Growth in the Dispositions- reflective thinking and responsible contributing

Although I believe that, I have grown in all four disciplines during my four years at Loras

College, I think that my personal growth in reflective thinking and responsible contributing have

grown the most. Coming into college, I did not have much experience in reflecting, especially

writing them for classes. However, as the end of senior year is now on the horizon I realize how

much improvement I have made with my reflective thinking. Reflecting on material before, after

and during learning experiences help highlight changes in thought and opinion. I remember one

class in particular where reflective thinking changed my outlook on a subject. In Cross Cultural

Psychology, we analyzed the topic of Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem as a

protest against police brutality. Initially, I thought that this was disrespectful because the national

anthem represents the freedom that soldiers risk their lives to protect. We got the chance to

discuss our opinions openly during class discussions. After hearing different perspectives of my

peers, I reflected on the topic after class. I realized that I was only looking at the topic through

my lens. When I looked at the topic from the perspective of the Black Lives Matter movement, I

began to understand his actions. He wanted to kneel during the national anthem to call attention

to police brutality. He felt that he could use his platform as a NFL player to make a positive

social change. When I reflected on this point of view, I began to understand and agree with this

different point of view. Reflective thinking allowed me to realize and understand how my

thoughts and behaviors can affect others. Reflective thinking challenges my initial thought

processes, and pushes me to find the truth in the subject, without any personal biases.

Another example of my growth in reflective thinking can be seen in my participation in

Du-talk events. These are round table events where students can respectfully converse about

controversial topics. I attended one Du-talk that focused on the impeachment of Donald Trump.
Going into the conversation, I was focusing on finding and interpreting the facts of the

impeachment, despite personal opinions or views on the matter. Being able to hear other people’s

point of views, and share my own opinions and thoughts without judgement is a very special

experience. It helped me grow in the area of reflective thinking because it challenged me to

ignore my own feelings in order to learn facts, and then make an informed decision on my

opinion. I think reflective thinking is important in that sense because it allows for us to change

our beliefs, but first we must question them, and understand the views of other people. During

my time at Loras College, I also learned how to use reflective thinking to cope with anxiety and

stress that come along with school. I learned that reflective thinking via journaling is a very

healthy and useful tool for calming my mind during stressful situations. Journaling allows me to

process my thoughts and emotions. My reflective thinking goes beyond the classroom; Loras

College has taught me how reflective thinking produces true thought, which allows for informed

opinions.

Loras College also instilled in me the importance of responsible contributing. In high

school, I was required to complete service hours every year. I was honest, and always completed

the number of hours necessary, but I never felt passionate about what I was doing. I believe that

part of responsible contributing is finding your skills you are good at, and using them to help

others in society. I find that when I share my passions I am able to connect with others on a

deeper level and contribute to society something that is meaningful. I am passionate about

advocating for mental health, and want to be a clinical mental health counselor in the future. I

noticed that there was part of my passion that was lacking in Loras College. Yes, there is the

psychology major and I am part of Psi Chi, the psychology international honors society. There is

also the health and counseling center, but I felt like there could be more support and advocacy
for mental health on campus. So, I got a group of interested students and an advisor, and made

Active Minds become a recognized students organization at Loras College. Through Active

Minds, I am able to share my passion of mental health advocacy with other students. Together,

we create a positive impact on the Loras College community. By using my interests and my

skills I was able to get Active Minds to become a recognized student organization, thus making a

responsible contribution to the society that is the college.

Another way that I have grown in my responsible contributing is through my Spanish

speaking skills that I have developed during my time at Loras College. I was informed that there

was a need for Spanish speaking tutors at a location downtown that offered free services to

individuals who want to learn English. I volunteered, not knowing the growth that this

experience would provide me. I was given the experience to sit with Hispanic individuals and

speak about their lives, families and children. Many of the individuals I worked with were

inspiring and extremely hard workers. I would help them develop their skills in English, using

props, worksheets and books. This type of responsible contributing brought me joy and

challenged me to grow in my Spanish abilities as well as my confidence. I believe that when I

combine my passions with helping others, the best possible outcomes will occur. If I can

contribute to society, using my skills, in a way that helps or benefits others than I believe I have

succeeded in making a responsible contribution to society.

Interconnectedness of elements within the narrative

I think there are many themes that flow though the courses at Loras College. From an

outside perspective, I think the most important unifying theme across the classes was that the

professors here want you to be successful. I found this to be true in every course I took at Loras

College, if you are willing to work with the faculty and staff, to understand and analyze the
material, they will help you do so. Courses here taught me to do one of the most humbling yet

challenging thing for me. Moreover, that was to seek help when I need it. I found that in times

when I was struggling, professors were happy to work with me so I could still achieve success.

Spanish papers, specifically the outlines have been a notoriously difficult task during my time at

Loras. During my freshmen and sophomore years, anxiety of looking unintelligent in front of

professors often prevented me from reaching out for help or guidance. However, with practice

and positive experiences I learned that the professors do not look down on you because you ask

for extra help. In fact, I think that many of them respect students who take the time to fully

understand and grasp the material. In addition to this, the majority of the professors I have

encountered are very passionate about their field, and thus are eager to help students understand

it better. As a senior, I have learned to plan for these difficult tasks, and to meet with the

professor before I feel like it is out of control. This has helped me maintain good relationships

with my professors, as well as maintain good grades.

Freshman year, my modes of inquiry class focused on the Flint water crisis and

environmental racism. We also read the book Blindspot, which was about unconscious biases.

Racism and bias have been common themes among classes I have taken at Loras College as well.

I learned how our brains can have bias without us even being aware of it. When it comes to

racism, I learned that it runs much deeper than I ever thought before my college experience. I

learned through my class on the Flint water crisis, that racism can affect the health, safety and

well-being of the individual. Racism was also touched on in my criminal justice classes that I

took as electives. We learned about racism in terms of the rate of incarceration of African

Americans and how disproportionate it is. In my sociology classes we learned about racism

through police brutality and the objectification of African Americans in advertisement.

passionate about was the dehumanization of minority groups, as well as women, throughout

history. This was not a topic that I thought about prior attending Loras College; mostly because I

was not aware it existed. I read the original Spanish diary of Christopher Columbus, and

analyzed his actions against the indigenous people. The fact that there is still a day in honor of

Christopher Columbus demonstrates to me that there is not a common understanding of the

actions and impact that he made to indigenous tribes. It also shows how there is need for change

in society, which starts with knowledge of the facts. In addition to Christopher Columbus, I

learned about the Spanish reign and the influence and power that the Catholics had. I learned of

the violence that occurred under them. I read the diaries of other Spanish explorers such as

Cabeza de la Vaca. His actions, nor did the actions of the king and queen of Spain match their

Catholic values.

I learned a lot about the history of the Catholics from my Democracy and Global

Diversity class. It focused on the revolution of France and India. I learned about the control that

the Catholics had, and the impact they made around the world. I learned how the Catholics did

not like to give up their power, and that they often fought with those of other religions. I also

learned about Catholicism in a more traditional sense via my catholic teachings religion class

that focused on Seasons of the Sacred. I was surprised how challenging this course was, even

though I attended a Catholic School my whole life. My experience with Catholicism and religion

in college helped me change my faith and opinions. I was surprised to learn that the religion that

I was raised in had committed horrendous acts of violence in search for power in the past. This

was definitely something new that I learned in college, but it honestly allowed me to have an
informed opinion and understanding on Catholicism. I also think that it was needed in order for

me to develop into a reflective thinker.

Loras and Your Future

I believe that what I have learned at Loras is going to help me make a difference in the

world. The core values that I learned here helped shape the person I am today. Loras set me up

for my future better than I could have hoped. I have skills and experiences that will set me apart

from other future job candidates. In addition to obtaining work, I will bring value to a team that

is based on communication, ethics and high standards. My goal is to become a clinical mental

health counselor, and although I cannot complete that goal based on my Loras College

experience, I feel confident that I am set up for success for the next step of my life. I am

currently in the process of applying to graduate programs. Loras gave me the baseline knowledge

I need for my future career and so much more. This college built me as a person, and shaped me

into the best version of myself. It taught me the value in growth, and that as humans we should

always be growing and becoming better. Learning is never stagnant. Loras taught me that there is

opportunity for knowledge everywhere I go, and instilled in me a great sense of gratitude for

where I am today.

When I become a clinical mental health counselor, I will get the chance to apply my

knowledge to the real world. I got small samples of this while in college, through internships and

other experiences, but as a professional I will be putting my knowledge to the test. I think all four

of the core values of Loras College will help me maintain the upmost professionalism, and allow

for me to preform my best at work. By active learning, I will understand the biases that I bring to

the table, and bring joy to leaning how to perform my job as best as possible. As a reflective

thinker, I will be able to think of new and better ways to connect with individuals to improve
their treatment. I will be able to understand different worldviews, and how cultural differences

play a role in mental health. Through ethical decision making, I act courageously and honest. I

will understand how to be a leader and when it is necessary. And responsible contributing will

allow me to serve those around me. My responsible contributing to society will continue to

deepen my understanding of humans, strengthening my skills for life and my career.