Sydney Geiger

I attended the Intro to Owl Careers presentation by the Office of Career Development and Internships. I had already been introduced to Owl Careers in the past, but this presentation served as a very helpful reminder of the website's systems, as well as some new features and tips I wasn't aware of before. I find the career readiness and skills development features and resources very helpful, and I can see myself using them later down the line when I begin applying to internships and jobs.

I really enjoyed this event. Lady Brion is a very skilled poet and speaker, her voice was clear and powerful and her poems were thought-provoking. I didn't know that Maryland had/has a website where things made by prison labor are sold, that was very shocking to me. I also appreciated the setup the Student Engagement & Leadership had for virtual students. I was able to hear the presenters clearly for most of the presentation, and even though I didn't need it, I was pleasantly surprised they had an ASL interpreter.

This ReFresh meeting helped to remind me about the program and academic requirements of the scholarship program. The most pertinent information I got out of this meeting was about the full-time credit requirement, especially that it may not apply when I'm graduating, and that the program coordinators will not force me to take more classes that I need or that are outside of my degree plan.

In this meeting, I was able to write notes and remind myself of the program's requirements. I'll be making sure to check my email during the winter break and make sure I get my books for the Spring semester before the deadline. Also, during this meeting, I learned the difference between AA/AS and AAS degrees; AA/AS degrees are for transferring to four year colleges, while AAS degrees lend themselves more to applied skills and the workforce.

I really enjoyed both the flute choir and the Swingin' Owls jazz band. For the flutes, the music they played was really beautiful to me, and I want to try to find the songs they played online so I can listen to them some more. As for the Swingin' Owls, they were very amazing and skilled. I was surprised to see the drummer, he's a professor I've seen in Bladen Hall. I didn't know he played the drums. I think my favorite song the jazz band played was Coconut Champagne, it had a different sound than the other songs and it was very enjoyable to listen to.

I attended "Are You There?" a play by Vivian Barnes, Jonathan Norton and Gab Reisman, and directed by Ruth Yamamoto. It explored different forms of communication using technology over from as early as the 1910s, such as computers, phones, social media services like Facebook, livestreams, those types of telephones that were used by truckers to communicate with each other, and old telephones that had to be routed by an operator. It also explored themes such as isolation as well as connectedness --- how relationships are both enhanced and diminished by digital communication. The cast did a very good job, it was very lively and entertaining and I had a very fun time. It also made me thoughtful about how I use digital communication devices and services in my personal life. Because I was unsure who to ask to verify my hours, I have attached my digital ticket for the event as it appears in my Owl Mail as proof that I went.

I attended Ms. Payne's "LinkedIn 101" workshop. It provided a very helpful introduction to LinkedIn, including the information you should have on your page, how to navigate the website, and how to use it to network with potential employers, internships, and other connections. Ms. Payne was able to directly show us the website by using her account, and also showed us what a professional profile picture, banner, and "About Me" looks like, and it really helped me to understand how to use the website.

I attended the "Resumes at Work" presentation and was able to refresh myself on the requirements for resumes, what to include and not include, and how to format them. I've attended a lot of workshops like these that provide information on resumes because I am very concerned with making sure I know how to make a good resume, especially as a student without a lot of work experience. I know I will be able to write about educational experiences and achievements, volunteer work, and transferable and soft skills to support my resume in the absence of work experience, and I will be able to use Owl Careers' Resume Builder to help guide me in creating my resume.

At this "Soft Skills" workshop, I learned a lot about skills used in the workplace, as well as in daily life and other areas, that are less specific to certain professions and can be transferred across different jobs (unlike technical skills). Some of these skills included critical thinking, professionalism, communication, teamwork, and networking. In the presentation, we viewed a few videos showing examples of what the different skills look like, as well as what they don't look like. The two most helpful videos to me were the professionalism and networking videos. They helped me understand what exactly those skills entail. Professionalism is about taking initiative, being on time, and being responsible. Networking involves using different people and resources, like professors and websites like LinkedIn, to find opportunities.

This Career Fair was about many majors, including my intended career path into behavioral and social sciences. Through this event I was able to talk to two organizations. The first was Work Opportunities Unlimited, a human services organization that helps people with disabilities (including intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, and mental health disorders) develop skills they need to pursue careers and employment. I found it very interesting, though the work involved doesn't seem quite like what I want to do, which aligns more with therapy. The second organization I talked to, Vesta, Inc., was very interesting to me. While their work does involve therapy and medication, they also emphasize the individual and their goals, and work hard to help them feel integrated in their community. They go on outings and can help with issues outside of mental disorders, such as finance or nutrition. The organization seemed to really value community and interconnection, combining clinical treatments with holistic ones, and it is one I am looking forward to potentially working with in the future, both as an intern and as an employee.