Freshman YearDuring our freshman year, our class completed a series of lessons as an introduction to our professional development. We covered several topics, including professional attire, etiquette, and networking. We then divided into three different service projects. I joined the group that planned and organized a hot chocolate and coffee station for the construction workers on campus. Unfortunately, the project was unable to be completed, but our group still had the opportunity to practice our skills through the planning process. Finally, a small group of us went to Jamestown to tour the North Dakota State Hospital and The Anne Carlsen Center.
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Sophomore YearIn the fall of sophomore year, I joined the Project Armchair service group. Project Armchair is an organization created by Vonda Dahl that has volunteer educators read stories and give books to children in the pediatric unit at Sanford Hospital. After completing a successful book drive at Barnes & Noble, we were able to gift Project Armchair with over 300 new books and about $200 to purchase more books in the future.
In the spring, I led a group that helped the Bismarck Optimist Club's backpack project. These backpacks are filled once a month for children of families in transition in local shelters. By reaching out to several businesses, we were able to purchase $450 worth of supplies as well as donate an additional $100. We then filled the backpacks for that month. The chair of the backpack project, Sylvia Burgess, later notified me that our supplies helped fill backpacks for the next six months. |
Junior YearJunior year was easily my biggest year of professional growth, and I owe a lot of that to the ELA program. We completed five lessons to help identify the type of leaders we are and created personal mission statements to reflect our most important values. I also joined the sophomore connection group. This year we attempted to make positive changes in the way we reached out to the sophomores. We played games to get to know them in the first semester and helped them with their service projects at various times the rest of the year. The best experience by far this year was the time spent with my two mentors, Mrs. Beth Martin and Mrs. Kim Marman. All of the activities I completed with them are detailed on my mentorships page, but I am forever grateful for the opportunities they provided and guided me through.
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