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End of Year Analysis (What have I accomplished? (Milestones (Completing a…

- - - - I now see my own pain and the pain that others experience from a new perspective. I have come to understand that there is so much more to pain than what is experienced physically. I saw this in the patients that I observed and also in myself. This idea is applicable to many different situations, not just physical pain. There is always more to someone’s story or experience than what is portrayed on the surface. These factors are important to consider when providing support or treatment and will be of great value as I pursue a career in healthcare.
        This project has coincided with past and future endeavors. My current career aspiration; occupational therapy, requires an understanding of many of the concepts I have become comfortable with through this project. Additionally, the knowledge I have gained through all of my previous projects made comprehension of these complex ideas a lot easier. I am really proud of the work that I completed for this project.
    - - I decided to direct the focus of my senior project essay towards physical pain perception. This concept slowly morphed into two parts, one on the chronological process that follows the pathway, and the other on neuroscience as it relates to pain perception - to provide further understanding. In order to carry out this idea, I ended up organizing my written product on a google site. The main page includes the formal essay and diagrams to increase comprehension. Any complex terms within the essay are linked to sub-pages which contain additional information and visuals to enhance the reader’s understanding. This product ended up being an effective way to convey complex information and was one of my favorites that I completed for this project.
    - - In January I was informed that I was accepted into the occupational therapy graduate program at Saint Catherine University. As long as I maintain a certain GPA, I will be automatically admitted after I complete my undergraduate work. I am really honored to have been selected, however, it makes me feel like I am locked in to that specific path, and I need to remember that it is still acceptable to change plans, even if it means having to apply to graduate school. Though, in all, this is really comforting and I feel so grateful to have received such a recognition.
    - - When finding out that I was accepted to Saint Catherine University, I was also told I was given a presidential scholarship and later on recognized as an O'shaughnessy Scholar. This scholarship is what is allowing me to attend Saint Catherine University and is something which I will be eternally grateful for. The scholarship will cover my first four years, which means that my first year of graduate school will also be covered. I think I am still in disbelief.
    - - While ballet may have contributed greatly to my stress levels and busy schedule this year, it has also provided an unsurpassable sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. We have had wonderful reviews and comments on both our winter and spring performances. The rehearsals, conditioning, stress, and pain of performing can be tough, but the final results justify (many times over) the blood, sweat and tears. The hours I spent in class and in rehearsal were logged towards my fitness project. The fact that this was my last year has made the past few weeks really emotional, but after 14 years, I am ready for some change.
    - - I took a risk taking two AP classes this year. Overall, I believe that both the statistics and psychology courses that I completed this year went well. There were aspects of both that could have gone better, but they were definitely valuable learning experiences. Whether or not I get a good score on either of the tests , the knowledge and understanding I have acquired will be beneficial.
- - - - This year, I was constantly battling with prioritization. At times, I found myself confined to external expectations. Everyone around me has some level of expectation for me, and I often find myself reaching to please everyone, a task which can become really stressful. At that point, I wonder if what I am doing if for my benefit or others. Contributing to my amount of commitments is my occasional (maybe a little more than occasional) inability to say no. This has been a challenge for me for several years, and while this year was a little better, I could still be a better advocate for my time. My personal focus skill this year was to really internalize quality over quantity. This mantra really helped me to deal with the stressors that I have come across in the past.
    - - During much of the second half of the year, there were many time commitments that I did not foresee. I was out of school a lot for my back issues, was not very good at saying no when asked to do live videos or recordings on PLPs with Dr. Rippe, and there was a lot more time required with my senior products than I expected. However, my back issues ended up being one of the greatest live experiences, the PLP talks were enriching and valuable in the end, and the extra time that was put into my senior products definitely paid off.
  - - - I just had my very last ballet class, which means that a significant chunk of free time has just opened up. I am not worried about the summer, seeing as I will be preoccupied with cheese, but I am considering taking up some new hobbies to keep me occupied in St. Paul. This will also help me take a break from academics take time for myself. I am currently thinking that photography might be an option. We will see if that idea develops.
    - - I really worked to get more testing experiences this year, but getting used to this part of a college education may be a bit of an adjustment. I have learned from the tests I took this year, and will work to apply what I learned to what I have to get through next year. I am confident that I have the knowledge and perseverance to do just fine.
    - - One challenge that I foresee is adjusting to my summer schedule. I will be working (line work primarily) full time at Belgioioso Cheese, but I will not have projects to worry about, and I will not be dancing. I am working to fit in time with friends and family travels to keep up my morale.
  - - - The quality of my project processes has been really solid this year. All components were always present (often personalized) and engagement was consistent. My best process mark was recorded for senior project (12), and in total I averaged around 10.75.
    - - My time management has been really consistent throughout this year. I set measurable goals, used my time constructively, met all deadlines, and did my best to maintain balance. My best time management mark (11) was recorded for senior project, service, and psychology and I averaged around 10.
    - - Thorough reflection was present throughout the entire year. I keep a consistent, detailed log of my time which included thorough analysis of all processes and learning. In general, I used genuine, frequent reflection to improve. My best reflection mark (12) was recorded for senior project and service and I averaged around 11.
    - - Only five of my projects this year included research components, but in all cases, I used a variety of sources, my research was valuable and foundational to project outcomes, and I demonstrated critical analysis of sources. My best research mark was recorded for senior project (12), and I averaged around 10.
    - - Analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and intentional thought were present in all of the projects that I completed this year. My best thinking mark (11) was recorded for every project except for Spanish and I averaged around 11.
    - - Throughout the year I participated enthusiastically in the VNS community and academic progress. There were many ways, from running and sustaining the mentoring program to speaking on PLP methods, that I worked to make an impact on the school community. My best community membership mark (12) was recorded for every project except for wellness and I averaged around 12.
    - - In many, if not all of my projects, I have produced outcomes which display professional craftsmanship, creativity, and show intention. My best outcome mark (12) was recorded for service and I averaged around 10.6.
- - - - I made significant advances with my personal learning plan this year. Most importantly, I was able to complete digitalization. I now have an entirely online PLP that is housed in a google site. I have included my portfolio in this website as well. The convenience, organization and cleanliness is really satisfying and was totally worth the effort to convert it. Sharing out was a large part of the hours that I logged for my personal learning plan this year. I was involved in many PLP sessions and zoom meetings with Dr. Rippe and also helped to plan for the PLP enrichment. I feel confident that I have gotten my PLP to a point where it will remain relevant and useful after high school.
    - - Planning and tracking tools were a huge part of my academic and personal progress this year. My weekly tracker is a highly personalized tool that tracks hours but also weekly goals and project progression. My senior project planner was an interactive project progression chart that tracked milestones and daily goals specifically for senior project. My daily planner was a tool that I used on a daily basis throughout the year. I was able to track daily objectives, develop timelines, and keep a record of my personal wellness as well. Similarly, for my senior project, I developed a tracking tool that monitored my mental wellness. On a daily basis I completed a survey that asked about certain habits that I engaged in throughout the day (meditation, reflection, and getting outside), that data was then automatically compiled in charts and graphs, which were used to assess progress and engagement at the end of the year.
    - - I found that thorough reflection was essential this year. Nearly all of the projects that I completed this year were year-long. This meant that there were no reassuring, definitive points during the year where I had a true sense of accomplishment and a confirmation that I was on the right track. For me, sustaining a project for nine months without these external motivators or assurances would have been nearly impossible without the reflection I engaged in. My logs, journals, research organizers, academic report, and personal learning plan are all evidence of this. In all, I believe that the reflection I did this year was in-depth and purposeful.
    - - I believe that I did really well with maintaining consistent and in-depth production. I was really diligent about outlining and producing products directly following the completion of a book, which helped to make this project very relaxed and stress free. Each of the books that I read had their respective entry, and solid planning and thought was put into each one.
    - - Clarity was something that I prioritized this year, especially with more complex topics like my senior project. Physical pain is a topic that everyone can relate to, but what I wanted to do through that project was not only elevate but also flip current perceptions. This meant that I needed to convey complex ideas in a way that was understandable, but yet not diluted. Providing visuals created in Google Drawing and visualization techniques which revolve around a commonly understood experience proved to convey consumable information. I believe that through my presentation and the rest of the production phase, I have been successful in providing clarity.
    - - I believe that I have fulfilled this focus skill well. This was especially evident when Mrs. Benz was not here, seeing as I used the videos to help me through problems instead. Also, due to how this course was structured, it was almost necessary to keep up with each video.
    - - I would consider my career focus skill a success this year. I made contact with many different occupational therapists and have recorded their information. I also have a contact in St. Paul who is super willing to help me out with anything I may need. Additionally, Michelle Wenzel, who works with Ascension Medical Group, offered to help me out with any kind of recommendations or clinical experience that I may need in the future. As for the second part of this focus skill, I will be attending Saint Catherine University in St. Paul Minnesota.
    - - In all honesty, I believe that this focus skill may have been the most difficult to follow through with. I definitely cut back on some aspects of both my academic and personal commitments, and I would say that overall, I was able to maintain a high level of depth and quality throughout the year. However, I still had a lot to manage both at and after school. At times, it was difficult to give everything 100% and maintain that level of involvement and attention, but I guess that's how life is sometimes. I will say that my level of reflection, personalization, intention and intrinsic engagement has increased this year, and overall, am really proud of the level of quality and depth I maintained.