Reaching Out Part III

My Planning Wall

Exercise #1: Interviewing Role Models

The last role model that i decided to interview is Feyishola Tijani. She graduated from college a year ago with a degree in biology and says that she plans to some day go to medical school. Feyi didn't have the grades that were up to the standards that some medical schools wanted and is taking a program for students who plan to go to medical school in the near future. The program is really intense and at the end of the two year program most of them are often accepted into the a medical school of their choice. Feyi said that she had a great deal of trouble taking the required science classes while completing her undergraduate degree. At times she said that she felt like giving up and even changing her major to something that she thought was a lot "easier". She said that this happened numerous times,often around the times she was feeling very stressed about a particualr course that was giving her great difficulty. She figured that if this was the path that she really wanted to take she would have to have the patience and the determination to do so. She said that she would review notes, after lectures and labs,and problems or questions she had she went to the proffesor with or took it to tutoring with her.Talking with Feyi was actually very refreshing especailly after i decided on the path that i really want to take in my life. I know that im going to get discouraged and feel like changing majors a million more times, but I'm just going to have to work very hard and do everything and anything that'll make the process for me less stressful.

Exercise # 2: Complete Your planning wall

LOOK ABOVE

Exercise#3:Complete your first step
Last week one of my goals was to speak with my parents about which path i really wanted tp pursue in life. It was between becoming a teacher and a pediatrician. I've always wanted to become a doctor,but when I started college, i realized i was having a lot of trouble with the science classes, so i started to second guess myself. When i first told my mom that i was thinking of changing my major to education she acted as though she was fine with it,but i could tell that she wasn't very happy at all. That was very discouraging for me so i never spoke about the major change again. After talking with my home group about the situation i decided to speak with my parents about it. I sat them down and told them about all the difficulty i was having with the science classes and how i didn't know if becoming a doctor was really my passion. I also told my mom how when i came to her about being a teacher she really made me feel bad because it was like she wasn't supportive at all. She went on to explain that it wasn't that she wsn't supportive it was just that she was a little disappointed with me because she didn't want me to give up,because she knows deep down inside that i can do it. I agreed with mom and decided that im going to stick with my major and work hard at the classes now and in the future that'll bring me difficulty.

Reaching Out Part 2

Role Model #1
My third role model that i decided to interview this week was actually my old 8th grade teacher, Ms. Naughton. I decided to interview her because even though she was a teacher for four years, at the end of her fourth year she decided to go into law. Ms. Naughton said that although teaching was one of her passions and she enjoyed interacting with children, she felt that she was ready for something new in life. Ms. Naughton was a great teacher to me and we actually ended up becoming very close. Ms. Naughton's whole experience with teaching and then leaving it to practice law is really something that i look up to, because im still stuck between choosing to become a teacher or a doctor and this week one of my goals was to sit down with my parents and talk to them about my situation. Ms. Naughton's story actually gives me hope because, this weekend I came up with a decision in which i believe will make me very happy.

Interviews with Two of my Role Models!

Role Model # 1:
The first role model that I interviewed is actually a very good friend of the family and is in her first year if teaching at an elementary school in Evanston, her name is Angel Mcdonald. I decided to pick her because shes been through alot in the past couple of years and still managed to achieve her goal of becoming a teacher (first grade teacher), pursuing her masters degree and rasing a two month year old boy as a single mother. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in education at Aurora University. She went on to explain to me that undergraduate school wasn't very difficult for her. She said that there were alot of times people especially her immediate family thought that she was should've been a doctor or a lawyer, they wanted her to pursue a job that they thought would "benefit" her more in the future, rather than go after a job that she would feel complete with and happy in the end. This really made me look up to her more because im in a situation right now, where im majoring in biological sciences, in hopes of getting and completeing medical school in order to become a pediatrcian. My parents love the whole idea of me becoming a doctor, and even though they always say that whatever i do decide to do they'll support me 100%, its a little discouraging because i know deep inside they don't mean it. While conversating with her, i explained how I'm not totally against becoming a doctor,because it's been a dream of mine ever since i was a little kid, but im just not sure that i can totally handle everything that comes ahead. Ms. Mcdonald explained that she thought long and hard about becoming a lawyer( following the footsteps of her father), but she could'nt go through wasting time in money in something she knew she wouldn't be happy with. She continued to tell me how she had to sit down her parents and explain to them that she knew they wanted the best for her,but it's her life and they're not the ones living it. One of the most difficult and scariest times in her life was taking the test in order for her to recieve her teacher's certification. Once she graduated from college and obtained her teaching certificate she applied to graduate school and started looking for a job. As our conversation was coming to an end, she told me that she's is very happy and content with how things have turned out in her life. She also told me that I need to sit down with my parents explain to them how,im not a small child anymore and that i have to live my life the way that i want to,even if it mean picking a career that they think may not be suitable for me.
Reflection
I really enjoyed speaking with Angel. It made me realize that i'm not the only one with the problem of trying to satisfy my parents and myself at the same time. I really found speaking to her helpful and she after speaking with her i left with a lot of courage that i think will help me if i actually do decide to switch majors.
Role Model #2:
My second role model is Dr.Shanice Vulgar,whos been a pediatrican going on 10 years now. She graduated from Northwestern University and continued all the way to medical school. She started of our conversation first by telling me that if i really am serious about a career in the medical field "theres no playing around". She said that the classes in undergraduate school are very difficult and challenging,but its going preparing you for half the work you're going to complete in medical school. I asked her if this was the career that she always wanted to do,and she said yes and no. She said that she loved science biology to be particualr,but she wasn't sure were to wanted to go with that. She said that it wasn't until the middle of her second year in college that she decided that she wanted to go to medical school. I then asked her if she had ever failed any classes,in undergraduate school, and she said no,that even if she had failed some classes, she would have reconsidered her major. She explained that medical schools don't want the average,but they want the best and if you're having a difficult time already medical school isn't going to be easy at all,especailly when it comes to taking the tests. When she told me this i really started to feel very discouraged. My first semester at UIC i failed chemistry 101,and everyone is always telling me that if you have a hard time with 101, your going to have a hard time with the 112and 114,because 101 is the easiest. Im not going to lie, i ended our phone converstation quickly only for the simple fact that i didn't want to hear the truth. I know deep down inside I'm not as dedicated as becoming a doctor as i would like to think i am,but theres smothing inside of me that is still very hopeful. I remember before i started college,when people would ask me, what i was majoring in and i would tell them i would always say "your going to change your major" or "are you sure you want to do that, i dont really see you as a doctor". All those negative comments really just push me to prove them wrong and actually become a doctor.

Plotting a Path

Exercise #1:Make A Flow Chart

Become a pediatrician

• attend college/obtain impeccable grades
• graduate with honors
• take practice MCATs
• apply for medical school scholarships
• apply to medical school
• write personal statement for entrance to a medical school
• submit grades
• ?
• take and pass the MCATs
• get into medical school and complete all requirements
• complete required residency and research

Exercise # 2: Mapping Your Network

1. Professor Witherspoon: Biology professor
2. Dr. Jankalow: 773 685 3288- Pediatrician
3. Dr.Guy: 773 685 3288-Pediatrician
4. Ms. Jones:312 642 4454: Biology/chemistry teacher
5. Professor Mareck: lmareck2@uic.edu/chemistry professor
6. Benet Deberry Spence: UIC, College of Buisness
7. Dr.Kruzack:773 975 9957
8. Childrens Memorial Hospital, Public Affairs Department: 773 880 4500
9. St. Josephs Hospital: 773 665 3000
10. Ganiyat Sarumi:773 396 8582: Social worker