Volunteer Work

Volunteer work is something that I am very passionate about and will continue to do volunteer work for as long as I can. As a sophomore in college here at Southern New Hampshire University, I decided to transfer out of SNHU to Clemson University in South Carolina to better my education. While I was only down in South Carolina for a semester before I realized that the university was to big for me and SNHU was where I belong, I did volunteer work for the South Carolina Department of Mental Health and the Patrick B. Harris Psychiatric Hospital. I worked with mentally ill people of all ages from January 2013 to April 2013.  At this psychiatric hospital, I was able to work with people from all different backgrounds and mental illnesses and was able to learn and realize how to adapt to people who are mentally ill. I worked in the department with 30-50 year old patients where we played games, activities, crafts, as well as planning holiday parties for these patients. This was an amazing experience that I will never forget. It was very hard at some moments and emotionally draining but it was all worth it in the end. I learned so much from my short period of time volunteering at the hospital that I will remember for a lifetime. Everyone should be able to realize that even the smallest things can make a difference in someones life! 

Do we utilize all the recourses here on campus?

When I first started at Southern New Hampshire University, I felt that I was a little nervous to use the resources because it was very different from high school. Everything in college is done on your own time and it was a very different structure for me. All of my professors made it clear to all of the students that we all should be open to the resources on campus and should not hesitate about it. Once I realized that I shouldn’t be afraid or hesitant to use the resources and that it is important for me succeed academically, I was excited to use them and get the help I needed throughout college.

As a college student, students are much more independent when it comes to there work and feel they can try doing it all on there own. Many students entering college or transfer students feel embarrassed to use the resources and don’t want to be looked at differently. But in my opinion, I feel that every student should utilize all of the recourses on campus. The main resources that I have utilized throughout my time here at Southern New Hampshire University are the Career Development Center and the Learning Center. With that being said, as students we all should utilize all of these recourses here on campus to help us succeed to the best of our ability.

Poverty & Education

There are many families all over the world that is living in poverty and this is something that can be very harmful to a student and their education. As college students, we often overlook other families and students who are struggling to get by day to day but sometimes, it is important to take a step back and remember that there are people who are struggling, and try to think about what you can ultimately do to help, even if it is a small act of kindness.

Over this winter break, I am going to volunteer for 2 weeks in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic to help work in a classroom and teach children English. These young students are living in poverty and do not have the same educational experience as we do here in the United States. I think a lot about these students as we are taking a course on learning with technology, when there are some students out there that are not even able to afford a notebook, never mind learning how to use technology. I hope that someday we can shatter the cycle of poverty so that all children and students can be able to get the same learning experience as everyone else.

My Experience with Technology

My experience with technology when I was growing up is much different than it is today. When I was in elementary school, I do not remember using computers until I was in about 4^th grade. There were a few computers in the library when I was in 4^th grade and once I reached middle school the next year, there was a lot more technology.

When I entered middle school in 5^th grade, there was much more computers in the library and we took library classes and were taught how to use them as well as learning how to type. I remember when I was in 7^th grade and our class was introduced to the schools first Smart Board and we all thought it was the coolest thing ever. Throughout middle school we continued to learn how to use technology.

After middle school, I started attending a small private school as a freshman in high school. At this private school, they knew a lot more about technology than I did from the school I was coming from. Everything was done on laptops including all of our class work and it was sort of like a mini version of Blackboard. I became very informed on how to use technology in the classroom and my teachers were really aware of how to use this technology as well.

When dealing with technology, I want to be able to teach people how to do certain things appropriately and the difference I will make is to know exactly what I am doing if I am teaching people what to do.

What Brings Me to SNHU

There are many different reasons for what brought me to Southern New Hampshire University. But the main reason I decided to come to SNHU is because I felt like this is a place where I could call home. As a senior in college now, I realized that this university has become my second home and I could not be happier to attend such an amazing school. My journey into EDU 235 is a bit confusing. Coming into college, I was an elementary education major for the first year until I decided to change into communications. I still believe that someday I would love to become an elementary education teacher but for now I am interested in teaching higher education. I am declaring a minor in education this year and that is what brought me here to EDU 235.