showcasing me
Job Shadow Report
For my first job shadow, I went to the Caldwell Public Library and “shadowed” Gretchen Weber for the Caldwell Messenger. Ms. Weber showed me the software she used to make our town’s paper, how to use it, and explained what type of material goes in the paper. We talked a lot about my future and where I planned to attend college, and we both agreed that majoring in journalism would really help me if I wanted to go into this field, which I intend on doing. Before I spent the day at the library, I assumed I would just sit there and watch her type articles for the next week’s paper. After my job shadow, I realized that was not the case, because I learned many valuable tools that will help me with my future.
For my second job shadow experience, I watched Timory Hills work as an asset protection officer in JCPenney's at Towne East Mall in Wichita. While job shadowing, I learned how to work the security cameras, what to do if I see a potential shoplifter, and when to take action to prevent the shoplifter from leaving the store with merchandise. Timory informed me that you don’t technically need a degree for this profession, but having a criminal justice degree could really help in certain situations. Before attending this job shadow, I never would have thought I would do anything remotely close to security. But after participating, I realized I really enjoyed the job, and I could see myself working there while in college.
Career Report
Ever since I can remember, I’ve loved to write. I remember in third grade, I wrote a short story and read it in front of my whole class. After I was finished reading, my teacher pulled me aside and told me that I had something special. That same year, I received 100% on my reading state assessment, the first time that has ever happened in Caldwell history. Since then, I knew I wanted to write for a living and major in journalism. According to Career Cruising, one of my strengths is English and language arts, and writing is ranked high on my possible career choices.
After completing my research, I discovered that in order to major in journalism, I will have to take courses in editing, journalistic ethics, reporting, feature writing, photojournalism, and communications. Since I intend on writing during my free time, I plan on taking a creative writing class as well. Because I want to attend Wichita State, I looked and saw that it would cost me roughly around $4,000 annually to receive a bachelor’s degree. Since I receive financial assistance from the state, the cost of college is significantly decreased, which is a huge help for me.
Journalists in Kansas can start out making as little as $20,740 annually, but can make as much as $72,530. If I ever wanted to move out of state, I’d live in NYC. The cost of living in New York is much higher than here in Kansas, but journalists there still make a whopping $127,280 a year.
One in 3,000,000
At some point in everyone’s life, we face challenges. Some face more than others, and most challenges aren’t the same for everyone. Whether it was in sports, schoolwork, or friendships, high school has brought me many challenges that I had to decide how to handle. Being a foster child, I have faced more obstacles in my life than people, but I believe it has made me into a much stronger person. In my reflective essay, I am going to talk about one specific challenge I have been dealing with for as long as I can remember. Over 300 million people worldwide fight this battle as well, and not everyone wins.
When I was thirteen, I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Getting this diagnosis explained a lot, considering my mood was nowhere near the same as other kids my age. I never wanted to leave my bed, and my mind seemed to drift to the thought of not being alive anymore. I would have frequent panic attacks, which were very confusing because I did not know they even existed. I would be fine one minute, and the next my body would be telling me that something very wrong was going to happen and that I was going to die. It sure felt like it, too. I was thrown into overdrive, my heart would be racing so fast I could hear it, I couldn’t catch my breath, I would even pass out from the hyperventilation. Me finally being diagnosed was one of the best things that could’ve happened, because I was able to get myself the help I needed and get on the right medications. I thought once I started therapy and medication, my problems would start to diminish. I was very wrong for thinking that.
I started my junior year of high school already on my third type of medication. My other meds had some rough side effects, so I started taking one Prozac a day. At first, it seemed to be really helping. I was excited to go to school, I wanted to hang out with my friends more, and just had a more positive view of life. Things started to change when I noticed the bruises. At first, I thought nothing of it. It was basketball season, so I figured I had obtained some blows from the physicality of the sport. As time went on, I started to notice more and more bruises. Not a single limb on my body wasn’t covered with blue and purple spots. My mood then took a serious shift, and not in the right direction. I was scared to be alone, afraid of what I might do. Nobody knows just how terrifying it is to be afraid of your own thoughts. I never wanted to be home. I always asked my friends to hang out and go do something, just so I wouldn’t be lying in bed all day. It was Christmas break, and I was to my breaking point. I was at the point where I didn’t want to live anymore. I have felt that way before, but it has never been like this. I was actually considering taking my own life. The fact that I even thought about how I would do it terrified me. I knew that I had to do something. There was probably a much better way to go about this, but I wasn’t in my right state of mind, and to be honest, I was really freaking out. After having a breakdown, I picked up my house phone and called 911. I didn’t really know what to say at that point, and I could hardly get any words out, but I managed to tell them that I wanted to die. This of course sent a major red flag to the dispatcher, and they started sending sheriffs out to my house. After a city cop came to my house and talked to me, he called off the sheriffs and he drove me to an emergency room in Wichita, where I was then admitted into a behavioral health hospital.
My first night in the hospital was one of the worst nights of my life. I knew that I had scared everyone, and I felt guilty. I was guilty because I hated being a burden and having to halt my grandparents’ lives because I had to stay in a hospital. But after a few days, I started to realize that I truly needed this, and I shouldn’t feel guilty. I started making great progress in group therapy and other programs the hospital offered. It turns out, I had a adverse reaction to my medication, which caused the random bruising and extreme suicidal thoughts. After eight days of not being able to go outside, not being able to touch another person, and not sleeping in my own bed, I was discharged from the hospital. I was able to return home, and I was finally allowed to open my Christmas presents that I didn’t think I would even be alive to see.
My first few weeks at home were awkward, and that’s an understatement. I wasn’t allowed to be in any locked rooms by myself, I had to ask to use a razor when needed because they had to keep them locked away, and I was always being watched. I understood why those precautions were set in place, but after a while, I became very irritated. I felt like everyone was tiptoeing around me, treating me as if I was glass and if anyone got too close, I would shatter. I wanted so badly for things to go back to normal. Slowly but surely, they did, and things were better than before. I was happy again. I know that people have bad days, but now, my life no longer consisted of all bad days.
Since my stay in the hospital, I have realized many things. I have realized that if you truly feel like you just do not feel right, the best thing you could do for yourself is get help. It doesn’t matter how many people you think don’t care about what happens to you, there is somebody out there who does. No matter how low you might feel at one point in time, there is always another day. It’s never too late to start over and try to have a better life. I have made mistakes in my life, there is no doubt about that. But I know that I have changed immensely, and I’ve changed to better myself. I now believe that if I try my hardest, I can overcome any challenge thrown my way.
For my first job shadow, I went to the Caldwell Public Library and “shadowed” Gretchen Weber for the Caldwell Messenger. Ms. Weber showed me the software she used to make our town’s paper, how to use it, and explained what type of material goes in the paper. We talked a lot about my future and where I planned to attend college, and we both agreed that majoring in journalism would really help me if I wanted to go into this field, which I intend on doing. Before I spent the day at the library, I assumed I would just sit there and watch her type articles for the next week’s paper. After my job shadow, I realized that was not the case, because I learned many valuable tools that will help me with my future.
For my second job shadow experience, I watched Timory Hills work as an asset protection officer in JCPenney's at Towne East Mall in Wichita. While job shadowing, I learned how to work the security cameras, what to do if I see a potential shoplifter, and when to take action to prevent the shoplifter from leaving the store with merchandise. Timory informed me that you don’t technically need a degree for this profession, but having a criminal justice degree could really help in certain situations. Before attending this job shadow, I never would have thought I would do anything remotely close to security. But after participating, I realized I really enjoyed the job, and I could see myself working there while in college.
Career Report
Ever since I can remember, I’ve loved to write. I remember in third grade, I wrote a short story and read it in front of my whole class. After I was finished reading, my teacher pulled me aside and told me that I had something special. That same year, I received 100% on my reading state assessment, the first time that has ever happened in Caldwell history. Since then, I knew I wanted to write for a living and major in journalism. According to Career Cruising, one of my strengths is English and language arts, and writing is ranked high on my possible career choices.
After completing my research, I discovered that in order to major in journalism, I will have to take courses in editing, journalistic ethics, reporting, feature writing, photojournalism, and communications. Since I intend on writing during my free time, I plan on taking a creative writing class as well. Because I want to attend Wichita State, I looked and saw that it would cost me roughly around $4,000 annually to receive a bachelor’s degree. Since I receive financial assistance from the state, the cost of college is significantly decreased, which is a huge help for me.
Journalists in Kansas can start out making as little as $20,740 annually, but can make as much as $72,530. If I ever wanted to move out of state, I’d live in NYC. The cost of living in New York is much higher than here in Kansas, but journalists there still make a whopping $127,280 a year.
One in 3,000,000
At some point in everyone’s life, we face challenges. Some face more than others, and most challenges aren’t the same for everyone. Whether it was in sports, schoolwork, or friendships, high school has brought me many challenges that I had to decide how to handle. Being a foster child, I have faced more obstacles in my life than people, but I believe it has made me into a much stronger person. In my reflective essay, I am going to talk about one specific challenge I have been dealing with for as long as I can remember. Over 300 million people worldwide fight this battle as well, and not everyone wins.
When I was thirteen, I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Getting this diagnosis explained a lot, considering my mood was nowhere near the same as other kids my age. I never wanted to leave my bed, and my mind seemed to drift to the thought of not being alive anymore. I would have frequent panic attacks, which were very confusing because I did not know they even existed. I would be fine one minute, and the next my body would be telling me that something very wrong was going to happen and that I was going to die. It sure felt like it, too. I was thrown into overdrive, my heart would be racing so fast I could hear it, I couldn’t catch my breath, I would even pass out from the hyperventilation. Me finally being diagnosed was one of the best things that could’ve happened, because I was able to get myself the help I needed and get on the right medications. I thought once I started therapy and medication, my problems would start to diminish. I was very wrong for thinking that.
I started my junior year of high school already on my third type of medication. My other meds had some rough side effects, so I started taking one Prozac a day. At first, it seemed to be really helping. I was excited to go to school, I wanted to hang out with my friends more, and just had a more positive view of life. Things started to change when I noticed the bruises. At first, I thought nothing of it. It was basketball season, so I figured I had obtained some blows from the physicality of the sport. As time went on, I started to notice more and more bruises. Not a single limb on my body wasn’t covered with blue and purple spots. My mood then took a serious shift, and not in the right direction. I was scared to be alone, afraid of what I might do. Nobody knows just how terrifying it is to be afraid of your own thoughts. I never wanted to be home. I always asked my friends to hang out and go do something, just so I wouldn’t be lying in bed all day. It was Christmas break, and I was to my breaking point. I was at the point where I didn’t want to live anymore. I have felt that way before, but it has never been like this. I was actually considering taking my own life. The fact that I even thought about how I would do it terrified me. I knew that I had to do something. There was probably a much better way to go about this, but I wasn’t in my right state of mind, and to be honest, I was really freaking out. After having a breakdown, I picked up my house phone and called 911. I didn’t really know what to say at that point, and I could hardly get any words out, but I managed to tell them that I wanted to die. This of course sent a major red flag to the dispatcher, and they started sending sheriffs out to my house. After a city cop came to my house and talked to me, he called off the sheriffs and he drove me to an emergency room in Wichita, where I was then admitted into a behavioral health hospital.
My first night in the hospital was one of the worst nights of my life. I knew that I had scared everyone, and I felt guilty. I was guilty because I hated being a burden and having to halt my grandparents’ lives because I had to stay in a hospital. But after a few days, I started to realize that I truly needed this, and I shouldn’t feel guilty. I started making great progress in group therapy and other programs the hospital offered. It turns out, I had a adverse reaction to my medication, which caused the random bruising and extreme suicidal thoughts. After eight days of not being able to go outside, not being able to touch another person, and not sleeping in my own bed, I was discharged from the hospital. I was able to return home, and I was finally allowed to open my Christmas presents that I didn’t think I would even be alive to see.
My first few weeks at home were awkward, and that’s an understatement. I wasn’t allowed to be in any locked rooms by myself, I had to ask to use a razor when needed because they had to keep them locked away, and I was always being watched. I understood why those precautions were set in place, but after a while, I became very irritated. I felt like everyone was tiptoeing around me, treating me as if I was glass and if anyone got too close, I would shatter. I wanted so badly for things to go back to normal. Slowly but surely, they did, and things were better than before. I was happy again. I know that people have bad days, but now, my life no longer consisted of all bad days.
Since my stay in the hospital, I have realized many things. I have realized that if you truly feel like you just do not feel right, the best thing you could do for yourself is get help. It doesn’t matter how many people you think don’t care about what happens to you, there is somebody out there who does. No matter how low you might feel at one point in time, there is always another day. It’s never too late to start over and try to have a better life. I have made mistakes in my life, there is no doubt about that. But I know that I have changed immensely, and I’ve changed to better myself. I now believe that if I try my hardest, I can overcome any challenge thrown my way.