2 Reflections on my Mentorship

Community: Does the organization seem to be an active member of the community (however this is defined)? If so, how? If not, should it be and how could this be accomplished?
Chateau Animal Hospital plays a very active role in the Braselton community because of the amount of care and time they spend on animals. Dogs and/or cats are constantly coming in for check-ups, vaccines, spas, bordatellas, surgery, etc. Not only do they schedule appointments, but also dogs can get groomed or board in suites/runs. The hospital is open everyday of the week and not only provides care for any hurt or sick animals, but also provides shelter, food, and water for the animals when their owners are out of town. If the hospital was not available many dogs/cats in the community would be affected.

Time: How structured/guided is your time? How effective/ineffective does that make you?
Although I spend on average two hours a day at my mentorship, I see how the hospital manages their time. My mentor does not usually come in until 9 and when he does he usually has patients back to back for at least an hour. The hospital also schedules surgeries around noon to ensure all the patients are gone and they have no more appointments scheduled until later that day. I believe this is an effective tactic of time management;it ensures that there are still appointments throughtout the day, but also saves time for important surgeries or any other important tasks the vet techs or vet has to do.

My Essential Question

 Essential question: How can studying past marine life/oceans help us predict the future of sea life/oceans? 

Why did you select this as your essential question?  
Since I want study marine life and oceans in college I feel as if this essential question would be the perfect area to focus on and research.  What excites you most about finding the answer to this essential question? 
Although I already know much about dolphins, I still have a lot of learning to do, and I feel like this question will open my eyes to a lot more that I didn't even realize was is in the oceans. That excites me the most.
Do you feel that this question accurately reflects a desire/need that you have to find out more about this topic?
Yes, because since my area of interest in marine sciences I feel like this aims straight for my career field and could further my knowledge in marine life and the ocean as well.  Also, I know there is currently on going research about ocean life, and there is always an opportunity to learn more.

Reflections of My Mentorship

While at my mentorship, my mentor likes to discuss several different topics even if it does not involve veterinary medicine or animals in general. Over the course of the week we can talk about Star Trek all the way to politics and government taxation, so even if it is a slow day at the animal hospital, I'm always learning something I didn't know before. Each day I come in around 8:30 and usually my mentor doesn't arrive till about 8:50. The minute Dr. B arrives I am bombarded by the statement "ASK ME QUESTIONS" "DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS?" Sometimes I get eager to talk about something and other times I would rather just observe the scene. When a patient arrives I always go in the room with him and listen to how he talks to patient's parents. After we leave the room if I don't understand something, he explains to me the diagnosis or talks me through what could potentially be wrong with the patient. On some special days like Wednesday, surgeries such as neuters, spays, and dentals take place. It is always interesting to watch these surgeries because each animal is different and either have different teeth or different private areas. I have seen so many neuters I could probably perform one my self. One special event that really stands out to me that has happened in the last month is when a patient came in and had a really hard time breathing; Dr. B didn't know what exactly was wrong with it but they had to give it oxygen right away. When they tried to place the tube down her throat, the tube wasn't fitting, and he had to open the trachea right away and perform emergency surgery. It turned out the dog had so much blood in its lungs and everywhere else, that he wasn't going to make it. The dog died while it was under anesthesia from getting into rat poison. This is unusual to happen at the animal hospital, but crazy events such as that could happen unexpectedly and everyone must be ready for it.

 

One class that has helped me while I have been at my mentorship is probably psychology. I believe this has helped a little because we discussed certain behaviors. Although that class wasn't focused on animals really, you can take the things you learn in psych about humans and carry some of them on to animals like dogs and cats. I can almost relate every topic learned in psychology to the animals at the hospital such as nature vs. nurture or even classical conditioning. Even in some experimental studies in psych, animals are used to prove or disapprove a hypothesis. Psychology also, is a area of study included in the marine biology curriculum because dolphins and other marine animals are so similar to human behaviors.

Plagiarism

A) I would define plagiarism as: copying or imitating ones work and not giving them credit or authorization for the work done
B,C) I think plagiarism is important because if you don't cite work that others did then you are taking all of the credit for something that is not yours. It is not fair if someone takes their time and effort to make, write, or create something and then someone else gets the credit for it.
D) High schoolers and College students can stuggle with plagiarism when they are looking for research for a paper and they see certain facts or information that is relevant and important to help build their paper. Sometimes information on the internet can also be what someone else has used in a recent work.

Bring on the Learning Revolution!

1.  If I had unlimited time and resources, I would study all around the world, such as the different animals,habitats, and culture.  It would interest me because I would be given the opporunity to learn about a whole new different world out there then what's in front of me now.
2.  I believe attitude has more influence, because you could have the worst attitude and the best aptitude but it would not matter because people only see the negatuve way you act, and it takes away from any great or outstanding talent you have. If you show great skills and have an awesome attitude about it, then people are most likely to notice you more and respect you more for it.  In contrast, having a bad attitude can take away from your aptitude and people will only notice how bad your attitude is, and forgey about the skilled aptitude you may have.
3.  I think our current grading system is too standardized and some of the system should be "abolished". I do agree that kids should start learning foreign languages earlier, but  I don't think they should be learning more difficult mathematics or literature in their early years. Also, from middle school to high school, kids take too many standardized tests that really don't matter and that are unimportant. If it were up to me, students would not have to take so manys tests each year. By the time they are seniors in high school they have taken well over 50 tests, and with the stress of the ACT/ SAT and applying for college, they shouldnt have to deal with more stress of school tests. Another important thing I believe should be in school is to create a class that provides tips, important criteria,helps with applying for college,and a test prep class for standardized tests that the states make students take. In order to get into college you must take either the SAT or ACT, and with these helpful classes I feel like it would better prepare students for applying for college, and if a junior takes this class it will give them an advantage for the ACT/ SAT.
4.  I feel honors mentorship has helped with me with my communication skills, because I must contact my teacher(in this case Mrs. K)  if I have any questions or any problems with mentoring. I used to lack in that area because I have always been nervous around professional adults, but this program has really opened me up.  I believe HMP has also helped me with time management and I have realized time does matter and you cant just show up late to your job if you went to bed late the night before, or if you simply just want to get out of bed. Since I am now working in the real world, I work on my mentorships time and not my own personal time, and in the real world I can't show up late or I could get fired.

Colleges

My top 3 colleges are University of Georgia, Florida State University, and Florida Atlantic University. The degree program I would most likely be studying is marine sciences or marine biology.
UGA- located in Athens, Georgia  http://www.uga.edu/
FSU- located in Tallahasse, Florida http://www.fsu.edu/
FAU- located in Boca Raton, Florida http://www.fau.edu/

The criteria for my study field is to be open minded and very enthusiastic with under water activities (diving). Many people start out as learning about marine mammals, but some end up studying smaller creatures such as marine bacteria. I must acquire an accrdited college education up to a graduate level and usually a full Ph.D is the standard professional marine bio position. I should also know and understand much about chemistry to see how the real world of the oceans affects the organisms living in it. Mostly likely though, I wouls be taking a marine ecology class in college.

I believe the two out of the 3 universities that I chose as my top schools would follow the criteria I came up with ( FSU & FAU). At UGA I would most likely have to commute to Savannah because it is close to the water and they do have a program that works with students interested in Marine Ecology.

Any additional requirements I have seen before in my study field is the passion you must have for the job, because marine animals can feed off your mood and reactions to things. Also, I should be a good reasearcher and experienced public speaker in order to present new reasearch or findings to others.  An most importantly keep an open mind about this career field.
Any classes I would have to take is Environmental Science, Ap Biology, Ap Chemistry, Physics, and Calculus.
The quality ranking of my top 3 schools all include how much I love the location, UGA is great in athletics, education for my major at both FSU &FAU are very well known and popular, and although UGA is a huge school I dont mind how big it is, and the other two schools are pretty well balanced, and as goes for diversity, youre always going to have a different variety of people at a University or college.

Other professions and graduating programs related to my field include Zoology, Ecology, Marine Sciences, Fishing/ Fisheries, Biology, Environmental Science, and Science Technology.  The  many careers that are in this field are Preserve Managers, Animal Caretakers, Aquauculturists, Envrionemental Scientists, Biological Scientists, and Wild life Techs.

My career field is not considered very popular because of how much money you can make; the price can range depending on what you actually are in the marine life and biology world. Most people say you really have to be in the job for the animals and that you care that much about them, and not for the salary, although that does matter.

3 potential scholarships I can apply for include 1) Tommy Aaron/Charlie Aaron Foundation Scholarship 2) Holcomb Family Education Scholarship 3) Gail Ingram Scholarship

Motivational Statement

My weekly assignment for Honors Mentorship was determine what my sentence of motivation was and what will navigate my life.

 

Growing Leaders- Advice to a Would-Be Intern

The article Growing Leaders explains that an internship is not just the latest thing handed to a young person to Tweet about, but rather it should be considered as equivalent to a long job interview where you are evaluated every day.  Every student should take the internship seriously because it gives you a realistic view of what your job may be like in the professional world one day. When you are interning it is a time to learn, observe, be evaluated, and show a good work ethic.  The most imortant qualities mentors look for in interns are responsibility, high energy, teachable personality, and initiative; prioritizing those above the standard talent of the student in their career field.  If an intern shows those characteristics and good attitude while learning on the job, it results in a more positive experience for both student and the mentor.
Readers can access Tim Elmore's blog at http://growingleaders.com/blog/.

This article was very helpful, and I believe I can apply the characteristics he mentions are most desired in interns.  I think of myself as a very responsible person who takes initiative.  If I have a task to finish or an assignment deadline, most of the time I complete the assignment a few days before it is due.  One way I think I could apply the advice from the article is to not be afraid to ask a lot of questions of my mentor and become actively involved with hands-on activities and tasks my mentor does.  Another important aspect of my mentorship will be to be proactive and volunteer myself to help out wherever needed, even if not asked.

What I found most relevant in this article was that it not only described the behaviors and skills needed for metorship, but it indicates that I can have the chance to show good leadership skills.  I do believe when I am very interested in something, I put forth all my efforts in a way that is visible.  In order to work with animals to help them be healthier and happier, I must be willing to ask questions and show that I am willing to learn all aspects of the area including not only animal care, but also other aspects of the business.

Debt Lesson- Dave Ramsey

I feel like I manage my money very well when it comes to spending. I have two separate bank accounts:  savings and checking.  I rarely take any money from my savings, and with checking I buy gas at least twice a month, pay for some of my car payment, and save the rest unless I have the infrequent urge to buy something for myself.  Most of the time I have at least $100 in my checking account to make my self feel better.

"We do not break the bad habit of debt through earning more money, but rather we break any habit by replacing it with a better one."
I believe this quote means that if people have a bad habit of getting into debt, the solution is not that they need to make more money necessarily, but they should stop spending the money they "don't have."  Most people think their problem is their income, but more than likely it's the way they manage their money.

I think when I get older I should be able to manage my finaces properly and not let my finanacial needs overwhelm me.  It helps a lot that I am a very organized person and I am very thrifty when it comes to spending my money.  Often times too "thrifty" to the point of being called a "scrooge."  Also, my mom handles her finances well and I believe watching the way she handles her money and income can help me form good habits for later in life.

Although money is not everything in this world, it is certainly imperative that we have it to live.  For my major, I realize it is not the highest money making job or career.  From what I have experienced so far in my field over the summer, working with marine animals is not the career for you if you're looking for a high paying job.  I feel like your career path should be a job you enjoy.  Enjoy working with animals and not worry so much about the money.  I have taken into consideration how tight money could be with this job because after all, it is what will be paying my bills.  However,I believe I would enjoy this job enough to deal with and manage the financial side.

What is Ethics?

People can learn ethics from not only family, but also from school, peers, television, and even religious leaders (church).  One can learn a lot about what not to do around their peers such as what is or is not fair in society or what is considered the "right" thing to do.  Television can also attempt to teach or show standards concerning our rights, for example, right to privacy or right to life. You may also think something is accepted or right in society because of family beliefs. Your family has a major impact on what you think is ethical or "what society accepts" to be ethical.

Ethics can be considered as the well founded standards of right and wrong of what humans should do in terms of obligations, benefits to society, terms of rights, or even specific values. Being ethical does not necessarily mean do "whatever society accepts". In order to understand what society accepts, one would have to find out what is acceptable.  Most importantly of ethics is that all standards are supported by consistent and accurate reasons.  Morality on the other hand, is just simply the distinction between what is right or wrong and good or bad behavior. It does not have specific standards to deviate between what is considered right and wrong.  Morality is doing what is "accepted by society" even if society has not defined what is accepted yet.

Some people can be more ethical than others because some are willing to ensure and study their own beliefs and standards, when others do not care to find or search for their own moral beliefs and conducts.  Usually if you are more ethical than another then more than likely you are going to make a more wise decision than the one who does not care to understand about human rights and standards.
People can also follow different codes of ethics depending on what they believe. For Example, one may think abortion is wrong and unethical to society, but others may think abortion is acceptable and okay. Just because one thinks abortion is wrong or right does not necessarily mean they are un ethical or wrong.

An ethical situation dilemma I may face in my work field could possibly be how they interact or deal with some of the animals.  For instance, if a dog doesnt have an owner or if possibly sickly, they put the animal "down" or "to sleep".  Although there is not much I am allowed to do in a situation such as that, but I would possibly try to covince them to let the dog stay longer so he can find an owner.

Mission Statement, Dreams, and Reflections

My Mission Statement
My mission in life is to spiritually grow and show compassion for others while maintaining honesty.  I want to help others and be open to them helping me; believe in others as well as myself, and develop relationships that will last a life time.

Dare to Dream!
In my mentorship this year I hope to gain more experience in the real world and learn to become more professional. Also, I believe this program will enhance my public and social skills tremendously with adults and professionals in the animal care world. Working with the Vet Care Hospital will help me guide the direction I want to go into with animals.
In order for me to fully gain the experiences I am looking for, I will try as much as possible to get hands on experineces with the animals rather than watching my mentor and observing. Also, asking many questions while my mentor and I are working with the animals will help me learn.
This Program will provide me with experience with animal care that will transfer to marine animals in the future.  Working with other animals such as dogs, cats, birds,etc will only add to my experience and will provide insight into this career field.  By the end of this program I should have a much better idea if this career is something I am interested in pursuing.


"Perfectly Polished"
Three important lessons I learned at "Perfectly Polished" were how to make a first good impression, how to start a conversation neat and professionally, and how to properly give a hand shake.  

It is always important to make a good impression with someone that can potentially become your boss or even co-worker. Dressing appropriately for the occasion is always a good start, and although your presence means a lot if you cant hold a mature and professional conversation, then your looks will mean nothing.  Another affective way to make others believe you are an easy going and appropriate is to always smile when you first meet someone.

When you are meeting someone for the first time or even introducing someone, it is always important to make sure the other feels important and wanted in the conversation. Eye contact and repeating someones name after you meet them ensures you are paying attention to what they have to say, and that you actually care what they are telling you. It is never a good thing to meet someone for the first time and rarely smile, look miserable or you hardly acknowledge the other person's presence.  When it is time to move on to someone else or something comes up in the middle of the conversation, the polite thing to do is excuse yourself from the conversation in order for the other person to understand you aren't bored or ditching the small talk.

In "Perfectly Polished" we were taught that holding a handshake usually longer than two shakes can be awkward and unecessary. If you notice the other person may not know about "proper" hand shakes, you can release your hand after two seconds, and that lets the he/she know the handshake is over.  Although some people may give the squeeze grip, spaghetti noodle, or the gloove handshake, one should never mimic the handshake nor correct the other person. This lets to other person know you are professional and know your manners.

 These all made an impact on my manners because sometimes I am guilty of mimicking the squeeze grip, not smiling enough, or showing lack of my attention and interest in a conversation. I believe this class did teach me a lot about potential interviews and important people I may meet in the near future. Knowing these things makes me less nervous to interact with people above me because I do know what to say and how to start the conversation even if I do feel awkward.

Making a Good First Impression

In the Business and working world, first impressions are very important.  You always want to come off to the other as an easygoing and friendly person. A great smile, eye contact, and confidence are essential keys to first meeting a "boss," an interviewer for a potential job opening, or in this case a mentor.  If you are expecting be treated well or highly respected, dressing appropriately and being punctual are extremely important. Not only does it show your character, but also tells the person what kind of worker they potentially have. Also, no one wants a worker who is consistently lazy or unenthusiastic while on the job.  People look forward to smiles and people who really know what they are talking about and show they're excited about the job. 

Starting a new job can be difficult at times because of the new changes you will face. Change can mean a new challenge in your life or even less (or more) stress. With a new job or phase there comes several people, questions, and rules. You should always have your social skills ready and handy to work with others. If you disagree with what someone thinks or says, you should be able to have your own opinion, but understand what and when the right time is to state what you think. When people ask you about yourself, always tell them the positive things such accomplishments, goals and projects you have been involved in or any other achievements you think are important.  Most importantly, always be yourself and make a lasting impression.