ABOUT ME
Internship
Philosophy
Goals
Community
Professional Internship
Eastern Illinois University
In February 2016, I completed an internship for my Women's Studies minor. The Women's Studies program produced a local performance of The Vagina Monologues, an international project to end violence against women. As one of the producers, my main task was to plan and organize the performance and fundraiser to raise money to donate to the local Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault agencies. With the support of the surrounding community our fundraiser raised $4,674.
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Philosophy
When working with students, I take a student-centered approach. I keep the needs of students as my first priority, as well as trying to achieve goals set by others, such as teachers, parents, and administrators. One important concept I have learned throughout my graduate career is to focus on the person in front of me. Whether I am talking with a teacher, parent, student, or administrator, I will focus on assisting them with what they need from me first.
I like to use the solution-focused brief counseling to assist me in achieving student academic achievement, time management, behavioral and interpersonal relationships, and career decision making.
Another main component to my philosophy is collaboration. A collaborative school community is vital for the success of students. A School Counselor plays a unique role within that larger collaborative community.
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Goals
Sign Language
I am an extremely goal oriented person and always am working towards something whether in my personal or professional life. I believe goals give us purpose and provide us with a feeling of accomplishment. One goal of mine would be to achieve either a certificate or degree in Sign Language.
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School Transitions Research
Through my own experiences and internships, I have been interested in transition periods that students go through, such as elementary to middle school, middle to high school, high school to college, and college to career. In the future, I would love to research student transitions either for professional knowledge or for a doctorate degree.
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Play Therapy
Another goal of mine would be to learn more about Play Therapy and possibly be registered. Through my internships, I have found play therapy to be useful and beneficial for students of all ages. Research has supported my interest thus far, but I would love to be able to fully implement play therapy into my practices.
Community Involvement
I love to volunteer and be apart of a larger community. Two of my favorite organizations are Relay for Life and Girls on the Run (GOTR). I have been a coach for a Relay for Life team and GOTR team. I began volunteering for both organizations during my undergraduate career at Eastern Illinois University. I enjoy these organizations best, because of the team atmosphere and the impact they have on the participants.
For Relay for Life, we were able to raise over $1000 and we were awarded Best Fundraiser Activity. For GOTR, the reward was watching young girls gain confidence and strength to believe in themselves.
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