Health Promotion and Wellness: Emily Spenner (Week 1)

Activities:

• Discussed expectations and goals for the 100 hours of practicum
• Attended several staff and committee meetings
• Took a tour of the offices and met profession staff, interns, and current graduate student in the department
• Began organizing and recruiting participants for a student focus group and assessment
• Assisted professional staff members research promotional materials

Experiences:
I hit the ground running my first week of practicum. Dr. Yates and the professional staff members in the Health Promotion and Wellness (HPW) department had several projects and assignments pre-assigned to me before I walked in door. During my first day I attended several meeting discussing what tasks and behaviors are expected of me during this internship opportunity. Among other smaller tasks and programs, I was given the large responsibly for picking up an assessment project for the department. HPW wanted several focus groups conducted this summer to understand the students perspective and opinion of health programs and wellness promotion on the Mississippi State campus. I immediately started brain storming a focus group participant recruitment game plan. The following days I created multiple flyers and informational handbills for the event. One day I set up a table in the Allen Hall lobby to make face to face contact with students in hopes to sign up participants for the focus group. Fortunately, I was able to sign up 20 students interested in participating and have been contacting them via email ever since.

I was very excited to find out an extra intern was needed and wanted in this department. All the professional staff members were thankful for my willingness to do take on office projects. So far, being in the HPW offices has been a positive, but slightly overwhelming experience.
Do not let the thankfulness jade you. This first week has worn me out. My biggest fear for this practicum experience is that I will disappoint my supervisors. So far the office has been great and willing to let me into their culture and profession. I am welcome at this office, but am afraid I will let them down. Health Promotion and Wellness is an intimidating work environment. Everyone has a purpose and a job to do. The other professional staff members and interns are extremely driven to do well and be well. If I am going to survive this office and practicum, I must step up my professional and personal game. I am looking forward to who I become at the end of this experience.

Application of Literature:
In chapter one of Beginning Your Journey one particular quote stood out to me. The quote read, "New Professionals will achieve the greatest success if they take time to learn from their colleges and use their own skills to complement, rather than compete with others."This quote rings true time and time again in my professional experiences so far. Before I could start with Health Promotion and Wellness, I needed to understand Mississippi State and why this department is significant to State's students. I also had to draw on past experience from my undergraduate education and reflect about the public health programs they faced and why it was important, while not comparing or glorifying my past institution. It is every new professional's goal to be successful. It is essential to draw upon past experiences for inspiration but keep having open mind for new exploration for understanding the Student Affairs field. This will make a smooth transition and a happy professional.
Looking back on my past year at a new institution I have learned to be proud of my past and to look toward my future. It will always be somewhat difficult to fully commit to the Mississippi State perceptive, especially in the realm health and wellness education.

Theory to Practice:
I am very  nervous and a little excited to be honing the ACPA/NASPA Competency of Assessment, Evaluation, and Research (AER). AER is my weakest competency. In the past I have shied way from this student affairs arena because I am fearful of  the work. I feel assessment is a high stakes, high reward concept. It is terrifying to start, but bring wonderful insight at the end of the day.Thankfully, I am not alone in my focus group assignment for HPW. I have Brain Peace and my site supervisor, Dr. Yates, to advise and co-conduct this summer's assessment and focus group project. Both individuals are open to all my questions and being intentional to make this a hands on learning experience. Hopefully after this practicum I will have all the basic skills mastered, so I start identifying as intermediate in the AER competency.