Whitney Baker
Human Services Specialist
MY LATEST WORK
Survey Results
Surveys conducted about yourself can be a good way of educating yourself about yourself and other individuals. Different surveys can be used depending on the circumstances and the individual. The results should then be directed at an individual's treatment and/or success.
Interest Survey - http://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip
With the completion of this survey, I was able to see potential careers that match certain qualities I obtain. I learned I am social, enterprising, and conventional. Possible careers may be a Rehabilitation Counselor, Medical & Health Services Manager, or a Social Worker.
Strength Survey - http://www.viacharacter.org/Survey
This survey made me aware of my positive character strengths that make me who I am. I was able to see how my fairness, humor, and kindness pllay in to my career and my social life. My strengths develop my values and gives me the will to carry them out.
Values Survey - http://www.lifevaluesinventory.org/
This survey brought to my attention certain values I cherish and place importance on in my life. Achievment, my concern for others, my creativity, financial prosperity, and independace are all values I place emphasis on that I have learned throughout my life. My values contribute to my choices and how I act upon my behaviors and emotoions.
Capstone
Capstone Project
The ultimate goal of this project is successful mentoring on different social skills in order to have a positive interaction with peers and authority figures. Each social skill will have an individual lesson describing the skill, how to teach the skill, successful practice of the life skill, and any additional information you would need.
The term social skill refers to any skill facilitating interaction and communication with others. Social skills are the skills we use to communicate and interact with each other, both verbally and non-verbally, through gestures, body language and our personal appearance. In order to build gratifying and healthy human relationships, it is vital they be learned and practiced. The different social skills covered are:
- Good communication skills
- Ability to listen
- Having an open mind
- Being respectful
- Working on not being aggressive and not being passive either
Different skills will have different tools and learning resources available to aid in the teaching and learning of these skills. Learning aids may include different surveys addressing interests, skills, and values, interviews, games, etc.
CHECK OUT all my Capstone progress and discoveries by following my weekly blog! I will post articles of reference, different learning tools and aids, and personal testimony of all my discoveries and projects.
Interview
StoryCorps Interview
Interviews can be a great way of gaining knowledge by asking another individual to share their experience and strength through a series of quesions. I had the opportunity to interview my mother as I have always looked up to her in everything that I do. Below you will find a list of the questions I asked her followed by a summary of her response.
1. Who has been the most important or greatest influence on your life? Can you tell me about him or her? Patricia expressed that her past service chief, Sandy, was a great influence on her personal and professional life and career. She was a positive influence as a mentor and a great teacher. She was able to learn from her for 16 years and they built a relationship that was bonding and everlasting. To this day this still have communication and make yearly trips to visit each other. She became a life-long friend but she was first her mentor and life teacher. That type of bond and memory is ever-lasting in Pat’s heart and mind.
2. What’s the most important lesson you have learned in life? Never say never. Change is inevitable and it is going to happen. You have to learn to change and grow with it so you are not left behind. You have to find a reason to push forward and strive for the best. There is always someone rooting for you!
3. Who has been the most helpful in your life? Pat said her mom was the most helpful in her life. While she is gone now, she taught her how to be patient and kind. She showed her what it was like to be a good hearted person and always look for the best in others. She misses her mother everyday but knows the lessons she has taught her will last a lifetime. She hopes that her children remember her as kindly as she remembers her mother.
4. What is something you would have liked to of known sooner in your life or career? How much politics influence government agencies and working for them.
5. How has your life been compared to how you imagined it? This part of the interview was difficult for me because my mother brought up my father and the past. She said she never imagined getting a divorce and having her children upset about it. I respect my mother for her bravery and honesty during this because I knew it was hard for her.
6. Do you have any regrets? I am not learning now as much as I should be. She says she got her Masters and stopped continuing to learn. She says she has a passion for learning and wants to commit to working on getting more involved with books and reading.
7. How can you make a positive impact on individuals every day? Continue to be a good leader. My mother has worked at her job for a long period of time and to me that is very respectful and commendable. I have always looked up to my mother and her position at her work. I hope to one day be a great leader like she has been and to help change people lives like I know she has. I also hope to be at least half the mother she is to me to my son. She has been there for me from the beginning and I will always be thankful for how she has helped me with my son. I truly don’t know what I would have done without her.