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.  I completed an academic internship with the Henrico Police Department, I completed a diversity course entitled Communication Across Cultures, and I completed a Service Learning Course entitled Communication in Close Relationships. This LeADERS ePortfolio shares how my experiences in the areas of my Academic Internship, Diversity, and Service Learning have supported my personal and professional development.

Reflecting Back

My LeADERS experience was a bit different than others who have come into the program. I didn’t officially join the program until my last semester at ODU. I was informed by the program coordinators that some of my courses would allow me to obtain this academic achievement. This is a true testament to the quality of my coursework through the ODU English Department. In fact, I had a few courses that overlapped in categories and I had the chance to choose which courses I wanted to qualify for my designations. Through this Eportfolio, I have the chance to show off these courses and the connections through my coursework. 

In terms of the challenges and successes of the program, I was really fortunate to have such a smooth experience in completing the necessary requirements. Although the program was a smooth process, my actual course work for the program was incredibly challenging and truly pushed me as a person and as an academic. 

Between my three experiences, Internship with Henrico PD, Communications in Close Relationships, and Communication Across Cultures, I found a very important theme between the three: people. My internship was through the Police Public Information Office and our main job was to inform the public about safety concerns as well as boost community connection between the public and the Police department. Both my courses, centered around communication, focused on the macro and the micro level of communication with people. From close relationships in your personal life to your general community, all the way to cultures around the world, communication with people is the basis of solid relationships. You can not escape people in your life, and knowing how to effectively communicate on a romantic, personal, and business level is incredibly important. 

 

Each portion of the program is described in detail in its respective section of the EPortfolio. Please take the time to visit each tab for relevant documents, images, and course materials that highlight the course of the program.

Looking Forward

Now that I have completed my Undergraduate Degree, my options for the future have incredible potential. Due to COVID-19, the professional prospects have been rather sparse. Many companies and employers are deferring new hires until business returns to some semblance of normalcy. Fortunately, my experience at The Goddard School of Virginia Beach, I have been offered a position at The Goddard School of Henrico for a start date in June. I am extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to further my experience through this school. 

My LeADERS coursework has formed me into a determined, independent, and hardworking member of society with strong verbal communication skills. Working in a preschool comes with a need to be able to handle situations between 3-year-olds just as effectively as you can handle situations between parents. I work in a school with 25 other teachers as well as a few administrative members. Our school functions much more effectively when all of us are able to work cohesively as a team. Through my LeADERS coursework, I have learned the importance of working in a team structure. Everyone brings something different to the table, and there is such value in a diverse and vocal group where everyone is supportive and receptive to new ideas. 

Through my Academic Internship, I built skills in analyzing data as well as drafting, editing, and publishing reports and various documents. Examples of these can be viewed on my Academic Internship tab. Additionally, LeADERS forced me to adapt to managing my time efficiently. Between challenging course work, multiple jobs, and an academic internship, I am now able to plan, organize, and prioritize my work in a way that allows me to devote the time needed to complete each task.