Dahlin 1

Ella Dahlin

Andrew Miller

EXPL 390

24 January 2017

Initial Reflection Assignment

After working at Madonna House for a few months, I remember feeling so comfortable at

my internship. On one hand, I was satisfied with this realization because it confirmed the

genuine relationships I have with my coworkers and clients while validating my efforts and time

at Madonna House. On the other hand, it illustrated my lack of action and creativity in my

position as well. I become stuck in a rut where I would show up and do the exact same thing as I

had done the day before. My routine varied slightly depending on the schedule, but I was not

pushing myself to learn from this opportunity. In this time of comfort, I realized I needed to

challenge myself more if I wanted to gain valuable experience while hopefully making a positive

impact on those around me. I jumpstarted my old mentorship program that I thought of earlier in

the year and created a game plan.

Right before I left for winter break, I talked with mothers, daughters, and coworkers to

gauge interest in the program and possible ideas to cater to their interests of the girls interested in

this female empowerment group. I came up with the name GROW, which stands for girls

realizing their worth because it represents the goals of the program. With the help of my artistic

sister, I created a logo for the program and the rest was history. During my time at home, I have

spent many hours brainstorming, outlining, and creating this program. Despite this preparation, I

can confidently state that there will be many challenges ahead.

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All of my past experiences at Madonna have prepared me for a transformative and

challenging spring semester. By working with women and children in a homeless shelter, I

expect to continue facing turbulent emotions. Some days I am overwhelmed with joy and

satisfaction at Madonna, but other days I am heartbroken by my clients suffering. I am happy

when I bond with Madonna residents, but it is bittersweet when they move out. With the creation

of GROW and increased time with families, I know I will be faced with more emotional

struggles.

In the spring semester, I am planning to work more hours at Madonna, so I reached out to

Miss Mary, who is the case worker who practically runs Madonna House, because I wanted to

tutor in her after school program. I am excited to meet the neighbors at Good Shepherd, spend

more time with the children I work with, and use my knowledge to work with students.

My last challenge of spring semester is determining the best way to engage the children. I

am unsure if I should create a kids night for all clients or create a program for younger kids. I

am torn between allowing kids have unstructured time for their own imagination and freedom

and providing them structured activities that stimulate intellectual thinking. I am going to talk

with my supervisor, peers, and the kids themselves to have a better understanding of their needs

and ideas.

There are many new aspects of my internship that I am looking forward to starting, but I

am going to continue working on the everyday things I did before as well. I can answer phones,

create flyers, organize the pantry, and cook with the mothers as I have in the past, but I am

excited to be uncertain and challenged.

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The Spring semester is bound to challenge me emotionally and intellectually. Topics in

GROW include identities and lived experiences, which will inevitably cause emotions. As I

spend more time with residents, I will need to create clear boundaries and expectations.

Intellectually, I am challenging myself to apply theories about organizing, leadership, and

empowerment to my clients. I am pushing myself to learn from the people I am working with

and integrating their opinions and experiences with theories. I am excited to learn more from

clients and my coworkers as I embark on my last semester of college.

At times, a good society seems unattainable, especially in our capitalistic society which

sacrifices human rights for money. In order to create a good society, we have to restructure our

current system. A good society starts with an education that helps us each of us fulfill the full

bloom of our uniqueness and challenges us to think critically (Loeb 259). This education should

be followed by opportunities that create fair wealth distribution, while ensuring all basic human

needs are being met. As Loeb mentions, this standard calls for a world where everyone has

access to food, housing, and medical care; where no one shoots, beats, tortures, or otherwise

degrades their fellow human beings (258). To create a good society, we must decide that all

humans are more important than profits.

In order to create this society, citizens have to be active and informed about the world

that surrounds them. There will have to be representation from all groups and collaboration

between opposing views. Differing opinions should be encouraged, but so should respect and

unity. At this time, when the nation is so polarized, I am frustrated by the lack of collaboration

and critical thinking. In a good society, citizens can disagree on issues, but create honest

dialogue that promotes unity.

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One of the most important aspects of creating a positive community is to develop an

identity for a group of people. If a community feels pride in itself, citizen will invest time,

energy, and money into their surroundings. By creating a more local society, people can see both

the positive and negative impacts they are making on those around them. Right now, in our

society, many rich people do not have to face the consequences of their actions. There is a

disconnect between huge companies that monopolize industries and the employees that keep the

machine running. A good society could implement rules such as the highest paid employee could

not be paid any more than 6x the lowest paid employee. Another initiative could be having lower

level employees attend board meetings and represent employees as well. A good society would

promote more democratic companies that are willing to give back to the communities they are

located in.

At this time, I do not know the demographics, challenges, or needs of my future

community, so I do not feel comfortable stating the roles I would play in it. I cannot envision my

role because I do not know my future neighbors. If I have learned anything through my

education and experience is that communities know themselves best. Therefore, I will listen to

the needs of my neighbors and carry out my values of peace, unity, fairness, and happiness in

whatever capacity I can. Honestly, I would be satisfied if a good society would emerge from the

one we live in today. There are glimpses of a society that loves and respects one another at times,

but we have a lot of work to do in the United States if we want to become a good society in my

book.
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Works Cited

Loeb, Paul Rogat. Soul of a citizen: living with conviction in challenging times. New York: St.

Martin's Griffin, 2010. Print.