Making Connections

“Old Dominion University’s LeADERS program connects students to courses and real-world experiences in the areas of: Leadership, Academic Internship, Diversity, Entrepreneurship, Research, or Service Learning. This LeADERS ePortfolio shares how my experiences in the areas of Leadership, Diversity, and Academic Internship have supported my personal and professional development.”

REFLECTING BACK

I joined the LeADERS program because I want to be a Leader like the name of the program and learn how to get to that position. As a healthcare worker, it is important that I know how to work with others and learn how to lead others. This was not easy. I had to start from the bottom of the pyramid. I am usually a shy person, so these tasks were new to me. During the workshops, I had to learn how to communicate with others and get out of my shell. But this has helped me in the current job that I have, therefore, I am happy that I came out of my shell. I was able to come out of my shell because of the great team members I had and the leaders that were leading the workshops. All the LeADERS experiences are like domino effects. They all come together like Leadership helps work in Diverse areas that helps when interning. I do see myself using these skills in the future.

LOOKING FORWARD

After graduation, I plan to keep working at Virginia Pediatric Eye Center where I am finishing up my internship. I also plan to study for the GRE to apply for PA school (Physician Assistant). My experiences in LeADERS have helped me acquire different skills. Examples include working in a team structure, communicate verbally, and obtain and process information. Working in the healthcare field requires different tasks, a key is working in a team structure. If the organization does not work together, care will not transfer over easily from department to department or hospital to hospital.