Teaming with the Tigers

Community Engagement - Engagement Event

On October 17, 2016 from 4:30-5:30 p.m, I was given the opportunity to visit Creech Road Elementary to work with a program called Teaming with the Tigers. The program consisted of about ten 4th and 5th grade students who joined us after school to learn about being a good citizen!

While our lesson for the day was about good citizenship, the program meets every other week to talk about different topics. The four of us in the picture above, met about two weeks ago to make a lesson plan for our visit to the school. For our lesson, we started off by asking the students to define what it means to be a good citizen. Although most of the students already had a general idea of what it meant, we decided to give them the formal definition of a good citizen. Next, we went through a role-play activity where the students were given a "good citizen" card and a "bad citizen" card, both with scenarios on them that they would act out. Each group acted out their scenario and everyone else had to determine if it was an example of good or bad citizenship. Lastly, we split the students up into three different groups to represent three locations: school, home, and the park. Each group drew examples of being a good citizen for the area they were assigned and then presented them to the class.

I really enjoyed this experience because not only did I get to work with students, but I also got the opportunity to make a lesson plan around a topic that was assigned to me. Since I haven't had much experience inside of a classroom yet, it was a little difficult to come up with activities that I knew students would enjoy. Although I struggled at first, the lesson turned out great and the kids had fun! Knowing that I am getting involved in classrooms early on and learning how to make lesson plans will both benefit me as I continue my career to become an elementary educator. I am looking forward to having more opportunities in which I can do hands-on learning in elementary classrooms!

Pencils of Promise Presentation

Global Knowledge - Engagement Event

On September 22, 2016 from 7:15-8:15 p.m. in Talley Mountains Ballroom, Michael Dougherty, the CEO of the Pencils of Promise (PoP) presented about why he first got involved and why others should get involved with the organization. To the right is a photo of Michael Dougherty and the members of PoP at NC State. The main purpose of PoP is to build schools around the world in order to provide an education for children who may have been deprived of one previously. Since the organization was created, more than 300 schools have been built. The organization was launched at NC State in the fall of 2015 and has already raised $5,360 in the last year. Michael Dougherty said,"We believe every child should have access to quality education. We create schools, programs, and global communities around the common goal of education for all." By achieving these goals in developing countries, students can extend their years of learning which also increases their economic mobility. Dougherty told us the story of how a teacher he had said to them everyday, "go forth and spread beauty and light." He said that he took those words to heart and used them as motivation to make a difference, which he does now through PoP. This presentation changed my point of view and really brought to my attention how much others may be struggling. I believe that all children should have a right to education and should be given the opportunity to succeed. As a future educator, this event proved to me how important teachers and the right learning environment are to students. I feel very passionate about what PoP does and I am planning on joining the organization to help make a difference!

To learn more about Pencils of Promise or make a donation visit: https://pencilsofpromise.org/

Orientation Leader - New Student Programs

Professional Development - Signature Event

This past summer I was lucky enough to work alongside the best people as an Orientation Leader (OL) for New Student Programs at NC State. This signature event began in January of 2016 and was over on August 12, 2016. After being offered the position of an OL, we were enrolled in a class during the spring semester that would prepare us for our job over the summer. Above is a photo of me as a representative of the College of Education. Fun fact: each of the colleges was represented by at least one OL!

The main role of an OL is to assist new students and their families with their transition into the Wolfpack family. Our days began very early, with a 7 a.m. staff meeting in which we would receive our schedule for the day. Most days, we would receive a list of students that would be in our group for the duration of their orientation session. The photo on the left is a combination of mine and another OL's groups getting ready to go eat lunch together. Throughout the day we attended sessions with our students and facilitated activities to create dialogue about difficult topics. After all of the informational presentations were over, students got to learn a little more about the expectations and culture of the campus through a reader's theater and skits put on by the OLs. The day was concluded with an event called Packs and Rec where students were able to play games and hang out with their peers, and a final staff meeting at 10 p.m. to wrap up the day. 

I had the best summer ever working as an Orientation Leader! This experience made me a better leader and taught me many things. One of the main things I learned was how to speak in front of large groups. Before this experience, I often got very shaky when I would try to present information in front of people I didn't know. I also could not keep a conversation going with someone who I had nothing in common with. Both of these skills will be very useful to me as a teacher in the future. After this experience, I can definitely say that I grew as a person. Along with getting to meet many students in my groups, I was also able to form really strong friendships with 39 other Orientation Leaders who all came from different backgrounds and had many different things to contribute to the team. We spent every weekday working with each other, and went on some fun trips together on the weekends. Sometimes I really can't put into words how much this experience has changed me for the better, and its all thanks to these people! 

At the beginning of this experience, I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into. I was warned about the long hours and the never ending presentations, but this was all worth it in the end. Being an Orientation Leader is definitely an experience I will never forget. Since being an OL, I have had the confidence to reach out to other organizations on campus. I joined Kappa Delta, a sorority here at NC State, in which I have met many fantastic people. I encourage everyone to go a little bit outside of their comfort zone because great things can happen. For me, it all started with a red polo!

To learn more about the position of an Orientation Leader, visit: https://newstudents.dasa.ncsu.edu/studentleadership/ol/ 

Sisterhood Dinner

Cross Cultural Skills - Engagement Event

On Monday, February 29, 2016, from 6pm -8:30pm I attended the 35th annual Sisterhood Dinner. This event was put on by the Council on the Status of Women at NC State and was held in Talley ballroom. I was offered to join the table of students (and administrator) representing Exploratory Studies. It was nice to talk to all of these students who have different majors, especially to see their differing perspectives on the topics presented at the event. The evening began with a silent auction and refreshments, followed by a delicious dinner, and concluded with a panel of four women speaking about how they have been empowered throughout their lives. The slogan for the event was LEAP which stood for Lead, Empower, Act, and Prevail. Each panelist spoke about each of the four categories and how they made an impact in their lives. I was able to get involved in the event by talking to my peers about how women can be successful in each of these categories. This event really motivated me to be better. Listening to other women speak about their experiences and how they have been successful made me want to better myself and get involved with more things on and off campus. It gave me the motivation to want to be an inspiration for other women just like these panelists were for me. Hopefully I can empower more women to "LEAP" in their everyday lives!