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 Diversity, Entrepreneurship, and Research have supported my personal and professional development.”

Reflecting Back

• I joined leaders to become well-rounded in the success of my academic studies. Leaders empowered me to succeed in my coursework and gave me confidence in my studies and at my internship site.
• The challenges that I encountered throughout my LeADERS courses and related experiences was overworking myself. I am a mother of 3 kids. Sometimes, I can get overwhelmed, especially when I try to perfect my work. I overcame these challenges by focusing on self-care, so that I can succeed in this program. 
• The successes that I had during my LeADERS courses and related experiences was gaining confidence in entrepreneurship, being culturally competent with diversity, and attending to real life issues at my internship site. My internship contributed to my success to carry out what I have learned during the LeADERS program. 
• I see all of my specific LeADERS experiences connecting to one another by having real life experiences. I was able to experience diversity in the workplace and learn how important it is. I was able to research information needed for my internship to help improve the agency. 

The seven pillars of information literacy was something that I learned that relates to my studies. The seven pillars are identity, scope, plan, gather, evaluate, manage, and present. This is helpful when it comes to entrepreneurship and even research. 

Looking Forward

• After graduation, my professional goals are to become a human services professional that works with children. For example, a program director or a child advocate.  
• Experiences within LeADERS have prepared me to achieve my goals after graduation by allowing me to have confidence in my studies. I am able to effectively use my critical thinking skills and make decisions and solve problems. 

Work in a team structure	Plan, organize, and prioritize work
Make decisions and solve problems	Obtain and process information
Communicate verbally	Demonstrate computer software proficiency
Analyze quantitative data	Create and/or edit reports
Demonstrate technical knowledge	Influence or sell to others