First Experience:
Costa Rica Study Abroad
This Spring I had the opportunity to travel the world and go to Costa Rica. I will be teaching elementary students English as a second language. It is going to be such a wonderful experience. I can not wait to practice my Spanish and get immersed in the Costa Rican Culture- (01/20/2020)
Our mission is to to travel to Costa Rica to teach at the local schools. We will be creating lesson plans to help the students learn english. My group's lesson plan is about the musical history of the United States. We will be teaching 4th- 6th graders. We will also get the children involved by playing musical chairs and having them create their own instruments. We believed that through music the children will have fun while learning English.
Our mission is to to travel to Costa Rica to teach at the local schools. We will be creating lesson plans to help the students learn english. My group's lesson plan is about the musical history of the United States. We will be teaching 4th- 6th graders. We will also get the children involved by playing musical chairs and having them create their own instruments. We believed that through music the children will have fun while learning English.
COVID-19 Outbreak
Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, my study abroad to Costa Rica was cancelled. I still attended the class to learn more about the Costa Rican culture. Our final project was about the common animals found in Costa Rica. The most intriguing thing that I learned in my study abroad class was that there are passionate environmentalists trying to preserve the natural beauty of Costa Rica. Most of the fruits in the United States comes from the farms in Costa Rica. Due to the great demand of fruit in the United States. The landfills in Costa Rica are being destroyed. I did not realize that the fruit that I consume can potentially be destroying the lands in Costa Rica. It showed me that every country in the world is connected through trade and consumerism.
Second Experience
Internship Pd and Reflection
I participated in an Internship Pd and reflection seminar. I learned a lot about how to more professional. I have learned the inner workings of a professional environment. I had the opportunity to display what i have learn through the seminar at my time working at the Learning Commons at a Front desk Assistant. I had to manage emails and calls. I had to schedule and cancel appoints. While maintaining the the calm environment of the tutoring center. I opened the Learning Commons some days. I got at the office at 7:30am I would unlock the doors of the various classrooms and the Learning Commons tutoring center. I would print off the appointments coming in that day and check the emails. I learned how to be professional in my writing and in my tone. The seminar taught me how to engage with my coworkers and supervisors in an appropriate manner. I learned about inclusiveness and creating safe spaces for everyone. I loved how this seminar taught us to be compatible and respectful in the work environment. However if an n did acquire , how do we manage that situation respectful and resolve the situation as quickly as possible.
Third Experience: McNair Prep Program
McNair Prep Program is a program that helps students prepare for graduate school and gain research opportunities One of our assignments was to create a CV to apply for research opportunities. Through this program I have complete a years worth of research with my faculty mentor Danielle Bessett. She is a professor and a research faculty member in the sociology department.
Fourth Experience: INTERNSHIP PD AND REFLECTION-My Journey as an New Resident Advisor
I I am a Resident Advisor for Stratford Heights Building 12 also known as the IMPACT house. The IMPACT house have Gen-1 students and IMPACT students. My experience as a Resident Advisor as been amazing so far. It was a different experience because of COVID-19. My job as a resident advisor was to manage and be mandate reporter for the students staying in Stratford Heights. I made a lot of different people due to my experience as an RA. I learned a lot through this experience. I learned that communication is the key to everything because I was constantly communicating with my resident.s I also learned that time management can save you a lot of time. I learned to set multiple alarms because sometimes students will be locked out of there room at 4 AM and it is your job to let them back in. I felt like becoming a resident advisor made me a better leader and a better communicator.
I made a couple mistakes starting out. I was unsure about my schedule and I overslept on some occasions. Nothing was intentional but I really learned that I had to take accountability for my actions. I had to really become a better communicator and take my job more seriously. I realized I needed to plan out my days better so I had enough time to complete my studies and also be there for my residents. Towards the end of the semester I was one of the top RAs which I was really proud of .
I made a couple mistakes starting out. I was unsure about my schedule and I overslept on some occasions. Nothing was intentional but I really learned that I had to take accountability for my actions. I had to really become a better communicator and take my job more seriously. I realized I needed to plan out my days better so I had enough time to complete my studies and also be there for my residents. Towards the end of the semester I was one of the top RAs which I was really proud of .
Fifth Experience :Kuamka Extravaganza
Kuamka is a Swahili term that means "in the beginning" and celebrates with a week full of exciting events highlighting Black excellence, sponsored by the African American Cultural & Resource Center.
For the co-ed leadership competition our candidates will select platforms ranging from the importance of mentorship, increasing dialogue for racial and cultural reconciliation, creating awareness & prevention strategies to combat
bullying, to name a few. Candidates will also participate in an essay, interview, question and answer and talent competitions.
My Experience
When I initially applied to be a part of Kuamka, I was very intrigued because I did not attend Kuamka my freshmen year and the next year was virtual due to Covid-19. I was very excited to participate in a week filled with excellence. I was able to create a platform to help my peers (Protect Your Pockets: Promoting Financial Literacy), I showed off my dance skills and did a Q&A panel, an interview, and an essay. All these different rounds were fulfilling because I was able to showcase my passions and thoughts about current events. The week was exciting, but the behind-the-scenes work was a lot, considering we practiced 3 months before the actual competition week. It was hard work, but it all paid off because I ended up winning Miss Kuamka 2022. It was a feeling of disbelief and gratitude. I felt so good about myself. I gained more confidence in my abilities to answer questions, use my voice and display my talents. My favorite part of the entire Kuamka week was the Talent show. A lot of people do not know that I love to dance. I listen to music and dance every day, and I have been doing it every day since I was a little girl. I can feel the rhythm in my bones, the music in my soul. I get lost in the pianos and drums and my hips take over. I decided to breakdance for my talent. I danced to all my favorite songs from childhood. I decided to dance to all my childhood jams because I wanted to have fun. I knew if I played all my 2000s songs, I was going to get lost in the music. My goal for the talent show was to entertain my audience. I wanted them to have a great time. I thought to myself, they traveled all this way to see me, I must give them a great show. I got off the stage, I threw my glasses off the stage, and I did the worm and a backflip. I wanted to show up and show out. Once I was done with my performance, I was so tired, and I was proud of myself as well. I was proud because I was able to face my fear and dance in front of people and I was proud because I didn’t have any set choreography. I realized during the process that choreo is difficult! I don’t do choreo, I just dance and whatever comes out comes out. My goal was to have fun. I knew that I couldn’t afford to stress myself out. Plus, I didn’t want any negative energy affecting me. I dealt with multiple deaths during Kuamka and Kuamka became a distraction for my grief. I reminded myself that I am only in my third year of college once in my life and I am going to maximize my life and all my opportunities. Kuamka was life-changing, it was fun, it was challenging and it help me grow as a person.
6th Experience: NURU Spring Break Tour
I had the privileged of going on the Nuru spring break tour through the African American Cultural Resource. I received a free spot on the trip which made it even better because I was Miss Kuamka. The theme of this trip was Nuru. Nuru means Light and the constant reminder on the trip was that we had to bring lights into the world. I started to reflect on how I brought light into the world. With being an RA, Gen-1 ALPHA Ambassador, a Bearcat Buddies Tutor, and now Miss Kuamka, my number one goal is to bring light and love into every situation. I love to have a good time and create positive vibes for others to thrive in. On the trip, we visited a lot of places. We went to Alabama, New Orleans, Orlando, and Atlanta which all have significant African American history. I was able to see various historic sites. The most touching part about the trip was when we visited the 16th Street Baptist where the 4 little black girls died because of a bomb. It reminded me of how much society has come and how far we still must go. The trip made me grateful for all my ancestors because they were fighting for themselves but more importantly, they were fighting for the youth. A lot of the fruits and labors that our ancestors worked for, they never got to experience but their grandchildren did. They lit the candle and passed it to the younger generation and we have the responsibility to keep the light lit and light other candles as well.
I had the privileged of going on the Nuru spring break tour through the African American Cultural Resource. I received a free spot on the trip which made it even better because I was Miss Kuamka. The theme of this trip was Nuru. Nuru means Light and the constant reminder on the trip was that we had to bring lights into the world. I started to reflect on how I brought light into the world. With being an RA, Gen-1 ALPHA Ambassador, a Bearcat Buddies Tutor, and now Miss Kuamka, my number one goal is to bring light and love into every situation. I love to have a good time and create positive vibes for others to thrive in. On the trip, we visited a lot of places. We went to Alabama, New Orleans, Orlando, and Atlanta which all have significant African American history. I was able to see various historic sites. The most touching part about the trip was when we visited the 16th Street Baptist where the 4 little black girls died because of a bomb. It reminded me of how much society has come and how far we still must go. The trip made me grateful for all my ancestors because they were fighting for themselves but more importantly, they were fighting for the youth. A lot of the fruits and labors that our ancestors worked for, they never got to experience but their grandchildren did. They lit the candle and passed it to the younger generation and we have the responsibility to keep the light lit and light other candles as well.