Natalie Magda

PS 1010
Prof. Mortenson
4/23/17
PS1010 Narrative- EPortfolio

If I could describe PS1010 in one word, I would choose the word:

surprising. Back in January, I was ready to attend the typical political

science course that I envisioned to have long lectures about the

minutiae of government, which would be inapplicable to my interests. I

knew that it being an Honors course would be slightly different than

your typical college course, however I was not prepared for the

surprise of the contrast of the class between my perceived notions,

and the reality of PS1010. Being a Public Health major, I consider my

passions to be specifically focused on helping others in the scope of

medicine. Truthfully, I was not looking forward to taking a political

science course. I believed that I would not be able to link it to my

public health studies, and that it would just be unnecessary knowledge.

A semester later, I am surprised and delighted to realize how

applicable this course has been to my passions and interests.

I have always wanted to help others, and when I found out that

we would be creating a solution to a problem in Detroit to help others, I

was overjoyed. PS1010 taught me to take a problem that I was

passionate about, and be able to put my efforts into actually trying to

solve the problem and applying public policy and political science to

the problem. Analyzing a problem and trying to apply a political

solution was something I had never practiced or had the chance to do.

PS1010 allowed me to actively become involved in a problem, and

realize the incredible potential I actually have in making a difference. I

also learned what an important tool our local/state/national

government can be in solving various problems I was surprised to learn

in PS1010 the value and importance of researching and looking to the

local community for previous solutions and endeavors and working to

build and improve those efforts. For example, when my group was

searching for solutions for low high school graduation rates and

involving children in sports, we were surprised to find so many existing

programs. We were able to use the readings about various spheres and

policies to evaluate the reach and affect those programs had in the

local community.

After analyzing what sphere a potential existing solution was

involved in, I learned the value and skill of reaching out to

organizations and becoming involved. I have always loved volunteering

and have often been involved in many volunteering projects, often

through a school or church. However, in PS1010, for the first time, I

had to actively contact many, many organizations to volunteer and

work with them. The many emails I exchanged with various programs,

especially in setting up my service hours, introduced a new value of

interpersonal communication. I learned how to successfully contact an

organization, schedule volunteering/service hours, and how to

communicate efficiently with individuals I did not know.

PS1010 surprised me, because I didnt realize how applicable the

skills we learned from attempting to solve a problem in Detroit would

be. The many hours working on a solution, contacting existing

organizations, and putting in the time and effort in helping out at the

organizations contributed a new sense of appreciation of social

entrepreneurship that I had been previously been unaware of. I am

able to take these skills and apply them to the medical field, which is

something I am truly passionate about. I will not forget the skills I have

learned from PS1010, and it has helped me transform into a more

active citizen.