Reflection - 10/4/2019
At the end of the campus-culture change meeting, Roel Snieder closed with saying to all of us in the room, "For now, I would not hesitate to dream and think boldly. It is better to decide we will not work on a plan then that we lose out on an opportunity that could be a game changer." He was obviously talking about Every Oredigger programming and evaluation, but I have also applied it to my practicum. Based on the previous journals, I have been dreading the many meetings that I have to attend for this practicum, but I have yet to realize the importance of such opportunities. Reading and reflecting upon my past entries, I now understand that I grow from each meeting in addition to acquiring helpful information. For example, this growth can be seen in newfound confidence in meetings where I feel more comfortable to participate. In addition, the self-improvement can be seen in my organizational skills where I am used to planning many meetings, events, contacts, and emails relating to my practicum. Finally, I see myself as more motivated than before now that I have a concrete path to my goal; the steps and tasks I have set up for myself have been made, and all that is left is completing them.
Referring back to Professor Snieder's quote, I believe it is beneficial to dream and think boldly--sometimes one can get too carried away with practicality and logistics and lose sight of the bigger picture. I now see every meeting I have as an opportunity to be a "game changer" for my practicum. I now appreciate the experiences in sitting in board rooms and coordinating policy changes--for this is my practicum experience. I may not have intended to do this, but my goal in improving mental health at the Colorado School of Mines has led me here.