Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive Statement

I am really proud of the overall out come. I am most specifically proud of my knowledge of the different programs the American Cancer Society provides and the differences between theirs and the programs provided by other organizations.

(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your 2-Hour Presentation (self-assessment)?

AE      

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?

P

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

In my senior project, the thing that worked for me the most were efforts to find more. In a way this ties in with my second answer. "Empowering yourself with knowledge" When the hospital gave me such a minimal amount to do, I knew it wasn't going to be enough. I used my ability to go out and ask for more. That lead me to the American Cancer society. When I first went there they were skeptical about letting me participate in anything else besides office work. Though with persistence I was able to gain the trust and confidence of the staff. I was eventually trusted to attend events on my own and represent the American Cancer Society. This was a very big accomplishment for me. I was very proud of myself to go out and represent the American Cancer Society all on my own. 

(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would have you done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time? 

Mentoring at the hospital. While majority of my hours and interviews came from there I felt I learned the least there. From the people during my interviews I did learn a few things, though since my mom is also an employee at the hospital I feel I could have found ways around being a volunteer and still met the nurses. Though I did enjoy helping people I learned the least about my topic from that experience.

(5) Finding Value

How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples.

My senior project opened my eyes to how much I enjoy helping people. Beforehand I really didn't understand that I had such a passion for helping people. For instance when I was at the hospital and people would ask me for water I felt it. Now it may not seem like bringing water to people can truly help. But such a simple gesture in a desperate time of need really does help people and it really does matter to them. You can see the gratitude on their faces. 

The American Cancer Society really helps people at every event they attend. When I attended the Pasadena women's health convention I could see the excitement and gratefulness on the faces of the women that the american cancer society was there. 

Susan G Komen

Home Page

American Cancer Society

Breast Cancer link

American Cancer Society home page

Cancer tattoo

A co-worker of mine came in today with a new tattoo in support of cancer research. I thought it was beautiful and he told me the story behind the tattoo and I explained my project to him.

Reach to Recovery

Reach to Recovery

2 hr.

Today I have put the final touches on my 2 hr. Now I just have to mentally prepare for and rehearse until Thursday

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legistaltive ambassador email update.

This reminder is being sent to all ACS CAN California Volunteer Legislative Ambassadors & select staff.

Dear ACS CAN California Ambassadors:

We are looking forward to our call tomorrow evening and hopefully you will be able to join your Ambassador Constituent Team (ACT!) for the California Ambassador Quarterly Call at 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time.  Attached is the agenda, which includes the dial-in information as well as a sample agenda for your ACT! Team Meetings for those of you gathering together in groups.  We hope ACT! Leads will complete the ACT! Team Report Back Form and return it to the ACS CAN California Office no later than Friday, May 24th.

Important:  We have a new conference call provider, so it will not be necessary for you to join the call early as well will not have an operator-assisted call.  Please keep in mind that all participant lines will be muted for the duration of the conference call so please do not use any previous codes on your touch tone phone to mute or unmute your phone line as some of those old codes will actually disconnect your phone line.  For those of you who may have questions, there will be an opportunity to ask your question after the official adjournment of the call, which should be around 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time.  We will stay on to answer any questions.

We are also very fortunate to have Pam Traxel from the ACS CAN Washington, DC Office join us for tomorrow's call to talk about ACS CAN Fundraising.  Attached is also a document for your reference.

If you did not have an opportunity to complete the Spring Ambassador Survey, it is still open and available.  We hope you will take a few minutes to answer the questions as it will help us prepare Ambassador Biographies.  Please copy and paste the web address into your Internet browser:

Legislative ambassador 2

I participated in the legislative ambassador survey today. This survey helps the people who run the program understand how people are willing to help. It also helps them to run the program smoother in the future.

Legislative Ambassador

On april 22nd, I officially received my legislative ambassadors badge in the mail. I hope to attend many events where I can use it.

CPS3

As a part of a CPS3 champion (cancer prevention study) I am able to go volunteer and help sign people in to be a part of the study. I sat at the front desk checking people in and giving them instructions for the rest of the day. The study consist of a survey, a waist measurement, a blood sample and the ability to make a long term commitment over the span of 20-30 years.
The first Cancer Prevention Study linked smoking to lung cancer.

Caring for the caregiver.

On Tuesday april 30th I attended an event at San Antonio Community hospital. The event was entitled "caring for the caregiver" and featured The American Cancer Society and the programs they provide for caregivers, as well as a presentation by Kim Hurley-Smith.

Blog 25: mentorship

Literal:
log
Kim Vollers, San Antonio community hospital; 9099852811
Janice Chow American Cancer Society; 6265646078
Interpretive: The most important thing I experienced was the willingness people had to help others. The nurses and workers at the American Cancer Society wanted to help people. They weren't there because it was their job the genuinely wanted to help people, and that is why it was their job. They truly appreciate every moment of it.
Applied: Working with the american cancer society in person and as well as over the phone and email in unlisted hours, showed me the help they have to offer. It really helped me in choosing to  say that families need to use the resources provided by and stay in contact with the American Cancer Society as my best answer. Not only that seeing the materials provided by the American cancer society at the hospital and seeing their involvement in their events helped me a great deal as well.
Though being at the hospital and receiving a chance to talk to the nurses and hear their feedback was a wonderful opportunity I am glad I did not miss out on. My second answer, empowering families with knowledge stems from what both my mentor Livia Vargas said in interview number two and what Jamie Anderson said in interview 3.

Exit interview questions

1) What is your essential question?  What is the best answer to your question and why?

How can a family best cope with a breast cancer diagnosis? My best answer is to stay in contact with and use the resources provided by the American Cancer Society. It is very easy to tell people to go get help, however help isn't always easy to find. The American Cancer Society helps you help yourself. This non-profit organization has many different programs such as the Reach to Recovery program where women with breast cancer are paired with other women who have the same diagnosis and treatment as them to meet and show they are not alone. The american cancer society also provides a 24 hour hotline, constant updated research and countless events for survivors and their families throughout the year.

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

I volunteered at multiple places throughout my mentorship, and every where I went the American Cancer Society was a part of that. Their pamphlets, speakers, and influence is greatly seen. At the hospital I volunteer at pamphlets provided by the American Cancer Society are given to the patients so that they can help themselves figure out what to do next. I used cancer.org constantly throughout my research as well

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

When I first began volunteering at San Antonio Community hospital I wasn't allowed to do much and I realized that it wasn't going to good enough for the year. I couldn't exactly learn much from filling up water glasses and wheeling out patients. That's when I decided to volunteer at the American Cancer Society. Unfortunately the closest offices is in Pasadena and I live in Pomona. But I made the commitment to drive out there despite having transportation difficulties. My car broke down 2 times driving home late at night on the 210 fwy and eventually on my way to mentorship caught on fire. Once that happened my parents bought me a new car and I no longer had transportation problems.

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

The American Cancer Society's website really helped me learn cancer facts, and learn about the different programs that the organization provided. Multiple links such as the PDF's placed out every year and the "Find Support, and Treatment" link really helped provide me with great information. 

(5) What is your product and why?

Throughout the course of the mentorship I have become a very active member of many volunteer activities. I participate in CPS3 and the legislative ambassador program. I have really enjoyed helping out these people and plan on participating in these programs for many years to come.

Blog 23

1. Rhaven Innis South House.

2. I actually have two ideas for my senior project. I want to either do experimental psychology or graphic design. I'm choosing experimental psychology because I absolutely am infatuated with anything that has to do your brain and why you do the things you do. It's always been something that I've been completely interested in. I'm choosing graphic design as my fallback option. I love design aesthetics and I think that it's only right for anything to be aesthetically pleasing to the audience.

3. I plan on mentoring at some institution where I can observe children as apart of developmental psychology. I was also thinking of mentoring somewhere where I can work with psychology majors who do experiments on adults. I think it would be cool to take those same experiments and try them on children to see the different results. For graphic design mentorship, I would like to go somewhere like a university of some sort where graphic design is a major study.

4. When watching the senior presentations I hope to gain presentation skills. I don't want to be boring because I heard that these topics that I chose tend to be boring which is always bad. I love these topics and I think they're interesting and I would want my audience to be intrigued as well.

5. How was senior year overall? Wrap it up in one word. I'm considering whether coming back or not because the things that teachers tell us and the things that I hear are pretty persuasive. I don't know if I can handle the stress to tell you the truth. Also what was the hardest part of completing your senior project? What are some valuable tips to "surviving" dreaded senior year?

The hardest part is sticking with it. Towards the end it kinda feels like you just can't do it anymore. But u really am proud of my project and my topic. Don't fall behind on your mentorship! I didn't but I know some people who did and it's gonna suck in the end if you don't keep up with it. It really is worth it to keep going.

Blog 22 3-column chart.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1nd0RQ0Xu-xY2NqbTBDOVFkTGs/edit?usp=sharing

Independent Componet 2

Literal:
A) I, Kendall Delgado, affirm that I completed 10 hours of work towards my 30 for my independent component.
B) The idea for my independent component came from Debbie Motts and Lisa Martinez.
c) I do not have the log of the 30 hours completed due to the fact that some still need to be completed. The hours completed were with Debbie Motts, Lisa Martinez, Carol Stringfella, Liva Vargas, and Pam Hunzeker. I have spoken with all of these women multiple times accumulating my hours trying to set up times and conformations to complete my independent component.
D) I plan on meeting with these women, interviewing them and or their families, and taking pictures of the effects breast cancer has had on their bodies. I plan on placing this all together as a form of book that can be used to share with newly diagnosed women as a coping method.
Interpretative:
Email sent to ogden with names with phone numbers attached.
Applied:
I feel that helping to create a method of coping that families and women can look at I am helping to show that communication and working with the American Cancer Society is very vital. I hope that once I am done these women will appreciate the time and effort I am placing in creating this for them.

Blog 20: three column chart

3 column chart

Senior Project and ESLRs

1. The ESLR that I have demonstrated the most throughout my senior project is the effective communicator.
2. Throughout the course of my mentorship I have greatly demonstrated my ability to excel in this ESLR in many ways. I am able to listen and help people who are older than me in many ways. Ways that demonstrate all levels of this ESLR.
3.  However while I work with them I recognize that it is very important to work on my own. I am never hesitant to take on my own tasks. With the American Cancer Society the first task I was given was for myself alone to be sent to a women's health convention and advocate/set up for them. At the hospital, due to the fact that the nurses are so busy it is my responsibility to go and help on my own. I am given my own tasks/ errands.

2 hour meeting answer #3

1. How can a family best cope with a breast cancer diagnosis?
2. A family can greatly cope and benefit from keeping in contact with and using The American Cancer Society
3. The American Cancer Society every year holds a numerous amount of events that greatly benefit all types of cancer. The american cancer society has many other types of programs for families such as support groups. Not only that they have programs for the diagnosed as an individual such as the look good feel better program. The American Cancer Society holds many ways for any individual to get involved.
4. Cancer.org really helped me because it leads to other links that I can use to learn more about the support programs and other programs available specifically I used the support group. link.
5. I plan to study the making strides against breast cancer event. I also plan to understand more of the breast cancer specific events and attending a breast cancer support group to further my understanding. 

Blog 17: Fourth Interview Questions

1. What is the best way for a family to cope with a breast cancer diagnosis? 
2. How did having breast cancer affect you?
3. How would you describe your life before having breast cancer?
4. And then how would you describe your life after breast cancer?
5. What age were your children at the time of your diagnosis?
6. What treatment did you go through and for how long?
7. What types of coping methods did you personally peruse
8. Did you encourage your family to engage in any coping mechanisms? If you did what were they? If you didn't, do you wish you would have, and what types?
9. Can you describe to me ways that the American Cancer Society is helpful?
10. What roles and or new responsibilities did your husband have to take on?
11. For you as an individual, what was the hardest part of your diagnosis?
12. What was the hardest part for your family?
13. Initially, did you want to tell your kids, and how did you think they would handle it?
14. As time progresses, does it become easier to handle? What makes you think this?
15. Having helped out with the breast cancer support group for a very long time, what can you tell me about how younger children handle knowing about a breast cancer diagnosis?
16. Seeing as you are a founder of the support group, what made you start this group?
17. If you could, would you have started one with your family?
18. Who was your main supporter throughout your treatment? In what was were they there for you and did you notice it taking a toll on them?
19. How did you feel telling your family?
20. If you could say anything to a family struggling with a new diagnosis, what would it be? Is there anything specific you would recommend to them, if so what?

2-Hour Meeting Answer #2

1. How can a family best cope with a breast cancer diagnosis?
2. The family of the diagnosed should empower themselves with knowledge.
3.The family shouldn't leave everything up to the doctor. Nor should they expect that they are going to receive all the information needed from the doctor.
When people hear that they have been diagnosed with cancer their minds instantly go to death. While the doctor is talking they don't hear everything that has been said. It is up to them and their families to look up their diagnosis to fill in those blanks.
Knowing more about something always makes a person feel like they are more in control.
4.In all four of my interviews I was told from their professional opinion, the best way to cope with a cancer diagnosis is through knowledge. My interviews gave me this answer but the source that helped me support it greatly was "Stand By Her- A breast Cancer guide for men."
5.I plan to continue my study of my answer 2 by continuing to work at the American Cancer Society, and by sitting in and working with support groups to see if my answer really is true.

Independent Component approval 2 plan approval

1. I plan on meeting with these women, interviewing them and or their families, and taking pictures of the effects breast cancer has had on their bodies. I plan on placing this all together as a form of book that can be used to share with newly diagnosed women as a coping method.
2.Meeting with the women and doing interviews. Spending time talking to them, taking pictures and really learning their stories
3. This independent component will help show validity with all of my answers by interviewing multiple women and hearing their stories and the way my answers correlate with them.

Independent Component 1

Literal:
A) I Kendall Delgado, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
B) I had a total of two mentors for my independent component, Janice Chow from the American Cancer Society office in Pasadena (213-507-7169). And Brenda Godbold  (661-327-7827) at the office in Bakersfield.
C) hours
D) Throughout working in these two offices as a legislative ambassador, my job has been promoting awareness. While being an ambassador is a long process that I am still in the beginnings of, I was able to help promote awareness through the organization of events. Though at times it seemed tedious it really did help me to see how much work goes into these events. The organization mainly consisted of helping out the office secretaries, making copies, going to the bank, wrapping gifts, setting up booths etc.
Interpretive:

These pictures are clips of my email sent to further me into the process of an ambassador. The photo of the booth above is a booth I set up at a women's health convention in Pasadena.

Applied:

Becoming a legislative ambassador has really helped me with my foundation because it places me in the spot of the people who are there to help. The people I work with go into this because they want to help and promote awareness. They could have done anything with their lives but they chose this. Many people I work with are volunteers as well. So it really helped me to see that while people diagnosed with cancer are going through a hardship there are plenty of others there to help them deal with this process. This also has really helped me to see and understand the awareness aspect of cancer, doing everything there is possible to prevent it from occurring.

With my topic being breast cancer and attending the women's health it helped me to look at other aspects of other adult women's lives. Calling people and asking them to become involved really showed me as well how many people are willing to help.

I hope that as I continue the process I will be one of the ambassadors picked to attend a meeting at the capitol and promote cancer awareness bills to our legislators.

Rough Draft 30 min presentation

30 min rough draft

Third Interview Questions

1. What is the best way to cope with having cancer?
2. After spending so much time with people who have been diagnosed with cancer, what books would you recommend to them?
3. What about the families and friends of the diagnosed? What types of coping methods would you recommend to them?
4. What do you look for in a person that would make you recommend other types of methods to them?
5. How has being around people going through such a hard point in their life effected you?
6. What methods of coping could you recommend to those who are younger?
7. Why would you recommend those?
8. Do you feel that it is important for a person diagnosed to take care of themselves and act as though the disease does not exist? Or they should work with it? Why or why not.
9. To you, does coping with anything difficult in life, not just cancer, take root in taking care of
   themselves as an individual first? Why?
10.  If you could say anything to someone who has been newly diagnosed and has lost hope, what would it be?

Mentorship 10 hours Check

1. I am currently a registered volunteer at both San Antonio Community Hospital in Upland, and a volunteer at the American Cancer Society with my office being the one in Passadena
2. For San Antonio my contact (although she is not my mentor, she keeps track of the volunteer hours) would be Kim Voll ers. You can reach her at (909) 985-2811 or by emailing her (which is preferred)kvollers@sach.org. My contact for the American Cancer Society is Janice.Chow-Ng@cancer.org or  213.427.7292 | Mobile: 213.507.7169
3. At San Antonio I have a total of 42.5 hours and with the American Cancer Society I have 7. Which comes to a total of 49.5
4. The 10 hours of service I did over the summer consisted of helping patients throughout the hospital find there way around. I also helped out visitors and took them to see their relatives as well as check them into the hospital system.