In the spring of 2015, I had the opportunity to both begin as a ROAR Tour Guide and to partake in the Accelerated Leadership Development Program. ALDP is a program coordinated by ROAR that is, in effect, a class on leadership and higher education developed and run by members of ROAR.
On a regular basis, we met as a group to discuss articles we had read, interact with guests that ranged from professors to honors advisers, and reflect on our experiences in life and higher education. Coupled with my concurrent education reform class, my work experience in the President's Office, and my own academic UC journey, ALDP provided me the forum to truly reflect, on a regular basis, on my UC experience. It challenged me to ensure that everything I am doing aligns with my goals and, even further, just the ideas that I profess to hold. At times, ALDP was a real gut check. As I further explore leadership and higher education as passions of mine, I actively look for experiences that allow me to do so. Therefore, when I saw that the topic of this ALDP session was higher education, I made the time in my schedule to make room for it. I wanted the opportunity to learn from my peers' perspectives on higher education, and I couldn't be happier that I did. In closing, ALDP provided me the opportunity and implored me to consistently check that my actions, words and ideas all align with my aspirations and goals within higher education. It was also an amazing chance to garner the ideas of my peers, which was very beneficial because it isn't always easy to get a group of college students to share their honest opinions on higher education.
0 Comments
Reflection QuestionsWhat life lessons do you pay forward to those around you?
It's an interesting question to consider what you believe your own contribution to others' lives is. That being said, as I think about it, I feel that I can only claim to pay forward the lessons that people discuss when they describe me or talk about my work. And with that in mind, it seems that the life lesson that I regularly illustrate for others is that diligence pays dividends. Often, people will talk about the little amount that I sleep, or even before now, the ridiculous hours that I used to sleep. For some, that is a defining characteristic of me. However, those same people also generally attribute the successes I've experienced in my life and my abilities to my commitment and diligence to getting the job done. How is your ability to teach displayed in your tours? Tours are about telling stories and sharing lessons, among other things. You are a teacher on your tours. You are teaching your guests about college, about UC, about living and growing as a college student. For prospective students, it's uncharted territory. But for parents sending their first child to school, it's just as uncharted. Your teaching ability is tested as you manage the questions and concerns of your audience, connect with them, and give them a terrific UC experience. Based on the interaction with the honors advisers, how can you put your further plans for education into action? I believe that the greatest area that I must explore as I look to further my education is international travel. As I aspire to work in higher education, I believe that the opportunity to go abroad is one that I must consider deeply and decide if it is right for me. What would you say to someone who said getting a college education isn't worth it? I would say that is only the case if the only thing you hope to get out of college is a degree. Reflection QuestionsOf the University's goals that are set for your education, how can you now get more out of it?
I would contest that I have worked quite diligently to get the most education out of my experience at UC. By designing my own curriculum and area of study, I've provided myself (with UC's blessing) the opportunity to take exactly the classes that I want to take and learn exactly what I want to learn. What do you hope to do in the future to further educate yourself? I would like to learn about the world and the people that make it up through reading and travel. Are there issues on campus with these goals being delivered? Of course. Money is always a huge barrier that many students fight as they strive for an education. Bureaucratic procedures can also bog down those looking to achieve an education. And lastly, and most broadly, when two people's educational goals conflict with one another (read: evolution, etc.), people's educations butt heads and cause issues. How do you work as a student leader to bring these goals to other students? My passion is for enabling others to pursue their own passions, so in short, I do most of what I do in order to help others achieve their educational goals here at UC. How do you learn from others around you? Put simply? Listen. Always listen and take contributions from those you respect into strong consideration. And observe. Observe the world around me and reflect on how it applies to my own life and experiences. How do the leaders of UC inspire it? The leaders of UC inspire our institution through high levels of authenticity and genuineness. They are student-focused, and work tirelessly to improve the experience of all at UC. Reflection QuestionsWhat are the most important things you've learned in your life?
There's countless lessons that could be qualified among the most important of my life. Some deal with learning, others deal with people, and still others deal with money. That being said, I will say that I've learned each of those lessons outside the context of a formal education. What things did you learn in your life that led you to choose UC and your current major? The biggest informant lesson of why I am at UC and in the Interdisciplinary Studies program is that I've learned to seize opportunities that interest me and to pursue those passions and interests with the understanding that everything will work out in the end. Each of those lessons has provided me the opportunity to make choices to come to UC and study what I do because they have empowered me to do so as an individual. Do you think going to a private/public school made a difference? I completely agree that my K-12 education was very distinct because I went to public school, but I don't think that experience shaped either my choice to attend UC or to study emotional intelligence. Which was more important -- the content or the teachers? This is a loaded question, and it asks you to compare apples and oranges. I wouldn't be where I am today without either the content or the teachers. I wouldn't have the knowledge foundation without the content, and I wouldn't be the person I am without having learned from my teachers along the way. Reflection QuestionsWhat would you change about your UC experience?
If given the opportunity, there would be very little that I would wish to change about my UC experience. Namely, I would hope that I would have extended myself to fully appreciate and take on a breadth of experiential learning opportunities as early as possible in my collegiate career. Secondly, I would make sure that I was more consistent and vigilant in ensuring that the opportunities and responsibilities to which I commit my time are in line with my own goals, passions and vision. What experiences wouldn't you trade for anything? There are two types of experiences that I would not trade for anything in the world: any travel and any experiences with my three best friends. With travel, I would never trade my experiences because I firmly believe that travel of any nature provides a profoundly new experience each and every time in life. When I consider and reflect upon my lifetime, the clearest memories are ones spent outside the context of my day-to-day life. In turn, each of my most profound moments of growth and happiness are ones spent with my three closest friends. I can say without hesitation or fear of contradiction that these three men will be ones with whom I am lifelong friends, and for that reason I would never trade any of our experiences together. What is your favorite story to tell on a tour or an experience you share that always seems to get a great reaction from guests? An experience that always seems to get a great reaction from guests is actual a type of experience that I love to share: travel. Whether it is a basketball game in Memphis or a study abroad trip to London, time that I spend off of UC's campus is often the time and experiences that seem to excite guests the most. They love to hear about examples of me making the most out of my time in college by engaging in travel. Have you made any progress on your three goals during the #SnowWeek? I have been very purposeful in my performance of an act of kindness or gratitude every day since making my goal. I have committed strongly to expressing gratitude on a much more regular basis to those around me, and I feel that it has improved my own life as well as the culture of my environments. I have not yet set a healthy lifestyle goal, but I have cooked more this week and worked to eat more vegetables and balanced meals. Finally, I have set a specific time to sit down with a wonderful friend and work on my interdisciplinary studies proposal in the near future, which is one of the first steps in finalizing my academic path. Session 1| February 2ndIn our first ALDP session of the semester, we began by introducing ourselves. The group itself is split into two specific tracks, one for those who have completed the program before and the other for first-time ALDP participants. For the purpose of the program, returning participants will seek to implement a plan for positive change at UC and new participants will explore their own leadership styles and applications for them at UC. Following this, we watched Simon Sinek's TED Talk titled, "How great leaders inspire action," which is the 3rd most viewed TED talk on TED.com. I had seen the video before, and actually read Sinek's book on the same topic, "Start with Why." It has proven to be one of the more powerful ideas to which I've been exposed since coming to UC. ALDP Self-AssessmentWhy would your friends say they enjoy being around you? My friends enjoy being around me for several reasons, and those reasons often depend on the level of friendship that I have with the person. With my best friends, they would say that they enjoy being around me because I am (sometimes painfully) honest with them, hold them in high regard and to a high standard, and am always positive in sticky situations. For other friends, most would say they enjoy being around me because I am passionate, energetic and love being around people. Why do others wish you were a part of their team or organization? Others wish for me to be a part of their team because I do my best to create an environment that encourages idea sharing and that others want to be a part of. In most contexts, I am a capable person who is very detail-oriented, which helps me to do good work as a part of a team. How do you deal with mistakes when they provide opportunities to improve? At times, it is very difficult for me to accept my mistakes, but I very rarely have issues accepting responsibility for them. Most of my issues are with internally accepting the fact that I've made a mistake because I hold myself to a very high standard. However, I am very adept at learning from mistakes that I've made and using them as opportunities to improve. Are you someone others turn to for guidance/counsel/help? At times, my friends will ask for advice and guidance, but most of the topics include professional and student organizational involvement. It is much more rare for my friends to ask for relationship advice or things of that nature. How do you project yourself and your ideas with confidence? I make sure that I only speak on topics on which I have a significant body of knowledge. Also, I make sure that, even if I'm presenting an idea of mine, I am actively seeking feedback and asking questions in a way that allows me to remain confident. How do you leave a lasting positive impression when you depart a forum? Before leaving any meeting or forum, I usually make a round around the venue in order to say my goodbyes to those I've met and those I already knew. I believe it is a nice courtesy to say goodbye to someone, let them know you enjoyed the time you spent with them, and also clarify any plans for future interactions if appropriate. Also, it's a small point, but I always make sure to wish people to have a great rest of their day/night/weekend/etc. Are you comfortable around others you do not know? In most situations, I am comfortable around others that I do not know. However, for me to truly feel comfortable, I need to feel like I am on the same level or in a more powerful position than the people I don't know. If I'm in both a subordinate position as well as not around people I know, it does make me a bit uneasy. How do you rate your level of realization of what is going on in the world? I don't keep up with world news as much as I think I should, but I would also say I have a strong sense of taking in information about what is going on through a wide lens that allows me to examine those events with a high level of rationale. How knowledgable are you in a variety of key current events? Do you consider yourself 'well-read' or 'highly-informed'? Compared to some of my very politically and governmentally minded friends, I do not consider myself well-read or highly informed. I have a conversational knowledge of most world events, but do not delve much deeper on too many issues on a regular basis. Do you consider yourself a 'perceptive' person -- are you able to make accurate assessments of people and situations? I do consider myself a highly perceptive person. I am quite observant, and find the field of emotional intelligence extremely fascinating. I am usually accurate in assessing people, situations, and the interplay of those environments and emotion. How could you exhibit more positivity in your life? There are many ways by which I could exhibit more positivity in my life. Notably, some of these include decreasing the (playfully) negative comments my best friends and I exchange with one another, more actively searching for positive media to absorb, and posting more publicly the things that inspire and motivate me for others to see on a regular basis. What bad habits do you have that you may be trying to break? Recently, I have allowed myself to much more easily choose to put off work that I know I must do. I've allowed myself to more regularly choose to enjoy time with friends and do other similar things to a bit of an extreme because I used to be at the other extreme. It's less of a habit that I'm trying to break, and more of something that I need to find a middle ground on. What habits are you trying to begin? I would like to begin habits that are sustainable and will lead me to living a healthier lifestyle. If this means being physically active for 30 minutes a day or adding a piece of fruit to my diet every day, then I would be interested in doing so. Most importantly, I want to begin habits that are simple to adopt and easy to maintain. How do you hold unconditional positive regard for other people and guests? I only allow for my own interactions with a person to inform my perception of them. I will appropriately consider others' accounts, but not allow my judgments of a person to be made based upon them. How do you respect diversity? I believe that the best way that I respect diversity is by not assuming knowledge and experiences that I don't have with respect to diversity. The best that I know how to do is to respect others' diversity in every way I know how and to ask questions when I am unsure about a situation or certain information, as opposed to assuming answers that could result in me being disrespectful or offensive. What motivates you? I am motivated by the amazing things that I see happening in the world: the amazing people I meet, the amazing things they do, and the amazing ideas that they share. When I see other people doing these things, it motivates me to be proactive in my own life. I am motivated by a vision of the world where every person actively pursues their passions in their professional and/or personal lives. I want to do work that allows me to help others discover their passions in life, and the idea of doing that motivates me. Other than to earn money, why do people work? People work for a large breadth of reasons. Some of these include: personal achievement, recognition, fame, to satisfy a need for self-worth, to pass the time, to add meaning to their lives, to meet other people, etc. At the core, though, people work in order to fulfill their needs, whatever those may be. When are you at your very best? I am at my very best when I am entrenched in an environment with people as committed to personal growth and development as I am and we are united in that journey toward a common cause. What limits you, or prevents you, from being all you wish to be? My own insecurities keep me from being all I wish to be. Choices that I make without my long-term interests in mind can build my character to be something other than all I wish to be, because each and every thought I have and decision I make contributes to the construction of my character. In what areas of development do you focus most? I focus primarily on the area of emotional intelligence in my own development. I am constantly working to improve my ability to identify, understand, utilize and manage my own and others' emotions in positive ways that helps me become a better communicator, empathize with others, relieve stress and defuse conflict. Most recent books you have read? "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell "Beer and Circus" by Murray Sperber "The Element" by Sir Ken Robinson What do you always find yourself wishing you had more time to do? I wish that I made more time for myself to read and write. They are two things that I love to do, but are so easy to leave off of my daily list of tasks when so many other things come up and seem more important in the moment. What hobbies do you want to learn in the future? I would love to relearn how to play the piano, or learn another instrument. Music is always something that I enjoyed to do when I was younger, but that I never prioritized as I got older. In conclusion, what immediate goals should you develop for yourself this semester? 1. Perform an act of gratitude or kindness each day 2. Develop and stick to at least one 'healthy lifestyle' goal 3. Complete my proposal for the interdisciplinary studies program Questions for ReflectionWhat are the why's in your life?
I believe that everyone on this earth has a passion for something, whether they've found it or not. I believe that the most amazing things that people do now and have ever done in history are a product of a unique combination or passion and ability. I am empowered when I interact with people and their passions, and I think that finding a passion can be one of the greatest steps in living a fulfilling life. Why did you pursue higher education? I pursued higher education because it was the socially acceptable thing to do in the environment in which I grew up. I stuck with higher education because I quickly realized the breadth of experiences that are offered within an institution of higher education and am excited to explore as many of those experiences as I can while I am able to. Why did you choose UC? I chose UC for several superficial reasons. First, it was the clear financial choice for me. And secondly, the industrial design program is ranked 1st in the country. However, I was also very attracted to the community that I perceived UC to possess. I had the opportunity to meet several UC students while in my senior year of high school, who all expressed to me the community that UC touts. It really does provide big-time university resources and a small-college feel. Why did you join ROAR? I love UC more than just about anything else in this world, and it has given me more than I could ever imagine. As a ROAR guide, my goal isn't to give back to the university -- I do that in other organizations and in other capacities. As a ROAR guide, I want to share with high school students and their families the amazing things that I have experienced (personally and through others' stories) UC do for people, and let them know that it can do the same for them. |
Jeff BackThis blog will archive my time spent in the ROAR Accelerated Leadership Development Program (ALDP) and my time as a ROAR Tour Guide. Archives
June 2015
Categories |