Presentations!

So these last two weeks we gave presentations and they were great!

I really enjoyed hearing everyone's trials and triumphs with their projects and how much they have learned about themselves. I look forward to continuing working with the Project committee members in any way that I can.
I hope that with all of the great ideas for Project 2014 that the committees are able to make it AWESOME! I am eager to see how it will turn out.
I also hope that with the relationship building that has been going on with our Holly Street group that it can be utilized to also make Project even more fantastic!

In regards to the class as a whole I am glad that I decided to take this course because I have learned a lot about service learning and community projects that I hope will be beneficial in my future social work courses. I had never considered community work, but after taking this course I feel like I may want to try!

Also I would like to say that I really have enjoyed blogging, I may have to start it as a hobby!

Good luck on your finals!
I am sure you will all do great!

Final Project

I do apologize for falling behind its been a busy past two weeks.

But anyways, This project has been a different one for me. The structure of this class alone was very different for me and I have really enjoyed that learning is encouraged at one's own pace and direction. I have learned a lot about service learning and I hope that through my own research and my social work courses I can continue to learn how to help communities.

I have also realized that trying to organize the information may be more difficult than I presumed. We may have been a little overambitious in our tasks that we wanted to complete, well at least in my part. But I have also realized that certain aspects of a project may take longer than other aspects.

Another realization that I have come to see is that I will need to continue to work with the Volunteer Management committee to help them continue to improve TL trainings and ways to increase service learning. It has been interesting bouncing ideas with Amory, the committee, and my own project group.

I hope that tomorrow's presentation goes well, and I am eager to hear what everyone has done!

Wasteland

During the film of Wasteland there were many moments where I saw myself in Vik's shoes whenever he made a more personal connection. Whenever I first started doing volunteer work I knew that it was required of me to attend these agencies and volunteer. What I did not expect to happen was the personal connections and realizations that would come with the experience. I had never volunteered in the types of agencies I chose, so I did try my best to enter each setting with open eyes and no judgement. I was eager to help as much as I could, and in a sense I think it opened me up more to being able to make a personal connection.

Each new situation in life allows you to make a decision on how you respond and what you will do for yourself. I truly respected the Jardim Garmacho crew because although they had all been dealt different cards in life they did what they could to still strive for a good life. But we would have never learned of their situation if Vik had not gone down there and displayed their lives. For me this was the most special moment, because Vik took what they knew and used it to help them. Instead of coming in with the all-mighty know-it-all attitude, he used items they knew and could relate too.

Lastly this film reminded me of the blessings that I do have, and receive on a regular basis. I have been able to live a good life, and have a family that supports my decision. Seeing the struggle of these people reminded me that not every person in this world has as easy going a life as I do. 

A Wicked Problem

This is uber late, so sorry about it! I went home for the weekend and got caught up in the festivities.

So something that I was thinking about while driving back to Austin was how big the city was and how there were a lot of people and a lot of cars in the city. Which led me to think about how crazy it is that we fit all those people and their cars in one place! Coming from a small town I am used to a city being much more spread out, and that there is never a worry about whether one can park or not. n Austin there is also a concern about where you will park and that you will have to pay for that parking spot. For citizens commuting in and out of the city not only do they pay for gas but they must also get a parking pas to ensure that they will have somewhere to park their car and not get towed.
Transportation is a huge ordeal and issue around the city because depending on where you live, and whether you have access to resources that you are in need of. There is the option of city buses, but one must plan for extra commuting time to ensure you get to where you are going on time.
Transportation is a huge issue for many, and planning for it can bring up problems as well. Because there is only so much more space to add highways, or more bus routes due to funding and space. How do we make it more comfortable for citizens without extending the areas of cities, which in turn puts people farther from their job.
Also for students there are resources placed closer to where they are living for the semester, but are in turn more expensive because of their convenience. So a student may decide to take a trip to an HEB or Wal-mart, but if they don't have a car will have to ride the bus which will take up hours of their day.

Transportation is very important to our society, but living in bigger cities can restrict how close or far away from the resources. Or living in a smaller city can also restrict how easy it is to access a resource.

Unexplained Incidents

Lately it has been on my mind how often there are situations in our lives that we just can not control or they happen with no clear explanation. My first semester of college seemed to be full of these situations.

Going into college I was pretty nervous about how it would go, and how I would be able to handle being on my own. Being on my own was a very scary situation and I was so nervous. My grandmother had been diagnosed with cancer in summer of 2009 and it had been a battle ever since. Well a month before the semester started the doctor told my family that my grandmother did not have much longer to live. I knew this whenever I started the semester but with the excitement of school and my mother's assuring texts I was not worried about my grandmother leaving me anytime soon. Well class began on Wednesday, but I knew that I would be going home for the weekend for Labor Day Holiday so I would get to spend time with my family. That Friday all seemed well and I had spoken to my friend who is also from Brownwood and she needed me to take some of her personal items back to Brownwood. Well as I was walking back from one of my classes my mother called me urgently and said that I needed to be home soon and that my dad was going to drive to Austin to come get me. I didn't question anything and headed to my friend's dorm to get her things before my dad arrived. Whenever I arrived at her dorm, we began to chat and she told me that she had decided that she too was going home for the weekend. I thought oh, well why ask my dad to come down here, if I could just ride with my friend. At first I did not realize that this "lucky" opportunity, was a blessing in disguise. Whenever I arrived to my hometown my mom finally told me why it was so urgent for me to be home. My grandmother wasn't going to be with us much longer and I needed to say goodbye.
I hadn't realized until much later that my friend going home that day was a great blessing, something that couldn't really be explained. I just happened to be lucky to show up to her dorm before she decided that she was going to head home. My grandmother passed away later in the night but I was able to see her, and accept that she wasn't going to be with us anymore. The extra time that I received through arriving early was something that I appreciated. I was able to bond with my family and we were all able to pray together and it was a blessing to know that we were in it together.
The scenarios surrounding my grandmother's run with cancer and her death were all so unexpected and I could never fully understand why it happened to her. 

A month and a half later, on October 16th I was in a car accident. I had fallen asleep at the wheel, and rolled my car 7 times. I can't remember much about the rolling but I do remember being so scared whenever my world had finally stopped spinning. I did not have any serious injuries, or at least ones I considered serious. My biggest injury was a chip on my shoulder bone that needed to be healed. I didn't mind that I was "broken" but the few bruises and sores that I had were worth it because I was alive. This scenario is something that could have been prevented had I not fallen asleep but it still affected me in a way that I could not explain what happened afterwards. I had never been injured before so it was new to me the restrictions that are in place whenever you have broken limbs. I have always been a very independent individual, so even with my arm in a sling I still tried my very best to do everything on my own. My feelings and emotions were raging from not being able to be at my full ability and it angered me to feel so limited. Being in this situation unknowingly taught me to be more gentle and accepting of others who were maybe not up to "normal" speed. It also showed me how to be more willing to receive help and allow others to be there for me. I couldn't handle everything on my own and it took me a while to accept this.
Not being fully able-bodied for a few months was something I had not anticipated my first year in college, but it led to many other opportunities that may or may not have happened due to my unexplained accident. 

Family Matters

I didn't blog last week, but I hope that this can make up for both weeks. I've really been thinking on the topic a lot lately! 

So this Spring Break instead of going on an actual vacation I decided to just head to my hometown and hang out with my parents. Which pretty much meant I went home, slept a lot, and ate more than I needed too. But it was otherwise a great time and I really enjoyed being home with my family and getting to spend time with my foster siblings. Hanging out with them really got me thinking about how important a family is in shaping a child and I really was sad that these children don't always have the best support systems. So that is what I would like to talk about, the importance of family support.

I come from a very large central and extended family who are a huge part of my life. Growing up I knew that there were always people around who cared about me and wanted what was best for me. My parents are awesome people and have always provided my brother and I with any and everything we ever needed or wanted. Mind you, we weren't spoiled, but blessed with parents who did their best to raise us. We played city league sports, and participated in tons of extracurricular activities in school. Our parents really pushed AJ and I to try our best in everything we did, and to never give up on something that you really wanted. All of this being said, I know that compared to many others I lived a fairly stress-free life growing up and didn't ever worry about much until 2009 whenever my mom's mother got cancer. Cancer comes with a lot of worry and sadness, but as a family we stayed strong while she was with us, and even now that she is no longer on earth. I know that no matter what I always have a family to run to when I am down, and someone that will catch me if I'm falling. 

My parents recently became foster parents, and this has been a new experience for my whole family. Of course we all have been loving and excepting of the children, but when my parents first said they wanted to do this, I was kind of lost. So when my mom and I finally had a time to really talk about it, she told me all the reasons she wanted to do foster care. She brought up my childhood and how she wanted to be able to be good parents to children who needed it. This answer made me realize that there were so many children that come from homes not like my own, and this really did hit me hard. It was hard for me to imagine that not everyone had wonderful parents like my own, or awesome extended family members who were there for them at any moment. Now that my parents have children in our home I do the best I can to show them what a loving, caring family is like. We have mainly smaller children, 5 and under so they are not as affected as older children but it is still noticeable. They have their moments whenever they cry for their parents, or act out because they just came home from a visit. My heart always aches when I see them hurting because I know that none of this is their fault, but they are too young to understand the situation. In these scenarios I feel a little lost because I can not relate with the children, but can only hope that the few comforting things I do will show them that I am trying. 

This break with my family has reminded me of how much I love them, and how much I love that we have become a foster family. Even though some days are tough, and the kids don't warm up as fast as we thought, there are still those few shining moments that happen. 

Education, Education

So lately I have been thinking a lot about education and the video we watched in class on monday. I remember being in the school system and seeing other children who were just not that excited to be at school. I watched a documentary called the lottery which spoke about the charter school system and how the children were all just randomly selected to sttend these schools. The film showcased several families that were eager for their children to attend these schools. These families were already teaching their chidren the alphabet and how to spell their names. This eagerness for education is something that I hope is happening around our country.

With my younger sisters (who are 5 & 7), I have noticed that they are beyond eager to know what I am doing when I just say "homework". I can barely get away with this response anymore because they want to know exactly what kind of homework it is. They want to read what I read, watch what I watch, and understand what I am doing. This is a great benefit for them because they have grown up with role models, and are given the tools to succeed. But what about the other kids who don't have older siblings for role models or the tools to succeed in the American school systems.
I feel as though these children, the ones left behind or placed on a slower track should be more thought about. Give them opportunities to progress, and if they need the access to a role model they should be able to have one.

Another thing that has been stuck in my mind as of late, was the Save Texas Schools Rally that happened on March 23rd. Longhorn LULAC, which I am also involved in, was present there to express their feelings about legislation that may change Texas schools. There are changes that are affecting the whole state, but it seems as though not many are taking action. As college students we are seen as young, still eager for change,  but I feel as though we shouldn't be the only ones. If you want something to change, you must be the change. Corny I know, but I know there will be many complaints after legislation changes or stays the same from people who did nothing to show their interest. I guess where I'm going with this is that I hope people who know their importance as a citizen are voicing their opinions and voting when their are elections.

Sorry this is so late, I wasn't sure what I wanted to blog about!

Project: We came, we volunteered, we loved it!

Soooo in case you weren't there this weekend (in which case you missed out), Project was a total success! I am grateful for the experience of being a Team Lead because I got to see all of the work that gets put into Project to make it happen. The day was long but worth it to help out a community who was welcoming. I had a little bit of a hectic Project days, but it was worth it! 
Also I should mention that my sister, who is in the 2nd grade, sent me her Flat Stanley to take on adventures throughout Austin and I took Flat Stanley to Project, so he is in a few of the pictures from the day!

Friday
Because I knew I had to be up before 5 to be at the SSB, I figured I would go to bed early so that I would be able to be as helpful as possible the next morning. But I still went to a baseball game with some friends, which was easy going and the Longhorns won! 

Watching some Longhorn Baseball!

Saturday

When we first all arrived at the SSB!

5:00 AM - I had woken up, gotten dressed and was ready to head to the SSB. When I arrived it was a great to see so many of the other Team Leads, Committee Members and Exec there ready to start the day! We all began to talk about what still needed to be done, and had some breakfast to get us going for the day. We continued to get things in order until it was time to get the volunteers on the bus. 

Had a burnt orange donut for breakfast #hookem

7:30 AM - The volunteers began to arrive and my job as a Team Lead was to make sure the volunteers were on the bus and be sure that the bus actually got to Dove Springs. This was a slightly crazy, hectic job in that there were a lot of volunteers to manage and be sure that they got on and were not left. At my Team Lead trainings they reminded me that I would be one of the first few faces that the volunteers saw so I did my best to remain positive through out the day. On my bus we had a great time, singing to the music on the radio and getting excited about helping out in the community! 

Some really excited volunteers with Flat Stanley!

9:00 - 11:30 AM - So during this time things got really crazy on the buses and we were doing our best to make sure the volunteers were going to the right buses that would take them to the right sites to volunteer. I honestly felt like I lost my brain for a second during this time because the buses were pretty chaotic. But as soon as the chaos happened it seemed to slow down and things were smoothly running again. We began to drop off students at their sites where they would help, and began to head back to the SSB to pick up the 2nd group of volunteers. 

12:00-2:30 PM - This was lunch time for both shifts of volunteers and the food was phenomenal! Longhorn Steakhouse provided food for everyone that was present at Project 2013 which was a ton of people! Every volunteer I spoke to said the food was great. 

2:30-4:30 PM - So during this time the bus crew had no volunteers to bus around, so we were able to stay at the Rec Center and help and see what was being done around this area. The crews around the Rec Center were painting the swimming pool pavilion. I asked them for a quick favor, if they would take a picture with Flat Stanley and they said yes! Shortly after taking this picture, the Bat Mobile showed up! Flat Stanley got a picture with the Bat Mobile too. 

Some awesome volunteers!

Bat Mobile! Woooo!

4:30-7:00 PM - This was the time period in which everything really began to slow down, and as all of the volunteers returned to campus we headed toward Mendez Middle School to finish packing up the tools and reflect on the day. By this time I felt really tired but relieved that the day was almost done and we had done so much for this awesome community. Any community members I saw were welcoming and kind, saying many thanks for us being there. 

Assembly Line at its Finest!

Overall feelings of the day: Although I did not actually get to paint, or clean an area I enjoyed helping on the buses, and getting to see the volunteers before and after they arrived at a site. Seeing this many Longhorns come together, showed me the passion that many people at our university have for helping others. I hope that I have the opportunity to help with Project 2014! 

University-Community Partnerships

This week's readings were focused mainly on the responsibility that universities who received land during the Land-Grant Act, and how there is a certain expectation of these universities to give back to the communities in which they are located. While reading the two articles I could not help but to begin to compare the private university in my hometown to these larger public universities. I thought back through my childhood and how I couldn't remember a specific time in which that university did something for the community. So whenever we began to talk and read about how larger universities have gone through phases of community engagement, I was taken aback. I had never before thought or expected large universities to be so engaged in the community. The history of university engagement really blew me away and I am feel proud now to know that I am attending a university that stays engaged with its community. I also saw how there was a change from the universities coming in as the all mighty fixers of all problems, and became collaborators with the community. This shift in roles I feel has strengthened the trust that the community has in the university and has also given the university a new view on how teaching and learning works. During my Team Lead meetings it has been said numerous times that we are there to help and collaborate, not dictate and overrun. This thought process is something that I continue really think about to ensure that I go into the community with an open mind and do not come in trying to solve only the problems that I see.

Project Feelings: Being a social work pre-major, I feel as though many people in the social work building have a natural caring personality and I love to help others and empower them to make the best decisions for them. I had assumed that only social work students were so engaged in the community, since it shows us first hand how people are living and gives us a better understanding of their lives. But coming into Global Project Development and learning about Project 2013 I see now that it is not only the social work students who are engaged and volunteering with the community. Seeing students from so many backgrounds being engaged in Project really excites me and makes me want to continue being apart of it. I am also very thankful that they asked us to complete the trainings to better equip us on the day on Project because I have learned a lot about the community and have a much better understanding going into it.

Community Thoughts/Feelings: I am a member of the organization Longhorn LULAC and our chapter's president has been in Washington DC for a couple of days at a conference. He has been sharing his experience and posting pictures as much as he can on Facebook. Today while on Facebook I saw that he had posted the link to an article that was speaking about how large the hispanic community is in Texas and how within 20 years we will make up half the population in Texas. I feel as though the hispanic community's growth is an excellent thing, but I also worry about how we can better educate minority groups. Minorities generally live in low income areas, and even though the hispanic community is large, they do not understand or know their rights so they do not participate in voting elections. We as citizens have a right to vote and have our voice heard. I hope that in the coming years we can find ways to educate the minority communities and allow their voices to be heard as well.

I know this is lengthy so I applaud anyone who reads it. I was feeling and thinking about a lot while writing tonight.

By the way, Project is about to be here! Soo excited!

Community Readings and Thoughts

While reading the article over Articulated Learning it really got me thinking about how I will reflect on my experience with Dove Springs whenever I have left the area. I want to leave the area and have more to say than, "It was such a great experience." In the first few pages its explained how reflections and true articulated learning can be achieved through a model. I feel as though it is a good idea to allow students, volunteers the opportunity to reflect, but I also feel that for some the impact and cause may be felt differently. Before I became really educated about the Dove Springs community, I don't feel as though my passion and drive would be the same as a volunteer who knows very little about the community's situation and background. Also as a Pre-Social Work major, we are required to take introductory courses and are taught that for many people a situation is much more complex than we can imagine. Before taking these classes I myself never thought that situations were that complex: if you are being abused, you leave, it was that simple. As I have taken more Social Work classes, and been at the university longer I have learned that situations are never easily understood. But to get back on topic, I feel as though these lessons and classes have prepared me much more to approach people in the community with confidence and compassion. I am thankful that I am learning so much about the community so that I do not seem naive or ignorant whenever I arrive on the 26th. For my classmates and myself it will very important that we approach the community in a calm, but helpful manner. No one likes a tyrant who runs in controlling everyone and everything. There was also a word in the text that I really liked and hope that I can be this during the day of Project. The word is "stimulator" and is used in the context of, " Someone who rouses activity in other individuals, which later becomes self-sustaining." This example of a leader is a great one, because I hope that in all that we do in the Dove Springs community that we stimulate them into continuing to help themselves. I hope that whenever I reflect on this experience that I am able to fully appreciate and find a purposeful meaning to it.

In the beginning of the reading over Reciprocity in Service Learning, it talked about how if a university partners with a community, many times it seems as a situation of “tutoring the poor,” instead of an empowering situation. This is a situation example has been repeated throughout my Team Lead training, and the use of empowerment is something that is often preached and praised in my social work classes. I feel as a Pre-social work major all of these trainings are something that I may have to go through as a social worker. Another thing is that I really feel as though these trainings are so beneficial to the Team Leads in that it is reminding us that we will be meeting people with different backgrounds and perspectives as ours. These trainings have really shown me and reminded me how some people may be very welcoming and others may not be as happy about our presence. Critical consciousness is something that should be practiced on a regular basis to bridge the gap between the “oppressors” and the “oppressed”.  The thought process on bridging these two groups is about promoting honest dialogue. Being honest and truthful is something that my parents have always taught me to be with them and anyone else I meet. They would tell me if we didn’t have enough money to do things, or to remember that not everyone’s life situation is the same as mine. This type of honest dialogue in my household, allows me to better understand when others are being honest with me.

These readings have really highlighted and enlightened me on issues that may occur in the Dove Springs community whenever we attend Project 2013. I hope that these readings will help me to be the best volunteer I can be. 

Collective Me

The purpose of this assignment is to identify your “collective me” that has shaped your social identity. Choose 5 items that represent your social identities (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ability, religion, social class, nationality, age, size) that have influenced your worldview or behavior. These items might include photographs, pieces of art, jewelry, piece of clothing, or anything you believe has significant influence on how you perceive and behave in the world.

Ethnicity: Mexican 
So most of my life I have identified with Mexican-Americans because growing up whenever I was asked "what" I was I said Mexican. Both sets of my grandparents are from Mexico originally and my parents were both born in the US. Growing up we went to Mexico 2 to 3 times a year and for me that was normal. I love my Mexican heritage because it has shown me how important family and tradition are. My family is pretty close knit and that has affected me a lot. We do a lot together and I really love the time I have with them. Both of my grandmothers have always been excellent cooks, so family time always has the best food. My Wela Cortez, which is my mother's mom, got cancer in July of 2009 and whenever we found out it was as if our rock had been broken. While we took care of her, we got closer than we ever were and for me this showed me how important our culture and tradition was. We do a lot of stuff together and I am so thankful. I also had a quinceanera, which is a huge tradition in Mexico. It marks the transition from childhood to womanhood, there is a church ceremony and a dance after the church. 

Nationality: American 
Growing up in America is very different than other countries. There are many advantages to living in the United States, and many of which I would not have ever known if my family wouldn't have made regular trips to Mexico like we did. Normal things like TV, American football, gummy candies and so many other things are really expensive or nonexistence. I saw things that were shocking and not "normal" in Mexico. I saw people living in shacks, and sometimes had to use bathrooms that weren't in the best shape. I would come home after most trips so thankful for the country that I grew up in. We have many things that are so normal here that are taken for granted. Things that were popular in the US in the 90s, would show up in Mexico five years later. We are progressive as a nation, and I am so used to this that I forget that we as a country are ahead in technology and many other areas.

Ability: Able bodied 
I feel as though sometimes I forget that I am young and healthy until I get sick or injured. During 2011 I was in a car accident that left me disabled for about 4 months. Before my accident I had not realized how accustomed I was to be able to use my legs and arms so easily. I grew up playing sports and being so active I never got injured or anything too drastic. So whenever I was in my car accident I was not used to being disabled. My shoulder was in a sling for 4 months and I was only allowed to do minimal movement. This was the hardest thing ever for me because I still wanted to do everything I was doing before and did not like to ask for help. But after a while I learned it was really hard to wash my dishes with one hand, or fix my hair. This experience with being disabled for a short period of time, showed me how blessed I am to not have been permanently injured.

Social class: middle 
Growing up in the middle class I never had to worry about financial situations or being worried I wouldn't have food to eat for meals.  Of course I didn't get every single toy I wanted or drive a luxury car, but my life was never really difficult. But I also have been around family members who are considered to be in the lower class and this has helped to shape me as well. My grandmother never had a lot of money and was receiving help from the government. I never knew this or noticed whenever I was younger. Growing up I realized it but I never thought to much on it because I knew that she loved me and really that was all I needed. We never got many gifts from her, and honestly didn't mind it because we knew that gifts were not the same as quality time. In many ways I am thankful in having grown up in the middle class and being shown by my parents that working hard can pay off and provide for your family. I am also thankful that I got to see how some in the lower class lived to appreciate what I had in my life.

Age: 20 
Right now I am 20, and well I feel like 20 year olds everywhere are doing different things. I have friends having babies, another battling cancer and many like myself in college right now. Twenty is kind of an awkward age where you are still trying to figure out how to be an adult but a lot has changed since 18 and high school. Friends change, you move away, and your parents start to get older. I still talk to the few really close friends I have but things and topics have changed. Its more about politics and bills than just football and music. Being at the University of Texas has taught and shown me a lot about myself that I feel I would have never learned if I would have stayed in my hometown and gone to university there. I recently started paying bills that I have and I've learned that things aren't as simple as I thought whenever I was younger. Looking back I never expected to be where I am at age 20. Dreams and life goals change but I'm glad that my life is where it is right now, 20 has been good so far.

Bonus: Smalltown Community
So I really wanted to write about my hometown and I'm not exactly sure where it fits in the identities but it has shaped me as well so I figured I would just include it as a bonus! 
I grew up in a small central Texas town where everyone knows everyone and football is a HUGE deal. Brownwood was good to me growing up and I loved being in such a tight knit community. My brother and I played a lot of sports growing up and we have made lifelong friends there. There were two boys in particular growing up that I have become so close to that now I consider them apart of my family. They have always been there for me and my brother and i love them to pieces. My dad has also coached most of my life, and he is pretty well known in our town. He and my mother showed me how to treat all people with kindness, no matter their status. I am glad that I lived in a place like Brownwood before I came to Austin because it showed me that little towns have a lot to offer as well as big cities like Austin.

Craft Model Questions

Hey guys!
So this week we are to answer these 5 questions, I hope you enjoy my responses (:

1. How do you see creativity being practiced and of use in your daily life?
I live in a co-op and I feel like people in my house are constantly being creative in how they express their feelings and how they handle situations in the house. There are also quite a few foreign exchange students and it is always interesting to listen to how they handle a new situation with their own creative mind. I also speak to my mom daily about any and everything and she is always telling me about new things my god-siblings do, which is normally something creatively surprising. I love hearing about their development and always have a giggle whenever they are being super creative. I have also always admired how creative my mom can be with the children she babysits, she can make the smallest thing they do, seem like the biggest achievement. I realized a couple years back that my creativity is similar to my mother's in that we both are very determined women and will find a way to get what we want. I also love crafting and if I had more free time I would craft all day. It is relaxing for me and I love the feeling of creating something.

2. Discuss what you learned from the examples in the text (Beginner’s guide to community-based arts) and how you would apply these strategies when entering a community like Dove Springs to work on your project.
While reading the text I loved the creativeness and different approaches. The project that I specifically signed up for at Project 2013 is the community health fair and I am eager to be apart of this portion of Project. I feel that communities are so important to the development of people and if a community as a whole takes a stand to change something, then I feel the impact would be much stronger. I really enjoyed the quote from the book, "Everyone's viewpoint is like a part of a wheel.... only by listening to all the different perspectives can you get the whole wheel rolling." I have always been the type of person who loves to get to know people and know where they stand. I feel that in the community we are going into we need to listen to all of the viewpoints and remember that to help the community as a whole, we still need to research and find out what it is that people are feeling or think needs to be done for THEIR community.

3. What might be forsaken in your project work if a balance is not maintained between the stages of the CRAFT model (contact-research-action-feedback-teaching)?


I feel that if any of these stages become unbalanced that the project would suffer. Each of these stages is needed. If there was a mishap in the contact stage the project would most likely not start or be prolonged. If there are mishaps in any of these stages it could make the project a littler harder or you could lose sight of why the project began. There can be healthy changes to a project but also you can become so absorbed by one aspect of the project and neglect the others. It is very important to maintain a healthy balance.

4. How have the program examples in the text helped you to think about barriers to open communication, assumptions about a community and its residents, and common goals you and the people in the community share?
Barriers to communication are something that I often get nervous about during projects with communities. I feel as though there can be the barrier of lack of understanding and being the outsider and I hope that this barrier is not in the Dove Springs community. I also feel that the text reminded me that assumptions about communities can be changed, and I thought of my experience volunteering with homeless street youth. I assumed that they were all rude and would hurt me. After the first month of volunteering my assumptions went away and I was also able to kind of pass over a barrier of misunderstanding and really began to get to know the street youth much better. With common goals I hope that I do not lose sight of the goals of the community while I am so eagerly trying to be as helpful as I can. (I sometimes can be overly helpful and over bearing and I am afraid it scares people lol.)

5. Which of the programs described in the book resonated with you the most and why?
The story "Comadres" resonates with me the most because both sets of my grandparents are from Mexico and I to have felt the sting of Mexican stereotypes. I admire these women and their vision. They are strong Mexican women and they remind me of my Wela Cortez. My Wela, mom and two of her sisters would always hang out on sunday nights like the comadres did. The phrase, "We support, We remember, We fight, We Learn, We inspire each other. We never give up no matter how hard it gets. We are Luchadoras (Fighters)", really stuck with me because this is how my mother, her sisters and my Wela would embrace and support each other.

So sorry this is late!

Introduction and Goals

HI! My name is Aranda Salazar and I am a 2nd year Social Work major. I'm from Brownwood, Texas which is a small town but really an awesome place to grow up. I am SOOOOOOO excited to be attending such a wonderful and prestige university and I hope that my time here shapes me into a super, wonderful, awesome human being who changes the world!
A few things about myself:

• I LOVEEEEE MY FAMILY. They are my biggest motivators and supporters and without them I would be lost. I have three younger god siblings that I get to spend a lot of time with and they are one of the reasons that I try so hard in school, so that they can have a good role model. This is a picture of them!
• I love the spirit and tradition at UT. I came from a small town where football was really important and the passion and love for the game was very noticeable. So whenever I came to UT, (not only for academic reasons, lol) I knew that it also had a great amount of tradition and spirit so I would fit right in with many other dedicated fans. 
• I get a little loud. Sometimes I speak too loudly and forget where I am. If I do this in class, just give me a friendly reminder to use my inside voice.
• I live at Pearl St. Co-op and I love it there! If you ever have any questions about the co-op style of living, I'm you're girl!
• My parents recently became foster parents and we have had 5 precious angels stay in our home. I may randomly smile in class or say something about small people, and many times I am either going to talk about my foster siblings or my god siblings and most stories will be accompanied by a photo.
 

My goals for this course are to gain more experience with community work and I look forward to volunteering with the Dove Springs community. Being a social work major we are required to volunteer 90 hours before we can apply to the major, and the organizations that I have volunteered with have been beyond awesome. I am so excited to help out with Project 2013.

 

P.S. Sorry this is late, I came home for the weekend and forgot how consumed by my family I get whenever I am here.