Assignment #5 Takeaway!

Throughout my life, I have always aimed to help others and spread positivity. There is too much negativity in this world and I do my best to make people smile. I just want everyone to have a better day than they thought they were going to have, and I think we underestimate how small of an action can affect us. This assignment gave me a better reason and a perfect opportunity to be nice to others, because it not only benefitted others, it benefitted me as well! This assignment helped me learn that giving to others is my true source of happiness. It also made an emphasis on the empathic joy hypothesis, where others are more likely to help or be kind to others when someone is nice to them. It’s like a cycle! I saw that effect with the people I did kind gestures for, but also myself. When someone was kind to me, it pushed me to be kinder to other people, and a lot of the time, I did not realize it. Overall, this assignment really provided me with some serotonin and some wrinkles when I get older. The only downside to happiness and laughter is the amount of wrinkles you earned from them — what a shame. 

This photo is of a cookie cake that I bought for my sister once she earned her full ride at the University of Virginia!

Assignment #3 Takeaway!

This assignment was extremely disheartening. Ultimately, what I have learned from this assignment is that there are many opinions in this world. I’ve learned this throughout multiple college lessons and life lessons as well, but opinions concerning racism always leave me speechless. I have learned to understand that most people believe that racism is a horrible thing rooted within this country, but people have different standards for what is considered racism and what is considered a joke. Like I’ve stated so many times, my step mother is black. After I completed last week’s assignment, I called her to ask for her opinion on the matter, which I ultimately agreed with her. If you are not racist or have no deep-rooted prejudice, those slurs and ideals that Michael Richards was yelling would not be available to use. I put myself in Michael Richards shoes and imagined myself in multiple situations where I became enraged with a black person, and I could never imagine stooping that low. And that is because those thoughts are not of availability to me, and my step mother agreed with that. On the other hand, my coworkers believed differently. I asked them as well and they believed that you could because “kids say that they hate their parents all the time.” I did my best to reiterate that the intention of why he said what he said was pointless, because at the end of the day, racial slurs were thrown at a black man, and his feelings are prioritized higher than a white man’s intentions. Furthermore, a black man’s feelings after being verbally abused are prioritized higher and more valid than a white man who was in blind rage. Overall, this assignment was hard to watch, but it gave me further insight to the extent of other people’s opinions. 

The photo shows a couple of my coworkers that I asked, and the diversity among them. One of the girls, who is black, agreed that you can say racist things without being racist. I love my girls, it goes to show how diverse opinions can be, especially among minority communities!

Assignment #2 Takeaway!

The second assignment involved reflection and introspection through the form of assigning photos to represent who we are. This assignment helped me identify my core values, my key people, what I enjoy, and who I want to be. I included photos of my family, my weight loss, my mental health battle, my boyfriend, and so forth. These aspects of my life are the reason why I keep on going; I have things and people in my corner that support me no matter what I do. Overall, this assignment helped me learn about how important introspection is. Like I learned in one of the most recent weeks in this class, introspection is valued when it comes to discovering who we are and why we are who we are. Having to set aside time to find a small number of photos to represent who you are is difficult, but it helps identify the key components of your life. Introspection helps with communicating, interaction, mental health, and relationships! As someone who is not affection and is nervous about vulnerability, this assignment helped me open up with others. I tend to feel so awkward when it comes to conveying to others or to myself how proud or happy I feel, but this assignment helped me vocalize those things to some of the people mentioned in my assignment. 

This photo is the photo that I mentioned when talking about my sister. This photo is going to be a matching tattoo that I share with my sister one day. 

Assignment #1 Takeaway!

The first assignment involved understanding the differences in terminology between the juvenile justice system process and the adult criminal justice system process. This assignment showed me that the criminal justice system understands and recognizes the major differences between a juvenile and an adult committing a crime. This assignment also showed me that the criminal justice system is attempting to do their part in preventing criminal activity among juveniles by confronting the root issues, such as familial issues or mental illness, instead of treating them as a deviant within their community. The whole objective of this assignment relates to a juvenile justice class that I took last year! It was an eye-opening class that helped me realize that the criminal justice system needs to focus on rehabilitating the juveniles that are in and out of their system because it has a potential from avoiding future adult criminals.This assignment gave me hope; I know that sounds unoriginal, but it really did. I admire the juvenile justice system for understanding how much of an impact friends and family, mental health, and self-esteem has on a young individual and the choices that they make. Throughout my childhood, I had a mom who dealt with opioid addiction and suicidal tendencies, and a father who worked 80 hours a week. I also had battles with low self-esteem and establishing connections with people my age. Because of this, I engaged in activities with others just so I can feel validated and worthy of their time and attention! Thankfully, I learned my lesson by hearing a short but damning sentence: “I’m disappointed in you.” But looking back, if I got caught for the activities I was engaging in, I would have hoped to be given a second chance, especially because I got out of the situations I was in and changed for the better.

This photo encompasses who I have become and who has motivated me to love myself enough to abandon the bad habits I created and do what makes me happy! Second chances are real!