Academic Work

Here are some examples of some of my academic work and projects I worked on while obtaining my degree!

About My Educational Background

My educational experience was up and down and very diverse. I attended private, public, home, and charter school programs, which meant I got to try a bit of everything!  I moved at the end of elementary school and was homeschooled through middle school, which helped me become an independent learner. In high school, I was at a charter school and struggled with not moving at my own pace anymore, and having less time to pursue the things I enjoyed educationally, like reading, history, and writing. After my father died during my sophomore year, I fell behind in school and struggled to catch up in my weaker subjects (especially in math, which I hate).  Between this, struggling with ADHD and anxiety, and other external life factors, this led to my working with feeling burned out about academics. It has taken me 13 years since high school to complete my bachelor’s degree, partially due to feeling burnt out in my early 20s and partially due to being concerned about the financial aspect. My work experiences also shaped my educational experiences. I worked at a church after completing my AA in elementary education, where I learned that I did not want to be a teacher, and that I enjoyed communications-related work. I learned a great deal about what I wanted to do (and not do) with my life through my time in ministry.  However, working at Disney impacted me the most. Through the Disney aspire program, I could complete my bachelor's without taking on any additional debt, which gave me the freedom to pursue my education. 

My dad played a huge role, both negatively and positively, in my education. He inspired a great deal of interest in self-directed learning and encouraged me to enjoy subjects like history and literature, but he also really pushed me to excel in subjects that I struggled with, such as math, and this led to my hating school. I saw both positives and negatives from my father’s impact on my life, and would encourage parents to foster a love of self-directed learning in their children without putting pressure on them as a result of my own experiences. I was also very lucky to have a couple of really good mentors in my time in ministry who encouraged my educational and personal growth. I took part in a gap year program, and that led me to want to finish my degree, which led to me attending college when Disney made the opportunity available. 

Going back to school has been very informative. I have not only learned a great deal about subjects like communications, media psychology, and media ethics, but I have also learned time and resource management skills at a deeper level. As an ADHD-er who tends to be a bit of a professional procrastinator, learning to manage my time and mental resources has been hugely impactful.  Personally, education has made me feel more confident in what I know. I have always been someone who enjoys researching and knowing information, but formal education has helped me find confidence in that knowledge. 

Though I do not believe one needs a degree to be intelligent, the information I have learned in university classes has been beneficial. I also enjoyed learning about the experiences that others have had in their lives, and engaging with complex thought processes, such as when it comes to ethical dilemmas. Practicing some of the skills I have learned and getting to experiment with things like social media strategy and graphic design in a slightly lower-stakes environment where I can receive encouraging feedback has also been beneficial. However, I think that if I had gone to school 10+ years ago, in-person classes and a traditional college experience could have impacted my college experiences both negatively and positively, as I would have learned greater independence and adult skills quicker, but I also would have probably felt less safe to fail if I had not had the support of my family. 

One of the biggest lessons that I have learned throughout this process is that education is truly a lifelong experience, and whether or not one is in formal educational programs, learning should never stop. I know that the concepts and skills I learned in my life leading up to going back to school impacted my interests and also guided my studies. I also know that as I continue in life, the things I have learned in college while continue to guide and inform what I learn about and how I learn. This lesson is important to me because it shows the value of looking at every encounter as an opportunity to learn. Education can come from books, life experiences, and even from the valuable feedback that others have to offer. Without this educational experience, I could have grown static and complacent in my knowledge, and I may have stopped learning or pursuing knowledge. If I could go back, I would have taken more notes and journaled more about the experience, to obtain some of the more experiential knowledge I achieved and vocalize those lessons better. 

As I continue to grow, I hope to continue learning and growing. I intend to learn more about graphic design and predictive analytics, especially as AI becomes more and more prevalent. I hope to experiment with programs, do my research, and maybe even take some classes on these subjects.  I also hope to travel more and experience more of the knowledge and education that the world outside my community has to offer. This is both a short-term and long-term goal, as I plan to start small with visiting more museums and cultural events in my region, while saving up to travel on a more global scale. Lastly, though I have no current plans to obtain further formal education, I have not ruled out studying for a master’s degree if the opportunity should present itself.  Education is a lifelong process, and I hope that I will pursue any opportunity to learn that arises.