Hallmark Portfolio

Hallmark One:

This pamphlet is significant to me because it was the first time I went to a Catholic mass, let alone any religious gathering. I did not grow up attending church or being religious, so I never really understood when people talked about their spiritual journey. It was an eye opening experience to see such a large group of people devoted to their religion.

I think attending this mass was a great way for me to deepen my relationship with myself, the group of people I went with, and with God. I had to think about how I could have had a different perspective if I grew up with a religious aspect. I also got to experience something new and unique to me with people who were religious and passionate about the Virgin Mary which deepened our friendship.

Hallmark Two:

This image of my roommate Tatiana and I is significant because it represents the friendship we have formed throughout the school year. We grew up in the same area and attended the same High School so we had very similar backgrounds, making it easier for us to relate to one another.

This picture is related to hallmark two because we developed a strong friendship and learned to respect our differences. Neither of us had to share a room prior to moving to college so we had to respect each others needs and wants for a living space. We soon formed an environment where we supported one another and encouraged the development of our studies as well as our individual identity.

Hallmark Three:

This flyer was given to those who attended a presentation regarding Human Trafficking. This artifact is significant because it represents all of the information gained that night. We were given the basic information to be able to determine if someone is being enslaved to another human being. We were also given the resources needed in order to help that person in need, such as the human trafficking hotline. I had never attended a presentation regarding social justice prior to this one. It was interesting to see how different age groups reacted to heavy information.

As stated in hallmark three, we were being educated on behalf of justice and we were willing to take socially responsible actions against injustice. As the advocator mentioned, we cannot physically go out to help victims of human trafficking but we could help by spreading awareness. We did so by learning about the problem and encouraging other students to attend human trafficking awareness events on campus.

Hallmark Four:

This is an image of Tatiana getting off a sailboat. It is significant because it represents our time in Treasure Island. During our time in Treasure Island we helped enrich children’s experience in an interactive classroom learning about buoyancy. They were also given the opportunity to go on a sailboat which is something these kids had not been able to do prior to this trip.

This Call To Action Day experience fits well with hallmark four because we integrated community based learnings into the children's academic curriculum and our own personal co-curricular activities. The children got to experience a new learning environment by being hands on with their studies and they were surrounded by different people in the community. They had teachers in the classroom, sailors taking them onto the water, and college students helping them out.

Hallmark Five:

This picture shows when the freshman class went to the Giants game. It is significant because I bonded with a large and diverse group of people that day. Some of them had never been to the city before and for me it was no big deal. It was interesting how normal it seemed to me and how much of a great experience it was for others.

This ties in with the fourth hallmark because I spent the day with people of different ethnicity, race, socio-economic circumstances, gender, and sexual orientation. We spent quite a bit of time talking to each other which expanded my understanding about the diversity, not only in our area but from a range of places. Essentially, we were able to respect and learn from one another.

Hallmark Six:

This image represents the scavenger hunt I participated in during Golden Fleece Week.We were forced to work with a large group to answer questions and to complete the competitive activities. We relied on one another to get the task completed accurately and in a timely fashion with the incentive of ending up in first place.

This exemplifies how we had to implement community-building activities. We created a stronger sense of community when we all got together to have some competitive fun with people we were going to be going to school with and living with. In order to accomplish what we were assigned, we had to form an atmosphere of open and direct communication.

Hallmark Seven:

This image of the two speakers represents the poem readings hosted in the NDNU Gallery. These events were significant because I had never had an experience like such before this time. It was a great experience to see and hear authors interact and explain their pieces. When they first read the section of their books, I thought the piece had a certain meaning. However, once they explained what they wanted to get across to their readers, I saw their work to mean something completely different.  

The poetry readings were co-curricular interactions that facilitated student-centered learning and teaching environments. We were able to learn about the book writing process, which was more understandable coming from professional authors. The poem readings were also a great ways to implement excellent education experiences into our daily routines. We do not get the opportunity to ask authors about their books very often.

In the movie Inside Out we see how Joy follows the “fake it until you make it” strategy. She does her best to convince the other emotions that they should not take action in situations where they normally would. Joy tries to see the positive in every situation though it may not be necessarily a good thing. She does her best to prevent Sadness from touching memories or participating in Riley’s emotions. Eventually, when Joy is feeling upset herself, she sees the memory of Riley’s family approaching her and her teammates cheering her on when she missed the winning shot for her team. At first she was proud that it was a happy day for Riley but soon she realized that the only reason her friends and family approached her and made her feel content was because she was initially sad. Once Joy realizes this she gets herself and Sadness up to headquarters and allows Sadness to touch her core memories. She makes Sadness acknowledge that she is just as valuable as Joy in Riley’s life. From then on each memory became a mixture of emotion, which is more realistic than a purely happy emotion. Much like Viktor Frankl, Joy realized there is meaning in suffering. Though she wants nothing but happiness in Riley’s life she becomes aware that at times it is necessary for her to reach a low point so she can surpass it and something good can come from it.

Freshman Research Conference

The Freshman Research Conference was a great way for us to get an overview of what different classes in our pod have been learning. One class was concerned with cooperative learning, and the other discussed different examples of altruism. I think the information was presented in an overall productive way. All three groups were able to present their information in an efficient way, though I believe it would have been better if the altruism group had a power point like the other two groups. That way it would have seemed more uniformed, and I'm not sure if the people towards the back of the cafeteria could really see all of the information on their poster boards. Since the presentations were relatively brief it was helpful to hear and see all three groups in the front together answering various questions, and expanding on a few topics. Essentially, my role as an audience member was to be respectful towards the presenters, and take notes regarding their main ideas.

Though I use to go very often, I do not particularly enjoy bowling. I use to go every other day for Physical Education in my High School since we had a bowling alley at walking distance. After my two years of P.E. my friends would invite me to go bowling every so often and most the times I would tag along. I started to realize bowling was not my cup of tea during high school. People around me would get absorbed into their scores and become very competitive. I on the other hand, did not care much for my performance and would become increasingly bored as the game continued. Over time I have greatly reduced my visits to a bowling alley, and have been satisfied with my decision.

Sailing Center

Though our class was not able to be too involved in the learning of the children, I believe they had a life changing experience. Before attending the Sailing Center, most kids thought that a learning environment had to be in a classroom setting where they are expected to be seated. The environment they were in accommodated kinesthetic and visual learners since they were physically doing an activity and observing the results. This may have been the point in which a child decided what kind of learner they are. Whether they learned better when the teacher was talking, when they were building boats or when they were observing what floated and what did not. At the end of the day the kids were able to learn about buoyancy, and have some fun doing so. They were also able to get to know themselves a little better in regards to what learning style works best for them.  

September 1st:

• Made a new friend

September 2nd:

• Was able to attend my uncle’s funeral

September 3rd:

• Took my dog on a walk

September 4th:

• Went to a bon fire

September 5th:

• Went to Half-Moon Bay

September 6th:

• Had Tpumps for the first time

September 7th:

• Uncle came to visit me

September 8th:

• Got ice cream

September 9th:

• Had dinner with my parents

September 10th:

• Attended my little cousin’s quinceañera

September 11th:

• Got my bellybutton pierced

September 12th:

• Friend bought me tacos

September 13th:

• Went to Ihop at 3am

September 14th:

• Went to sleep early

September 15th:

• Male friends made us girls dinner and then we played card games

September 16th:

• Went bowling then had a movie night with friends

September 17th:

• Went to the Hookah Bar

September 18th:

• Went to dinner with roommate and parents

September 19th:

• Started Work

September 20th:

• Got a full tank of gas

September 21st:

• Got Boba and did laundry

September 22nd:

• Bought pants

September 23rd:

• Friend let us do his make up for a party

September 24th:

• Had a nice breakfast with friends

September 25th:

• Friend brought me ice cream after my first eight hour shift

September 26th:

• Watched the soccer game

September 27th:

• Manager bought us pizza

September 28th:

• Studied on the lawn with friends

September 29th:

• Had a nice dinner with friends, played what are the odds

September 30th:

• Went out to coffee with friends

Strangely enough the best day of September was the day of my uncle’s funeral. Though the thought of no longer having him around was saddening it was the first time in years that all of our family came together. Unfortunately, I was only able to make the reception but I truly enjoyed being surrounded by loved ones which I had not seen in awhile. We were all able to bond with one another, as well as celebrate my uncle’s life. On my way to the event I thought it was going to be a difficult and full of sorrow. To my dismay, It was actually an enjoyable event that created a bond amongst all of us.

Saturday morning I subconsciously began my day implementing my strength, gratitude. The night before I had mentioned to my roommate that I started work at ten the next morning, fortunately she wakes up earlier than I do because I had slept through my alarm. I woke up to her asking me if I was still going to work. Confused by the question, I opened my eyes and looked at my phone, it was nine thirty. I instantly got out of bed, got ready and left to work, but not before thanking her for making sure I got up. Once I clocked in I remembered I began to think of the long day ahead of me. That was when I remembered I was to try and remain grateful throughout the day. Naming some things I was grateful for worked for a while, since I was entertained with different tasks I was assigned. About five hours into my shift, things began to go slower since not as many customers came in. That was when I became increasingly bored and slightly tired since I was just walking around the store not doing anything. I soon realized being thankful was not really doing the job anymore. That was when I decided to try to implement a different strength, teamwork. I approached a co-worker and asked if he needed help with labeling and putting up the sales prices. He gladly accepted my offer and I was put to work; that was when I implemented both my strengths. I was thankful I was given a task rather than standing around and my co-worker and I worked together to finish the labeling.

The Dreaded Eight Hours

Normally when asked what my weekend plans were I would reply with “hanging out with friends”. Unfortunately, this weekend will be the first weekend I will have to reply with ‘work”. Having recently started a job, I am now forced to give up my weekends to work as a sales associate. Knowing weekends are not particularly busy for Walgreens I will most likely be standing in front of the cash register for eight hours hoping people come buy items. Rather than counting down the minutes until my next break, I will do my best to remain grateful that I was even given this opportunity to work. I did not think I was qualified for this job, having no prior work experience, but the manager was comprehensive and hired me anyways. The entire team has been very helpful and understanding, and for that I should implement my strength of being thankful. Being aware of the positives will make my very first eight hour shift bearable. After working my shift I also hope to be more grateful for all the money my parents spend on me. Knowing how brutal and long those hours can be, I will be able to appreciate my materialistic objects a lot more.

Blog Completed