Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive Statement

I am most proud of the activity because I felt that engaged many people and it was interesting to see what others had to say. I honestly felt like a lot of people learned new things and that was my main objective. I feel that a lot of students left with new information and have new perspectives on Latino Education. 

(2) Questions to Consider

a.     I would give myself an AE because I felt that I met the standards that were required and wet beyond. I felt like I did not just do a presentation, but a lecture kinda of thing, which made others think. I did not just present information, but I made it relatable and useful information. 

For my overall senior project I would also give myself an AE because the quality of my research, and product of different components were great. I feel like I have worked very hard on my senior project not for the grade, but because I am passionate about my project. I feel like I deserve the recognition for my work. I always tried to go beyond what was needed whether it was on my independent component, service learning, etc. I always tried to find the best. 

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

My senior project topic worked for me because it was something that I could connect to and made it a delight to research. If I would have done my senior project on a hobby or something like that I feel like it would have been a struggle to research and present on it. I loved my senior project topic because it allowed me freedom to explore different areas and is something that I was able to apply!  

(4) What didn’t work for you in your senior project?

I would have preferred to have much more time with my 2 hr house to actually prep for the presentation. I feel like we only met a couple times, but if I actually asked people about it I would have not stressed out. 

(5) Finding Value

The senior project has been helpful because it has prepared me and allowed me to see that I am capable of speaking for 2 hours. I never thought that it would be possible, but it was not as hard as I thought it was going to be. I actually feel that I could have talked for so much more if I really wanted to. It has also helped me understand how I could efficiently organize different things through the working bib, and senior towers. I feel like I am able to organize my thoughts better. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to do a senior project and research something that I was passionate about. Because of my senior project I have been able to organize and communicate with others effectively. 

2-Hour Presentation

Or click here 

Service Learning

Log of specific hours click here: Service Learning Log

 

Description of duties:

 

I did various things such as: Made phone calls to parents, cooked spaghetti for a freshman event, spoke at presentations, helped recruit people for our Adopt a Family project, filed documents, volunteered at the new Uncommon Good site, attended educational confrences, assisted in planning event at Pomona College for entering high school students, and played college bingo with elementary students.

 

Due to the fact that I was helping at a non-profit organization there was always new events to plan and things to do, so there was no constant task that I was supposed to do (which is what I loved about it!)

 

 

Contact: Carlos Carrillo

Phone: (909) 625-2248

Email: ccarrillo@uncommongood.org

 

 

    Interpretive

 

The most important thing I gained from this experience was that I was able to reconnect with my Latino/a community and reinvest in them what has all ready been invested in me. For a long time I was not very active in my community because I was a little ashamed of the bad name that I felt many Latinos/as were giving to our culture. I distanced myself away from them, but my service learning helped me relight the passion that I had. I even had the chance to visit my old elementary school where I got quite sentimental because I was reminded of where I came from and reflected on my journey. Through Uncommon Good I was actually able to make a change in the lives of Latino/a students. By helping in planning events I was able to give back to them. I know how helpful Uncommon Good has been for me, so I just wanted to help others. I saw myself in a lot of the younger students so my service learning was an amazing experience that I will treasure always.

 

 Applied

    

For my first answer I basically said that community members must inform parents/students about resources such as non-profits like Uncommon Good.  Being able to see the good that this program does reensures me that my answer is credible and accurate. By working with students and parents who were all ready academically motivated and dreamt of going to college allowed me to see the differences in families who had not event considered college. I saw recurring patterns in families who were passionate about their children attending higher educational instituions like: active involvement within the program, emotional support from parents, and parents willingness to learn. I found it fascinating and would ask, "Why do they do what they do," which would lead to do research on a specific topic. Then I would ask, " How can we get all parents to do that?" My service learning was very helpful because in an indirect way it led me to different sources, which could have led to my answer.

Independent Component 2

La Plaza: Workshop about murals in L.A. 

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Confirmation Letter

Independent 2 Calendar Log

Literal

“I, Madelene Santizo, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 37 hours of work.” 

For my independent component I volunteered at La Plaza, which is a cultural and art museum located in downtown LA about Mexican-American history in Southern California. I did various things such as tours for different exhibitions, cleaned up exhibitions, helped with art or educational workshops, and did research projects for La Plaza. 

Interpretive

I've demonstrated 31 hours of work for my independent component by taking the metrolink to La Plaza to volunteer at big events during the weekends. Occasionally I would help give tours during the week for elementary students after school, but not as much as I would have liked to because of my school schedule. I had to be trained to become a tour guide so I learned a lot about Mexican-American history in Los Angeles. I have also supported La Plaza when hosting family events like: Cesar Chavez Day, the launch of their culinary art workshop, and La Plaza's 1 year anniversary. Though my independent component did not lead me to any "real product" I have attained more knowledge and made an impact on the lives of those who I shared my knowledge with. 

  Applied

This helped me answer my EQ because I knew that one of my answers would be related to the impact that stereotypes have on academic motivation. However, I was not aware of how this could be solved until I was inspired by what I learned at La Plaza. I saw how many Latinos/as lacked the knowledge of their own culture, and how by going to La Plaza they were learning new things. Seeing exhibitions about The Chicano Movement, Repatriacion, Gente de Razon, etc. really allowed people to see the struggle that their relatives underwent. One of the questions that I ask in the beginning of the tour is, "Do you think that you would pack up your things and leave to a brand new place if you promised a job, but would leave everything behind." A lot of people say they would not because they are not brave enough, but that is what many of the California settlers did. La Plaza really showed me the importance of knowing one's culture through history. That is why I made sure to tie in what I learned at La Plaza with my answer 2. Because of volunteering at La Plaza my best answer is Latinos/as must understand and embrace their Latino/a culture in order to reject stereotypes found in our society that limit their academic motivation and willingness to make a change.