HIgh Impact Experiences
Fall Semester First Year High impact Experience
I think that my First Year Seminar has been a very helpful high impact experience in itself. I have pushed myself to not only branch out of what I am comfortable with in the way that I write, but also with how I engage in the classroom. I have learned to be more comfortable with things like engaging in class, give and receive feedback from others, as well as not being afraid to give my thoughts on a topic, even if they are wrong.
During high school, it was easy to just sit back and not be a part of the class. In our first year seminar, it is helpful that we do a lot of group work as well as peer reviewing each other’s work in small numbers. I think that at first sharing your personal writing can be intimidating, so starting off in front of 3 three or four people rather than a whole class is a nice way to ease into things. I am not totally comfortable with sharing to the whole class as far as my writing goes at the moment, but I believe that the way in which we are taught to share what we ar3e thinking and writing will help me get there much sooner rather than later.
Overall, I think the tools that we use to develop ourselves as not only students, but people will help in the professional world. The class has taught me that what you have to say may not always be the clear answer that someone is looking for, but it can lead the topic/ discussion in a direction that is beneficial to the class. That being said, this experience has taught me to step out of my comfort zone when it comes to giving my opinion as well as giving and receiving feedback from my peers.
Spring Semester FIrst Year High Impact Experience
One thing that I hope to do by the end of this year is become more involved in Community Life. I think that this would be beneficial for me, since I am never really involved in the community between going to school, working, babysitting and studying. I have noticed that it has become harder for me to say yes to doing things as the school year continues. One thing that I think would be particularly beneficial is volunteering at the Freedom House in Green Bay. After we had left the freedom house, I felt like I wanted to do more for the families that were there. Our class was only there for a short amount of time and yet they were all still so thankful. So, If I were to put a few hours of my week into helping them, I think that it could really make a difference in many lives.
In order to volunteer, I would need to email the adviser that takes care of both group and individual volunteering. I emailed them about any requirements there would be for me to apply. While I did have not receive an email back about the requirements needed to volunteer at the freedom house, their website does state a few of the volunteer options. You can volunteer to be anything from a cook, all the way to the receptionist at the front desk. The ones that stood out to be would have to be become a teen mentor for the kids that are currently living there. I love to help those who are struggling but I would also enjoy being a friend to someone that feels alone in the situation they are in. I Have thought a lot about going into the feel of education while also having a strong interest in social work. I think that this would help me get a better understanding of what it is life to work will all different ages of kids from different backgrounds. I also think that overall, it will help me grow as a person when I think of how I want to make an impact on the community and those around me.
Fall Semester Second Year High Impact Experience
One thing that I did in the fall of this semester that really got me thinking about what career path I want to go down, is volunteering for Phuture Phoenix. I plan to volunteer to do this again in the spring semester because of what I learned about myself in the process. Not only did I find that my love for working with kids stretches beyond just babysitting, but I got to experience what it was like to be responsible for a large number of kids. Seeing how excited they were about being there and how much they valued me for being there with them really sparked my interest in working with kids full time.
Because this was only a two day event, I didn’t get to experience these things for very long, but they have lead me to other opportunities that yield the same results. The only requirements that you have to follow in order to be a mentor during Phuture Phoenix is that you have to go to both days, as well as going to the training session that is put on before hand. This event as a whole helped me get to know myself better, even just doing it once. I think that doing it s a second time will only grow my knowledge and love for working with kids. I never realized how much I enjoyed this while also being very good with working with kids, no matter how roudy they were. Overall, I think that doing this will definitely help give me experience for teaching if I do decide to take that on as a career.
Spring Semester Second Year High Impact Experience
During the Spring semester of my sophomore year, I really hope to get the opportunity to study abroad. Studying abroad has been something that I have wanted to do since I was a sophomore in high school. I hope to study in Europe, on an education internship that is put on by UWGB. This experience out of the HIE I would love to do, has the most requirements. These requirements range anywhere from having a valid passport, coming down to specific things like having your major or minor being education. You also have to be at least a Sophomore to even apply for the international education internship I found, but anyone can apply to study abroad without an internship.
Personally, I think that going while I am a sophomore will be beneficial for me, as it will allow me to get more experiences that will impact what it is that I want to do in life. It will also allow me to travel to places I have never been and meet new people. I will develop a better understand for different people and their culture. If I still decide to go into Education, I think having the opportunity to work with people in an environment that is so out of my comfort zone will only push me to do better. I have never been put into a “hands on” situation where I have to take in so many differences and apply what I have learned (both about myself and others, to the situation. All in all I think that Studying abroad will allow me to experience the world, giving me a greater appreciation for those around me.
Additional High Impact Experience
The last high impact experience I think that would help me a lot is joining a sorority on campus. I would hope to do this sooner, rather than later, around the fall semester of my sophomore year. One Sorority that I was looking at in particular, was Zeta Omega Tau. They focus on both academic achievement and helping out around the community. They do require each girl to do 20 hours of community service each month. With my want to expand on what I am doing for the community, I think that this would be a good push for me to get out and do something! I find it challenging to push myself to do things alone, so having people around me striving to do the same things will be very beneficial. As far as long term, I think that joining a sorority will help build my character and also allow me to understand how well I work and communicate with others around me.