dreads it. I want to learn as much as I can this year while helping Lakewood, and the characteristics this article gave me are great ways to accomplish that.
Overall, this year I'm going to focus on being a hard worker and very teachable in order to learn more about what I love and make my bosses lives easier. My goal is to be a huge help to Lakewood Baptist Church while learning about how it runs and how the student ministry works. In order to do this I will use what I learned in this article like how my internship is a 9 month interview, not an "internship".
After reading the article I've obviously learned that I need to treat my internship as, for me, a 9 month interview, never getting lazy. This is a huge oppurtunity that I've been given, and Lakewood honestly doesn't need me, so I have to continually work hard and learn as much as I can every day. While I said that the church doesn't necessarily need me, I could still make my bosses jobs easier everyday, and that is one of my goals for the year. I will focus on being teachable and responsible everyday, so that my boss looks forward to my arrival, rather than dreads it. I want to learn as much as I can this year while helping Lakewood, and the characteristics this article gave me are great ways to accomplish that.
Overall, this year I'm going to focus on being a hard worker and very teachable in order to learn more about what I love and make my bosses lives easier. My goal is to be a huge help to Lakewood Baptist Church while learning about how it runs and how the student ministry works. In order to do this I will use what I learned in this article like how my internship is a 9 month interview, not an "internship".
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Week 8.18.14
*SLO HMP 2*
After reading the article, “Making the Most of Your Internship or Co-op,” I’ve learned a lot about what kind of attitude I should have as an intern, and how my actions reflect myself and the Honors Mentorship program. The article talks about how interns, who are usually the youngest at the business, are appreciated because of their youthful energy and interest. It also discusses some things interns should do, and others that they shouldn’t do. Things like immersing oneself in the history/current state of the business, always being positive, and working hard are some “dos” for interns. On the other hand, some “don’ts” are talking too much when one should be listening, associating oneself with the lazy workers, and showing up late for work.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Week 8.11.14
*SLO HMP 1*
This year I'm going to be interning with a church in the community, my mentor being the Girls Minister. After reading "Getting to Know Your Mentor" and listening to the "First Impressions" podcast, I've come up with a few things I'm going to work on when I start my mentorship this week and for the rest of the year. I'm going to make sure I always make steady eye contact when speaker with not just my mentor, but also other workers at the church. Something else I took away from the podcast was that you should talk 20% of the time and listen 80% of the time. I think this is a really good tip because it will show my mentor that I'm ready to learn and work.
This year I think I'll really learn how a church functions, and how specifically the student ministry in the church works. I look forward to working with my mentor in girls ministry and learning about all the responsibilities that come along with being a girls minister. I plan to really be open to new experiences and lessons that my mentor may have to teach me. Working with my mentor will help me determine for sure whether I would like to go into some type of ministry as a career.
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