Reflection Paper

I decided to interview my mom, Maria, who is 51 and lives in Chelan, Washington. I selected my mom because she has lived in two different countries and was able to reflect on similarities and differences that she noticed. My mom grew up in Mexico, as a child she lived in a city, when she got into her teens her family moved to a small town in the southern part of Mexico and as an adult she moved to the US. I began the interview by asking my mom what sustainability was to her. She responded by saying sustainability is the ability to provide her family with the basics needed for their well-being while not being wasteful. According to Kuhlman and Farrington, “sustainability is concerned with the well-being of future generations and in particular with irreplaceable natural resources” (Kuhlman and Farrington, 2). It was interesting to compare both definitions as they both focused on the well-being of the future, and although my mom did not mention natural resources she did emphasize not being wasteful.

I have great interaction with individuals from all levels of society, education and backgrounds. In the past, I have demonstrated that I can deal with highly sensitive issues (hostile and angry individuals). For example, my co-workers regularly request my assistance dealing with the public, and I help them prevent the situation from escalating to a public relations issue. Recently a claimant came to the office extremely upset. She wanted to file an Appeal because she disagreed on how the Processing Center (PC) calculated her back payment and issued the SSA-1099 with the incorrect information. After reviewing the actions taken by PC and her records, I determined that the letter sent by PC did not contain all the necessary information; it did not include the Worker’s Compensation and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) offset. I explained to her how the offset was applied and sent a request to PC for a detailed letter with the offset information. She understood and was relieved that I clarified how her benefits were calculated and decided not to appeal the decision. I also have the tact and sensitivity to deal with individuals from different social backgrounds and education levels. I am also fluent in Spanish and English, which gives me the opportunity to deal effectively with a wide variety of individuals, organizations and groups from different cultural backgrounds and nationalities. I was referred a claim that was previously denied because the claimant didn’t

I believe in a metaphorical home. Though I may be young and have so much ahead of me and I can’t be coddled for the rest of my life, I truly believe in letting myself fall back into that someone that is there for me. Whether it be a significant other, family or a friend, It’s always comforting to have that special someone. Someone that’s there when I need them most, that is willing to show me some tough love, and even just to have them in the back of my mind. Having that one thing to pick me back up when I fall apart is like a safety net when I just need to fall back.

Over the summer I started to take as many shifts as I could at work. I've been working as a bagger on the base commissary since last October. Although we work only for tips, we can easily make good tax-free money. After I got my license I started driving myself to work and back home.

In today’s society, the main idea that is presented by many people is that there is nothing that can be labeled as an absolute truth. This means that everything that we believe today is based solely on one’s opinion of a certain matter. This philosophy was first brought to my attention during my junior year of high school. I was taking an AP language class, and my professor insisted on starting these arguments about absolute truths and opinions. As one of the only Christians in the class, these topics angered me. The professor was practically attacking the very beliefs that I stand firm on, and I was not okay with it. There would be times where I would raise my hand and present my argument against his belief, but that would always end in a class argument debating one side or the other. Once the class was over, I always found myself revisiting my Word. I could always find my comfort in the Word of God. As Christians, we have to understand the importance of the Canon, or truths given to us by God.

“The greatness of a man’s power is the measure of his surrender.” (Booth, William) This was said by William Booth a famous British preacher. The problem with people in today’s society is our innate desire to control everything. “Playing God," as it is sometimes referred, suggest that an individual must control all aspects of their life and sometimes others; possibly stemming from frustration or insecurity, this poor practice only hurts the individual. I had to learn this lesson the hard way my junior year in high school after joining the varsity football team. I attended Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Raiders, their mascot, are known nationwide as a high school football juggernaut. Aware of this fact when I came in as a freshman, I saw this reputation as an opportunity to be in front of numerous college scouts. Despite that, I would not have foreseen the challenges to my character and personal strength I would soon be facing.

I remember when I was six years old, playing soccer for the first time that I could ever remember. The sport was a fun, stress-free experience. Team member’s parents would cheer on their children even if the child could only kick the ball a yard in front of them, chanting “Go Tigers, go Tigers.” Children in the 6 and 7-year-old age group would run around playing this game called soccer in their bright neon orange jerseys. We didn't know what we were doing but we were having so much fun - things like logic and grown-up reasoning didn’t matter to us.

It’s an ambiguous concept. It’s got a scale range from getting a new bed to losing a loved one. Sometimes it’s asked for and other times, it’s not. Sometimes you’re a little girl waiting to get a haircut only for the final result to be disastrous and other times you’re walking out of the salon feeling like royalty. Sometimes you’re simply changing the color of your walls and other times you’re moving to a new house. Sometimes you’re meeting new people and other times you’re losing your best friends.

I chose assessment #10: Authenticity Scale (Biswas-Diener, 2010, p. 122) for my assessment. Between this current quarter and the last, I pushed myself beyond limits on another section of the Appalachian Trail. On the morning of day number 3 out of 6, I snapped a selfie of myself as I crested a ridge line on a bald (treeless ridge line with unlimited views). The photo was unique and looked manipulated with a filter due to the glare from the sunrise burning through thin patches of fog spilling over the ridge as if the mountain was an airfoil. That photo is now my Facebook profile picture and titled, “Nothing artificial.” I have always pushed myself to be true and authentic in all I do. That does not mean being perfect, it means being honest with myself.

There are over 4,200 religions throughout the entire world but I grew up in a Christian home believing that God is the way, the truth, and the life. Christianity is a religion of grace and mercy, but many people struggle to believe in a transcendent figure that they cannot see. I was taught that all concepts in the Bible were valid through the Nazarene church; these beliefs are confirmed, in my opinion by the plenary theory of inspiration. This is what I grew up believing about the Bible.

My parents both grew up in small villages in India and worked hard to earn a living for their family once they immigrated to Canada. My younger brother and I always saw the struggles that they had to go through and we both respected the work and sacrifices that they made for us. My father for the longest time worked as a head chef in a Greek restaurant. He would always tell us stories about how he was the only South Asian chef in the kitchen and had to quickly learn how to make Greek dishes and new recipes all alone. As a new immigrant to Canada and as someone who was in a new cultural environment, he had to overcome many barriers and challenges. Aside from recipes, my father had to learn a new language and Greek customs and traditions which were very important in the small family owned restaurant. He was able to adapt and turn his difficult experience into a positive one through persistence and determination. He is now able to speak Greek fluently and make amazing Greek dishes!

According to Hammond, Rosso, Austin, Orcutt and Martin (N.D.),New ideas about learning and teaching have always permeated education. During my time in school, I have read numerous books and articals on learning theories but Berkely’s article lends another layer of knowledge about learning. As I read Berkeley (n.d.), I knew but did not know, if that makes sense, about the myiads of reforms to improve on the way teachers teach and students learn. However, what sticks out the most is students learning success is based on how teachers align the process with learning so they are compatible. I may be wrong, but I do not feel 21st century methods of teaching embraces this. I do not believe that the process mentioned in Berkeley of teaching and learning is remotely placed as a standard of learning. I believe many of the methods today have made learning difficult and unnatural. Today’s teachers no longer are allowed to organize their teaching environment as they see fit, but must follow printed out rules of how to do this. They do not have the leeway of yester year to communicate their knowledge and information thorugh creative activities they have planned based on their class makeup. According to Hammond, Rosso, Austin, Orcutt, & Martin (N.D.) Learning with understanding is more likely to occur when students are helped to see how concepts are related. Teachers can skillfully choose examples, analogies, and diagrams to make material meaningful to students and to address common

During my eight grade in highschool, I was the archetype of a school nerd. My only focus was to study and exceed my teachers’ expectations at the expense of any other extracurricular activities. As many common top students, I thought I had to conform to the school rules; that is, excellence can only be achieved through maintaining good grades. I believed I did not have the power to challenge this common conception. Power can be observed in a large scale such as a whole nation, but it can also be seen in a more narrow scale as within each individual. I did not realize how much power I had until I challenged my own beliefs and went out of my comfort zone by joining my school soccer team.

The best of people waits in the shadows, until it is time to come out into the light. I was always the shy kid in the back of class. I barely spoke to anyone that would approach, and I was so afraid of others judgment because of the kind of person I am. I may not be the smartest guy in the world, but I do know quite a bit. After years of hiding in the darkness, afraid of the torment that others may bring, I finally came into the spotlight. I had found my new home and sanctuary, I had embraced my love for musical theatre.

So, I live in a small town in northern Michigan so there’s not much to it. Not many people and it’s a culture where everybody knows everybody. Grew up my whole life in this town, don’t know if I’ll ever leave. Here’s my background story of my life and my self-concept. Self-concept can hold you back and set limits, or it can be a driving force behind you. (The interpersonal communication book page 54.)