2. Personal Statement
“Experience is not what happens to a man. It is what a man does with what
happens to him.”
As I close the book on the final chapter of my
undergraduate career, I find myself understanding
and appreciating the true meaning of Aldous Leonard
Huxley’s remark on a much deeper level. The thorough
yet fast-paced bachelor program for psychology at
Argosy University presented to me the perfect
opportunity to quickly master the art of balancing a full
time professional career with a full time educational
career.
From working as a live-in nanny to working as a primary caregiver for both
infants and toddlers in a childcare setting, I have long been drawn to
job positions that allow me to guide and care for children whose
parents are unable to be with them due to work or other reasons.
3. The time management skills that I have mastered by
balancing work and school is a skill that I will continue to
utilize as a graduate student, as well as a licensed marriage
and family therapist. Additionally, my daily communication
with the families whose children I have cared for as an
independent childcare provider and as a teacher have
allowed me to perfect my interpersonal communication skills
and to be able to listen actively not only to what others are
telling me, but what their nonverbal responses suggest. This
skill strength has taught me how to indentify potential
resistance or uncertainty, as well as confusion or
misinterpretation of information.
4. The developmental portfolios that I create and maintain
for each student have also given me ample practice
documenting evidence of growth and improvement of
skills in each child, as well as practice formulating
specific socio-emotional and cognitive goals to help
each child work towards based entirely upon my
continuous assessment of each child.
The strong organizational and leadership skills that I
possess, along with my desire to establish a career
that will allow me flexibility in my schedule, makes me
a great fit for the Master of Arts program for counseling
psychology.
5. By being self-employed, I will also have the flexibility
necessary for me to be able to spend ample quality
time with my own family and encompassing my
personal values and interests into my everyday life.
With all that I have learned, and have yet to learn, both
in and out of the school arena, what career could
possibly be a closer match to my passion to help
children and nurture a family of my own? I know that
the next chapter of my life will not only involve earning
my graduate degree, but countless more valuable life
lessons from my teachers and course material just as
much as from the experiences that I have along the
way.
6. Reflection
My college education has taught me the pros and cons of several
psychology-related careers that would support the extremely high value
that I place on family while also satisfying my interest in the field of
psychology. In addition to the in-depth understanding that I gained from
my psychology courses regarding psychological theories, assessment
methods and tools, and advances in psychological research, my life
experiences over the course of my undergraduate studies have opened
my eyes to so many ways in which I can earn a living doing what I am
most passionate about.
Upon my entrance into the bachelor program at Argosy, I knew with
unwavering certainty that I wanted to work towards a degree that would
allow me the opportunity to help children who have experienced some
type of emotional or physical abuse to overcome the trauma and grow
to live healthy, better lives. The multiple times that my dedication to my
studies earned me a position on the academic honor roll allowed me to
experience the sense of pride and accomplishment that I often times
feel in my work as a preschool teacher when I discover that my support
and guidance has led one of my students to learn a new tasks.
7. Table of Contents
Cognitive Abilities: Critical Thinking and
Information Literacy
Research Skills
Communication Skills: Oral and Written
Ethics and Diversity Awareness
Foundations of Psychology
Applied Psychology
Interpersonal Effectiveness
8. I. Cognitive Abilities:
Critical Thinking and Information
Literacy
Stem Cells: Helpful or Harmful
Kathryn Steele
(located in Box.net section)
9. II. Research Skills
Improving Relationships with
Behavioral Therapy
Kathryn Steele
(located in Box.net section)
10. III. Communication Skills:
Oral and Written
How To Teach Problem Solving Skills
To Your Teenager
By Kathryn Steele
(located in Box.net)
11. IV. Ethics and Diversity
Awareness
Treating Others as a Means
Kathryn Steele
(located in Box.net section)
12. V. Foundations of Psychology
MMPI-2 and Rorschach Inkblot
Kathryn Steele
(located in Box.net section)
16. Personal Reflection
In contemplating the skills that my college
career has equipped me with over the years, I
realize that what I have learned from my
studies reflects my personal strengths and
weaknesses. While my ability to convey my
knowledge about certain topics through
technological tools is still something I am fine-
tuning, my interpersonal effectiveness and
research and writing skills are definitely my
strengths.
17. My Future in Learning
Upon completion of graduate school and the California State licensure
exam, I will be ready to transition into a career as an independently
employed marriage and family therapist specializing in child therapy.
That career will not only allow me to work with a demographic that I
have immense passion for, but it will allow me the opportunity to use
my education, training, and life experiences to help improve the quality
of life for troubled children through play therapy and other techniques
that I have learned about throughout my college experience.
By participating in additional training programs and workshops each year, I
will be able to stay well-informed of the advances and discoveries in the
child therapy field, while incorporating my continuously evolving
education into my professional career.
18. Contact Me
Thank you for viewing my
ePortfolio.
For further information, please
contact me at the e-mail address
below.
katiesteele@stu.argosy.edu
