ACADEMIC FIELD

Before the LeADERS Program, I knew I wasn’t going to be a part of any groups because of my GPA and what I chose for my life. I worked throughout my college years and had a baby, so I didn’t have the time.  I thought I was just going to graduate with nothing special under my belt. I was shocked to see that the LeADERS program was something I could participate in. LeADERS allowed me to think deeper about the courses I was taking. I took specific classes in order to satisfy the criteria. I wish I had the opportunity to do something in Research and Service Learning, so I could experience what those classes had to offer me. The classes I took allowed me to grow in the different aspect of the program. Industrial-Organization Psychology taught me leadership in the workplace. It teaches me what it takes to be a well-rounded manager in my future practice. My academic internship taught me the hands-on skills in Human Services field. It taught me the skills of an Intake Specialist and even a Case Manager. It even opened an opportunity for me to work for ForKids Inc. My Diversity course opened up my eyes to see how each aspect can affect an individual. Learning about the aspects in depth allows me to be a better Human Services Practitioner because I understand how things can influence an individual and family. Lastly, my Entrepreneurship course allows me to understand how to grant write and do fundraisers for my future non-profit organizations.

APPLICATION OF SKILLS

The skills that I cultivated and applied during my LeADERS experiences is determination. I was determined to make sure I succeeded in the program. I had to put my dream of Nursing on hold because I was not determined or focused as I should have been. I told myself the next thing I get into I was going to be determined to succeed. I needed to prove to myself that I can do it even when I thought I can’t. It wasn’t easy. I still failed a couple classes, but once I had my daughter, she was even more of a motivation to do my best. Some frustrations I had was trying to get all the classes in all the categories. I resolved that issue by understanding that I may not have all the areas but to succeed in the ones I do have. In the future, I will not stress about certain situations. I will just make sure that I feel that I did everything I could to my highest potential. My next step would be to get experience in the Human Services for a year in order to fully know what I want to do. After a year, I will be applying to Norfolk State University to master’s in social work. I will use all the skills that I have learned over the last 5 years to be the best Human Services Practitioner.