« Reflection: Self-knowledge and Personal Growth

Tamrah Tucker

Growth, Realization, Continuation

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Kathryn Smith TF RW Julie Parker NS
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I know I have written about this before but I can not deny that my biggest lesson in this internship has been gratitude and humbleness. I will forever remember this experience because it is way too real. We read a billion books, watch countless movies, and here hours of lectures but this experience trumps all of that. People are out here struggling. Quite literally, the tuition of one student at Birmingham  Southern could feed thousands of people.

I am honestly enjoying being able to talk to people. Sometimes when I am on the phone with older women the conversation turns into something more than the actual task than I am completing. I value those moments the most. I think that is because I am sociable. I usually never meet strangers and I can work according to any specific situation I am in. I have found myself to be really good at communicating. I am never nervous when speaking to people and I a quick problem solver. There have been times where I did not know the answer to things but I immediately provided them with a solution. I could improve in my timeliness. Sometimes I schedule to do things in a certain time frame and mis-schedule. I have learned that I would prefer being in a office space doing this type of work. It would be easier to get questions answered.

I have made the most of this internship by extending my time that I will be working with CCDN. After this month is over I will continue to put my time into helping this community. Other strategies would be to improve my time management skills so that I am able to help more individuals.

5 replies
  1. Post by Natalie Santiago
    Re: Growth, Realization, Continuation
    I can agree with you that this is a very humbling experience. It is defiantly something that will stick with you. I think that being able to provide someone with a solution even if you are unsure of the answer is a great quality to have, especially in this line of work. In regards to your timeliness, I would suggest creating a to do list with certain times that you want to complete each one by or even log things into your phone calendar to keep track of everything, as these are things that help me out. I also talked about working in person in my reflection as I think it would be better for this line of work. I often think about how this internship is so humbling remotely that imagine if we were in person and how much more of an impact that it could have on us. 
  2. Post by Julie Parker
    Response
    Your statement that mentioned BSC's tuition really hit me hard. I so often overlook the vastness of the opportunity of a college education. I feel as though many of us who are blessed enough to be in college tend to forget that we have access to so many resources that other people only dream of. Thank you for the reminder to keep all of my "problems" in perspective. 
  3. Post by Rachel Wray
    Re: Growth, Realization, Continuation
    I agree that this experience has been very humbling! I think you said it very well, we often don't realize what other people are struggling with and this month has really made me thankful for what I have and the opportunities I have been given, as I'm sure you are too! 
  4. Post by Taylor Fields
    Re: Growth, Realization, Continuation
    I agree, this is a humbling experience. This is an eye-opening experience because you know there are people that needs help and its different when you are the one that has to get them the help they need. Being apart of an organization such as CCDN is rewarding because it makes you appreciate things that you probably did not appreciate before and you are able to be a change in someone's life.  
  5. Post by Kathryn Smith
    Re: Growth, Realization, Continuation
    I'm impressed with your phone skills! I doubt most students would be that comfortable having tough conversations, especially not on the phone. Do you think it would be harder to have these conversations in person, when you could see in someone's face how much they're struggling? Several CCDN interns have mentioned being concerned about dealing with the emotional aspect of social work. Do you think that is easier on the phone?
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