Reflection #2

There are many unrealistic expectations place on RA's. I think it is the belief that RA's should be able to solve everything on their own, at that moment that is the most unrealistic expectation. I think that students and administration alike believe that RA's should be able to handle everything because they have already shown extraordinary leadership skills, and the ability to handle things in a quick, decisive manner, so therefore they feel that they should be able to handle EVERY situation in that way.
Personally, I would simply make sure that I have a list of priorities, and when a situation arises, make sure not to panic, and to simply take a few seconds to either calm the student down or discuss the issue with them. Simply being able to realize that I may not be the best suited for that situation will allow me to refer it to someone more able. That knowledge is important because it takes off some of the pressure that RA's might feel, and with less pressure, situations can be dealt with very efficiently, and in a stress free environment.

Reflection #1

There have been many programs that I have involved myself in throughout the years. Some of these include my girl scout gold and silver award projects, Jefferson and Rock Creek community clean up, and Jefferson Area High School Softball Clinic.
The two that I feel were most enriching, meaningful, and fun for me would be the Girl Scout silver award project and the High School softball clinic. For the Silver award, my fellow troopmates (there were 4) and I hosted a week long, eight a.m. to 4 p.m. sports learning camp. This camp was for grades three to six, and for a small price we offered not only a learning experience but a babysitting camp. This was so much fun because I truly enjoyed working with the younger children and helping them learn the different sports, while having a truly enjoyable time. It was enriching for me because over the week, I developed strong friendships with some of the girls in the camp, friendships that still hold true to this day despite the age difference. It was meaningful because I was one of the creators of this program that offered a week long sports camp, and along with my friends we planned the camp, collected registration, made sure that each form that was necessary was filled out, and watched over the children. This camp was the first true large responisibility that my peers and I got to share. It was also a challenge, but the completion of requirements, and what each of us took away from that camp was worth it.
The second project that I was a part of that proved meaningful was the Jefferson High School softball camp. At this time I was a freshman in high school, and just starting my career in varsity athletics so this too was a big deal for me. What made it fun, and meaningful was being able to instuct younger players. At this stage, for many of the younger girls I was seen as a role model for the first time, and it was and exhilirating feeling thinking that one day some of these girls would be in the same spot that I was currently in. So that made it enjoyable, and fun. During both of these camps I was somewhat of a leader, the silver award project I was one of the main leaders, and during the high school clinic, I was just a young player, but still a leader as I was a player.
These were the two projects that stand out greatly in my mind as being meaningful, memorable, exhilirating, fun, and rewarding all at the same time.