My freshman year has been accomplished far from the familiar support structures and cues of both home and high school. As a result, I have developed a greater sense of myself and my abilities, both academic and social. However, with all due introspection and now retrospection, I feel a change is necessary because the academic and cultural atmosphere at Central Washington University is too thin for me.
Sociologist Lev Vygotsky believed that peers play a major role in an individual’s development and learning. The students and friends with whom I grew up were extraordinarily bright, competitive, and creative. In high school, discussions and opinions on almost any subject were spontaneous and interesting. At Central Washington University, the …show more content…
This past summer, I worked as a Resident Engagement AmeriCorps VISTA for Neighborworks Blackstone River Valley. This work has become a vibrant, central part of my life. Americorps solidified what I believe I want to do in my professional career, as I have gained invaluable professional experience in the nonprofit sector. But more than anything, I learned that there are engaged people that care about making a difference in the world, and that I want to be one of those people for the rest of my life. My AmeriCorps experience opened up new passions for me, and my service led to becoming a Refugee Mentor for Dorcas International, which fully solidified my passion for expanding my impact in my community. I started mentoring a 20 year old woman who recently was granted refugee status in the United States from Syria. Our time spent together has helped her adjust to life in the city of Providence. We’ve done everything from getting her a library card to getting her comfortable with riding the public transportation system. My time spent at Neighborworks Blackstone River Valley has also gifted me the opportunity to work part time as a teaching assistant for the elementary after school program at one of their mixed income sites. Specifically, I plan the cultural arts curriculum and my students are currently working on a unit entitled “what are human rights?” My students have
Sociologist Lev Vygotsky believed that peers play a major role in an individual’s development and learning. The students and friends with whom I grew up were extraordinarily bright, competitive, and creative. In high school, discussions and opinions on almost any subject were spontaneous and interesting. At Central Washington University, the …show more content…
This past summer, I worked as a Resident Engagement AmeriCorps VISTA for Neighborworks Blackstone River Valley. This work has become a vibrant, central part of my life. Americorps solidified what I believe I want to do in my professional career, as I have gained invaluable professional experience in the nonprofit sector. But more than anything, I learned that there are engaged people that care about making a difference in the world, and that I want to be one of those people for the rest of my life. My AmeriCorps experience opened up new passions for me, and my service led to becoming a Refugee Mentor for Dorcas International, which fully solidified my passion for expanding my impact in my community. I started mentoring a 20 year old woman who recently was granted refugee status in the United States from Syria. Our time spent together has helped her adjust to life in the city of Providence. We’ve done everything from getting her a library card to getting her comfortable with riding the public transportation system. My time spent at Neighborworks Blackstone River Valley has also gifted me the opportunity to work part time as a teaching assistant for the elementary after school program at one of their mixed income sites. Specifically, I plan the cultural arts curriculum and my students are currently working on a unit entitled “what are human rights?” My students have