Samantha took a strengths assessment test which identified her top 5 strengths as Strategic, Ideation, Positivity, Maximizer, and Adaptability. She met with an advisor, Kim, to learn more about her strengths and how they apply to her. Samantha realized her strengths align with her preference for creative problem solving, coming up with new ideas, having a positive attitude, and adapting to changes. She used this self-knowledge to change her career goal to family and child development to better suit how she learns and finds meaning and happiness.

1. STRENGTHS PROJECT BY SAMANTHA POWELL

2. THERE ONCE WAS A GIRL NAMED
SAMANTHA WHO HAD A PLAN FOR
HER LIFE.

3. LIFE HAPPENED…

4. SAMANTHA DECIDED TO GO BACK
TO SCHOOL.

5. WHEN SAMANTHA STARTED SCHOOL, SHE ANSWERED
A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT HERSELF AND COMPLETED
A “DO WHAT YOU ARE REPORT.” FROM THE REPORT
SHE FOUND OUT HER PERSONALITY TYPE WAS INFP.
SHE WAS INTROVERSION(I): SHE NEEDED TIME ALONE
TO RECUPERATE, SHE DIDN’T ALWAYS NEED TO BE
THE CENTER OF ATTENTION AND LISTENED MORE
THAN SHE TALKED. INTUITION(N): SHE NEEDED TO
FIGURE OUT SOLUTIONS ON HER OWN, VALUED
IMAGINATION AND INSPIRATION AND ENJOYED
LEARNING NEW SKILLS. FEELING(F): SHE WAS
MOTIVATED IN WORK BY APPRECIATION, THOUGHT IT
WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO BE TACTFUL WHEN BEING
TRUTHFUL, AND DID LIKE TO PLEASE OTHERS.
PERCEIVING(P): SHE CHANGED HER GOALS WHEN
NEW INFORMATION BECAME AVAILABLE, BELIEVED
NOTHING WAS SET IN STONE AND THAT ALL IDEAS

6. SHE WAS ALSO TOLD SHE HAD TO
TAKE A TEST. SAMANTHA HATES
TESTS!

7. THIS TEST WASN’T A NORMAL TEST.
IT WAS A STRENGTHS TEST!

8. SAMANTHA THOUGHT…
WHY DO I NEED TO
TAKE THIS? I
ALREADY KNOW
WHAT I’M GOOD
AT!

9. WHEN THE TEST CAME BACK,
SAMANTHA DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO
EXPECT; BUT, SHE WAS VERY CURIOUS
TO KNOW WHAT HER STRENGTHS
WERE. ?
??

10. SAMANTHA LEARNED HER TOP 5
STRENGTHS.
STRATEGIC
IDEATION
POSITIVITY
MAXIMIZER
ADAPTABILITY

11. SHE WAS CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT
HER STRENGTHS SAID ABOUT HER.
“YOU CAN ALWAYS
LEARN
SOMETHING NEW,” SHE
THOUGHT.

12. SAMANTHA’S FIRST STRENGTH
WAS STRATEGIC
ACCORDING TO GALLOP, “PEOPLE ESPECIALLY
TALENTED IN THE STRATEGIC THEEM CREATE
ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO PROCEED. FACED WITH
ANY GIVEN SCENARIO, TEY CAN QUICKLY SPOT
TE RELEVANT PATTERNS AND ISSUES.”
IDEATION WAS HER SECOND
STRENGTH
“PEOPLE ESPECIALLY TALLENTED IN THE
IDEATION THEME ARE FASICINATED BY IDEAS.
THEY ARE ABLE TO FIND CONNECTIONS
BETWEEN SEEMINGLY DIPAATE PHENOMENA,”
ACCORDING TO GALLOP.
THE THIRD STRENGTH IS
POSITIVITYGALLOP SAYS, “
PEOPLE
ESPECIALLY
TALENTED IN THE
POSITIVITY
THEME HAVE AN
ENTHUSISM THAT
IS CONTAGIOUS.
THEY ARE UPBEAT
AND CAN GET
OTHERS EXCITED
ABOUT WHAT
THEY ARE GOING
TO DO.”

13. HER FOURTH STRENGTH
MAXIMIZER
AND, ADAPTABILITY WAS HER FIFTH
STRENGTH
ACCORDING TO GALLOP, “PEOPLE ESPECIALLY
TALENTED IN THE MAXIMIZER THEME FOCUS
ON STRENGTHS AS A WAY TO STIMULATE
PERSONAL AND GROUP ECELLENCE. THEY SEE
TO TRANSFORM SOMETHINGESPECIALLY
TALENTED INTO SOMEHINT SUPERB.”
GALLOP SAYS, “PEOPLE ESPECIALLY TALENTED
IN THE ADAPTABILITY THEME PREFER TO ‘GO
WITH THE FOW.’ THEY TEND TO BE ‘NOW’
PEOPLE WHO TAKE THINGS AS THEY COME
AND DISCOVER THE FUTURE ONE DAY AT A
TIME.

14. AFTER READING ABOUT HER
STRENGTHS AND FINISHING HER DO
WHAT YOU ARE, SAMANTHA THOUGHT
THAT SHE HAD MANY
CHARACTERISTICS THAT FIT INTO
EACH OF THESE TRAITS

15. SAMANTHA MADE AN APPOINTMENT
WITH THE STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HER
STRENGTHS. SAMANTHA WAS EXCITED
TO TALK WITH KIM AND LEARN MORE.
AT THE APPOINTMENT KIM EXPLAINTED
THE STENGTHS IN MORE DETAIL.

16. WITH THE HELP OF KIM, SAMANTHA
WENT THROUGH EACH STRENGTH AND
PICKED OUT TRAITS OF HERSELF THAT
SHE BELONG TO EACH PARTICULAR
STRENGTH.
KVCC
STUDENT SUCCESS
CENTER

17. WHEN IT CAME TO THE STRENGTH
STRATEGIC, KIM HELPED SAMANTHA
REALIZE SHE HAD MANY TRAITS THAT
FIT PERFECTLY. SAMANTHA ENJOYS
FINDING DIFFERENT WAYS TO
UNDERSTAND AND DO THINGS. SHE
CONSIDERED HERSELF TO ALWAYS
LOOK FOR DIFFERENT PATHS TO DO
THINGS AND BELIEVED THAT THERE
WERE MANY WAYS TO DO THINGS. KIM
HELPED HER REALIZE SHE DID THIS
MANY TIMES AT PREVIOUS JOBS

18. TO SAMANTHA WAS WHEN SHE WAS
TEACHING MATH TO AN 8 YEAR OLD.
SAMANTHA’S STUDENT COULDN’T
FIGURE OUT A PROBLEM. SAMANTHA,
ALSO WASN’T VERY GOOD AT MATH.
SHE ALWAYS HAD TO FIGURE OUT A
DIFFERENT WAY TO UNDERSTAND THE
PROBLEM. SAMANTHA TAUGHT THE
STUDENT, WHO WAS BROUGHT TO
TEARS WITH FRUSTRATION, ONE OF
THE DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO THE
MATH. SAMANTHA’S STUDENT
UNDERSTOOD THIS DIFFERENT

19. WITH THE HELP OF KIM, SAMANTHA
UNDERSTOOD HOW MUCH IDEATION
WAS LIKE HER. SHE LOVES IDEAS
AND LOVES COMING UP WITH
THEM. EVERYTIME SHE THINKS OF
SOMETHING HER MIND TAKES HER
TO OTHER IDEAS THAT ARE
RELATED. SHE LOVES BEING
CREATIVE AND BEING THE
“CREATIVE” FRIEND.

20. OF HER PREVIOUS JOBS WAS THE
CREATIVE ASPECT. SHE LOVED
CREATING ART PROJECTS THAT WERE
ASSOCIATED WITH WHAT THEY WERE
STUDYING. SHE WAS ALWAYS BIG ON
HANDS ON LEARNING. SHE LOVED
CREATING CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO
PROBLEMS AS WELL! HERE KIM
EXPLAINED TO HER THAT HER
STRATEGIC AND IDEATION WERE
CONNECTED. SHE USED HER
IDEATION TO THINK OF AN IDEA AND

21. KIM AND SAMANTHA DISCUSSED HER
POSITIVITY STRENGTH NEXT. THEY
TALKED ABOUT HOW GENEROUS SHE
CAN BE WITH PRAISE AND
ENCOURAGEMENT, HOW SHE’S
ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE SILVER
LINING AND LOOKING FOR THE
POSITIVE SIDE. THEY ACTUALLY BOTH
AGREED HOW DRAINING NEGATIVE
PEOPLE ARE!

22. SAMANTHA EXPLAINED HOW SHE
ALWAYS TRIED TO LOOK FOR THE
GOOD IN ALL OF HER STUDENTS. SHE
BELIEVED THAT EVEN THE “NAUGHTY”
ONES DESERVED SOMEONE TO CARE.
SHE WAS BIG ON GREETING EACH
STUDENT WITH A SMILE AND POSITIVE
ATTITUDE NO MATTER WHAT.

23. MAXIMIZER WAS ONE THAT
SAMANTHA WASN’T TOO SURE
ABOUT. SHE LIKED TO FIND THE
GOOD IN OTHERS, HOWEVER, SHE
WASN’T TOO OVERLY PARTICULAR
ABOUT THINGS. SAMANTHA WAS
VERY INTERESTED IN SEEING WHAT
KIM HAD TO SAY ABOUT THIS
THEME.

24. KIM EXPLAINED TO SAMANTHA THAT
EACH STRENGTH RELATED TO
EVERYONE DIFFERENTLY AND WE USE
OUR STRENGTH IN OUR OWN WAYS.
KIM EXPLAINED THAT SAMANTHA’S
MAXIMIZER STRENGTH TIED INTO HER
OTHER STRENGTHS, ESPECIALLY
POSITIVITY. SHE ENCOURAGES
PEOPLE TO DO THEIR BEST. THE DOES
HER BEST TO RECOGNIZE OTHERS
STRENGTHS HAND HELP THEM REACH
THEIR POTENTIAL. AND SHE AVOIDS

25. KIM AND SAMANTHA TALK ABOUT
ADAPTABILITY LAST. KIM TALKED
ABOUT HOW SAMANTHA’S STRATEGIC
AND ADAPTABILITY STRENGTHS
WORKED WELL TOGETHER.
SAMANTHA ENJOYS WHEN THINGS
AREN’T THE SAME DAY TO DAY.
HOWEVER SHE DOES LIKE TO BE ABLE
TO PLAN FOR THESE CHANGES. THE
CHANGES CAN BE FRUSTRATING AT
FIRST BUT DON’T RUIN HER DAY. SHE
JUST NEEDS TO TAKE A MOMENT TO

26. SAMANTHA NOTICED HER
ADAPTABILITY STRENGTH PLENTY IN
HER PAST JOBS AS WELL. ITS ALWAYS
BEEN VERY IMPORTANT FOR
SAMANTHA TO HAVE ADAPTABLY WHILE
WORKING WITH KIDS. SAMANTHA HAD
TO CHANGE HER PLANS AND/OR
ROUTINES MORE TIMES THAN SHE
COULD THINK OF. NOTHING IS EVER
PREDICTABLE WHEN WORKING WITH
CHILDREN!

27. SAMANTHA WAS VERY THANKFUL FOR
KIM’S TIME. SHE TOOK HER NEW
KNOWLEDGE THAT SHE HAD GAINED
AND HER “DO WHAT YOU ARE” REPORT,
THAT SHE HAD DONE EARLIER IN
CLASS, AND WENT TO PLAN HER LIFE
AGAIN.

28. SHE TOOK WHAT SHE KNEW FROM HER DO
WHAT YOU ARE REPORT AND STRENGTHS
TEST TO TRY AND UNDERSTAND HOW SHE
LEARNED AND PERFORMED BEST. SHE
NEW SHE NEEDED AN ENVIRONMENT
WHERE SHE WAS ALLOWED TO BE
CREATIVE AND WHERE THE DAILY ROUTINE
WASN’T THE SAME BORING THING
EVERYDAY. SHE ALSO NEEDED TO BE ABLE
TO MAKE MISTAKES. SHE UNDERSTOOD
THAT SHE DOES HER BEST BY DOING
THINGS HERSELF AND BY MAKING
MISTAKES. SHE NEEDED TO BE AROUND
PEOPLE WITH A POSITIVE ATTITUDE JUST

29. AND FOCUSED ON WHAT SHE WANTED TO
BE WHEN SHE “GREW UP.” SHE WANTED TO
BE IN A CAREER WHERE SHE COULD BE
CREATIVE AND HELP OTHERS. HER
STRENGTHS TAUGHT HER THAT SHE WAS
ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE GOOD IN
OTHERS. SAMANTHA ALWAYS WANTED TO
WORK WITH CHILDREN BUT NOW THOUGHT
THAT SHE WANTED TO WORK WITH ADULTS
AND FAMILIES AS WELL. SHE CHANGED
HER CAREER GOAL FROM TEACHING TO
FAMILY AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
THROUGH WMU. SHE WANTED TO
HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO WORK HELPING

30. SAMANTHA ALSO REALIZED
WHAT WAS MOST IMPORTANT
TO HER WAS BEING HAPPY.

31. SAMANTHA KNEW THAT EVEN IF SHE
GRADUATED AND GOT HER DREAM JOB
NONE OF IT WOULD MATTER IF SHE WASN’T
HAPPY. SHE WAS VERY THANKFUL FOR
HER DO WHAT YOU ARE REPORT AND
STRENGTHS TEST. THEY TAUGHT HER
WHAT KIND OF A PERSON SHE WAS. THEY
TAUGHT HER WHAT MAKES HER HAPPY AND
WHAT MAKES HER THRIVE. THE
STRENGTHS WERE IMPORTANT TO LEARN
BECAUSE THEY HELPED HER UNDERSTAND
WHAT SHE WANTED TO DO WITH HER LIFE
AND WHAT TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT WORKS
BEST FOR HER.

32. ACCORDING TO DAN GILBERT, WE
CONTROL 40% OF OUR OWN HAPPINESS
(FRANDORF.COM). THAT’S A LARGE AMOUNT.
KNOWING WHAT TYPE OF LEARNER YOU
ARE AND WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT
THAT IS BEST FOR YOU IS A GREAT WAY TO
ENFORCE A HAPPY LIFE. IT IS A GREAT WAY
TO TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE.

33. AND WHO WOULDN’T WANT TO BE HAPPY.
ALONG WITH FOCUSING ON STRENGTHS
UNDERSTANDING SELIGMAN’S PERMA MODEL:
 POSITIVE EMOTIONS (P)
 WE NEED TO ENCOUTER HAPPY AND POSITIVE
EMOTIONS IN OUR LIFE
 ENGAGEMENT (E)
 WE NEED TO FEEL ENGAGED IN OUR CAREER AND/OR
HOBBIES
 POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS (R)
 WE NEED TO HAVE ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHERS
AND STRONG SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS
 MEANING (M)
 WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE DO WELL IN LIFE (OUR
STRENGTHS)
 ACCOMPLISHMENT (A)
 WE NEED TO HAVE A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT
BY KNOWING AND FOCUSING ON ALL FIVE OF THE ABOVE,
WE CAN ONLY FLOURISH IN LIFE. PERMA GIVES US AN
IDEA ON WHERE TO START TO SUSTAIN A HAPPY AND

34. EVERYONE LEARNS AND THRIVES BEST IN
DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS. NO TWO
PEOPLE ARE THE SAME. DIFFERENT
THINGS MAKE DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAPPY.
JUST LIKE IN THE DOCUMENTARY “HAPPY.”
HAPPINESS LETS US GROW POSITIVELY,
LIVE LONGER, AND IMPACTS OUR HEALTH
AND WELL BEING. IT’S AS SIMPLE AS, IF WE
KNOW WHAT MAKES US HAPPY, WE WILL BE
HAPPIER IN LIFE. WE’LL HAVE IMPROVED
IMMUNE FUNCTION, LIVE LONGER AND BE
MORE PRODUCTIVE IN LIFE. KNOWING
WHAT OUR STRENGTHS IS A BUILDING
BLOCK TO KNOWING WHAT MAKES US