Blog 11: Lesson 1 Reflection

1. What are you most proud of in your lesson, and why?

• I was really proud of the outline I created for myself on my presentation board. It really helped me have organization throughout the entire thing and keep me rolling. At some point I was a little nervous, but looking at my board got me back on track. It kept me sane. I was glad that I was able to cover the basic process of a Visual Designer, that way I can just skim it in my next presentation but focus on another thing.

2. What assessment would you give yourself on your lesson? Explain why you earned that grade using evidence from the component contract.

• I would give myself a P. I feel like I did fairly well even though I was thrown off a little in the beginning of my block. I am also completing this blog before 24 hours after my presentation which is the deadline that was posted on the 2016 blog. I feel like I met all the P requirements and since I met time and was able to cover al my information, I think I did fairly well. 

3. If you could go back, what would you change about your lesson?  How can you use that knowledge to give a better Lesson 2?

• I would relax a little because since my hook didn't go as planned, I freaked out a little and left out valuable information and references I could have made. I want to make some note cards that can cover each subject I have on my visual aid to make sure I don't repeat myself or get stuck.

Blog 10 - Interview 2 Reflection

1. Please explain how you are spending your mentorship time (Is it at a workplace or somewhere else?  Are you shadowing?  Are you able to do tasks that are meaningfully related to the topic?  If so, what?  Are there other people who are experts in the location?  Etc...)

• During my mentorship hours, my mentor and I usually meet at a Starbucks for about 2 hours per session and go over work that he has worked on since the last time we met. He shows me how to do specific things and allows me to work on them with him. As of now, I haven't really done much shadowing only because Disney didn't grant his request to bring me in to shadow his work. once he receives more freelance work, we plan to collaborate more and meet up with clients instead of a good old meet at Starbucks. He has assigned me individual tasks like creating logos which is a section a big project he has planned for me which might be my second independent component.

2.  How did you find your mentor?  How did you convince this person to help you?   

• I found my mentor through a friend of mine; her grandma's co-workers boyfriend (my mentor.) I sent him out an email to see what he worked as and if was willing to guide me under his wing for my senior project and he immediately agreed and was happy to be apart of something like this.

3. How would you rate your comfort level with your mentor at this point in your relationship?  How does this relate to the time you've spent so far at mentorship/with this person?

• On a scale of 1-10, I would say our comfort level is at a 6. Since we haven't really spent much time together, it's hard to feel like there is an actual bond forming. We can keep conversations going and work comfortably on what were doing but that's about it. I still don't feel 100% when I text him to plan our next session but I feel it's just a matter of time until everything feels completely comfortable. 

4. What went well in this interview?  Why do you think so?  What do you still need to improve?  How do you know?  How will you go about it?

• I feel like this interview went a lot differently than other interviews tend to go. He gave me a lot of insight on how it is he got to where he is which I really enjoyed. This interview also felt a lot more natural to me than the last time. I feel like I still need to improve on keeping an open discussion going. I know this because after he answered a question, it was really hard for me to respond back to what he said. What I plan to do in the future is ask questions that I could also relate to so I can talk about it after my interviewee answers just so it the mood is a lot more comfortable instead of tense.

Blog 9 - Advisory Prep 3

1. State whether or not you currently have a mentor, and what the status of your interview is with that person (I have completed the interview, I have scheduled the interview, I have not scheduled the interview, etc).

• I currently have a mentor and have already scheduled my interview with him.

2. At this point, your research is probably guiding your studies toward more specific areas within your topic.  Name the area or two you find most promising and explain your reasons.   

• My overall final topic is Visual Design. I'm leaning towards focusing on Animations and Interaction Design. I find these two areas most promising because these are the areas that have most caught my attention. Also, my mentor receives a lot of work in these areas so it will be easy for me to see on hands work from an expert to learn from.

3. What kinds of sources do you think will help you in the next month to gain more research depth?  Where will you go to get them?

• We have an interview coming up so I plan to use that as a resource. I've began to research books that are up at Cal Poly Pomona, now it's just a matter of heading over there and checking them out. The books seem to relate to my topic a lot so I'm excited to read them and learn new things.

4. Write down a possible EQ.  Please don't worry about wording other than ensuring that it provides the option for multiple correct answers.  At this point, the senior team is most interested in understanding your thought process.

• What type of Visual Design is most relevant in today's society?

Blog 8: Independent Component 1 Proposal

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

• For my 30 hours, I will be learning how to fully design a webpage and make it aesthetically pleasing. It is important that the website is simplistic but still holds unique elements which is when my practice in Interaction Design will come in. I will be revamping the website (http://www.cfcworld.net) alongside my mentor. 

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

• For our first couple of sessions, I will be learning all the different quirks and tips that make the best website for the clients. After I've learned all the basics and secrets, I will begin working on the new website. This will take up a lot of work and commitment because you can never STOP improving on a project. I have a feeling this independent component will take longer than 30 hours to work on but I'm excited to begin this project soon.

3.  Explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

• Interaction Design is the study of creating engaging interfaces with well thought out behaviors. Creating this website will help me explore my topic a bit more in depth because it isn't easy to full understand the persona and purpose the client wants their website to splurge. Getting hands on experience will allow me to understand how challenging it can be to develop a client's request. 

4.  Update your Senior Project Hours log.

• I've only met with my mentor a couple times but I don't know if the meetings were log worthy. I will double check with Piggott to see if I should log those hours or not.

Blog 7 - Second Interview Preparation

 

1.  Who is your mentor and where do they work?  If their workplace does not reflect their expertise, what makes them an expert? 

 

My mentor is Sam Hernandez and he works for the Walt Disney Company as a Interaction Designer. He's barely started working there this year. Before, he worked at Warner Brothers Studio for 6 years. He's had  a lot of experience in the graphic design field, but has recently directed his focus into Interaction Design. He still does side jobs with other companies, but his main employer is The Walt Disney Company. His website his http://idsgns.com if you are interested in looking more into his work.
I think his workplace definitely reflects his expertise and makes him an expert because not any random person would be hired by big companies like Warner Bros Studios and The Walt Disney Company. 

 

2.  What five questions will you ask them about their background?

1. What is the one of the most memorable projects you've worked on?
2. What is the most challenging project you've had?
3.  Has there been a moment in your career that you believe made you a better graphic designer?
4.  How many years did you attend college?
5. Where did you attend college?

Blog 6 - Advisory Prep

1. What has worked well for you concerning senior project this year?  What has made it a positive experience for you?   

• My mentor an I really get along well and he seems eager to teach me all that he has to teach. I can tell he's really excited about this journey which only makes me look forward to my Senior Project. We haven't really gotten much mentoring done as of now, but once we get our schedules in place, we'll have set days on when we will be meeting. The fact that my mentor is very well rounded in the field of Graphic Design assures me that I will be gaining knowledge to almost all aspects of Graphic Design. 

2. What are you finding difficult concerning senior project?  How can you adapt to make that portion work better for you?  How might the senior team help?

• One thing that I am finding difficult about my senior project is deciding on what exactly I want to focus on. There's a lot that comes with Graphic Design and it's extremely hard for me to choose one aspect of it to study. I've been having quite some trouble thinking of an essential question and where I want to direct my entire project. I'm hoping that once I get more hands on work, I'll be able to decide what is exactly I want to do. I don't think there's much the senior team can do for me right at this moment, it's more something I have to come to a conclusion on.

Blog 5 - Interview 1 Reflection

1. I learned that in order to be successful in the Graphic Design field, you need to have a lot of passion for the work that you do. If someone doesn't genuinely enjoy what they're doing, then they can't fully enjoy and pour all their hard work on what they're doing. It takes a lot of dedication and time to master all the skills needed. If I want to become a Graphic Designer, I would need to devote a lot of my life to it to always ensure my best work is being done.
   
   For this interview, I wasn't really able to engage in an actual conversation much since the answers were straight forward for the most part. I'm hoping that by the next interview, the whole interview will be able to flow a lot better than this one. I still gained a lot of valuable information, I would just want the next interview to flow more naturally.
   
2. Sam Hernandez, the interviewee, explained how he already has a lot of colleagues and contacts that he wants to contact for me. Most of them have already agreed to allow me to shadow them just to get a glimpse of different hands on experiences in the field of Graphic Design. He has colleagues he plans to contact for me from the Walt Disney Company and Warner Brothers Studios.
   
   He also gave me many websites and courses that I can take to try and improve on my own personal skills on my own time. I think this would be the most useful because I can dedicate my own time to improving on specific things I need to improve on.
   
3. My interviewee, Sam Hernandez, has a lot of experience in the field of graphic design. He isn't closed off to specific things in the field which makes the whole thing 10x better. He has a lot of experience that I'm excited to learn more about. He worked at the Warner Brothers Studio for about 7 years and is currently working for The Walt Disney Company for 3 months already. Before he was hired by these big companies, he did a lot of freelance work that he still currently works on too.

Blog 4 - House Advisory Prep 1

 My entire life, I have always been intrigued by Photoshop from manipulating images to creating original work. When I was younger and had more time on my hands, I would look up random picture on google and play with it on Photoshop. Slowly, I became really good at photoshopping and knowing all the tricks and secrets there was to know. What I hope to get out of this senior project is an answer. This is my opportunity to find out if I really want to pursue a career in Graphic Design or if I should drift my focus onto another path. 

I know that I will receive the experience with my mentor this year, so I'm really excited for what's to come. Regardless if I decide to focus on Graphic Design in college or not, I'm ready to give this senior project my complete effort and more

Blog 3 - First Interview Preparation

1. Who do you plan to interview? Why?

• At this point, I don't have many people I can go to that are experts in the Graphic Design field. I would wish  I had a long list of people I could contact but I sadly can't. I think for my first interview, I'm going to interview my mentor Sam Hernandez. Sam has been working in the Graphic Design field for about 15 years now and has worked for major companies like the Warner Bros Studios & the Walt Disney Company. Once we get our mentorship kicked off and running, I will ask him if he could introduce me to some of his co-workers that he works alongside so that I may potentially interview. I'd be using my mentor for my first to interviews and I'm only allowed to interview him twice so I'd use his coworkers for my last two interviews. 

2. Five questions will be assigned to all seniors to ask.  What additional questions do you plan to ask?  

1. Tell me about how you worked to become the Graphic Designer you are today?
2. What sparked you interest in Graphic Design?
3. At what point in your life did you know this is what you wanted to do for a living? 
4. What are some challenges you've come across while working in this field?
5. Are there any programs or courses you would recommend me to take? (classes that they took? potential young scholars classes??) 

Blog 2 - Summer Mentorship

1. List the contact name, phone number, and organization of the person with whom you volunteered.
   My mentors name was Rocio Centeno, her phone number is (626) 664-4096, and she works at Parkview Elementary High School which is a part of Mt. View School District in El Monte, CA.
   
2. What qualified this person as an expert in your topic choice?     
   Ms. Centeno has been teaching Kindergarten for over 10 yeas now and really knows what she's doing and whats best when it comes to her job. She genuinely enjoys teaching Kindergarten and her little students. She feels as if its such an important time in her student's life that she dedicates a ton of time into assuring she provides the best education for them. 
   As of now, I'm trying to find a mentor in Graphic Design (or at this point anything that has do with technology.) If I fail to find something, my backup plan will be to do my Senior Project in Juvenile Education.
   
   
   
3. List three questions for further exploration now that you've completed your summer hours.    
   1. How do you ensure that the student's are grasping and learning all the material thats given to them?2. From past experience, what have been some kindergarten milestones that shaped up the student's school year?3. How much time do you have to dedicate to a lesson until it becomes second nature for the students?
   
4. What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?
   Kindergarten for me never seemed like such an important school year in a student's life until I mentored under Ms. Centeno. At first, I came in here seeking filler hours while I continued searching for a Graphic Designer but now I'm actually considering sticking to this topic, that's if I don't find a mentor in my first choice of topic. I now realize that Kindergarten can define how a student continues on in their school years and how well I do. Im excited to maybe follow along a group of students this school year to see how they progress.
   
5. What is your senior project topic going to be?  How did mentorship help you make your decision?  Please explain.
   Im still in search of a final senior topic. I would've loved to something in the graphic design industry but this summer has showed me otherwise. It's extremely hard to find a mentor in that career, at least for me it was. If you guys have any connections I'd love to contact them. If I fail to find a mentor in this industry, I will most likely stay with Juvenile Education mentoring under Rocio Centeno. I actually enjoyed these last times I spent with her and she seemed eager to let me in on her journey throughout this school year.

LINK TO MY MENTORSHIP HOURS LOG

Blog 1 – Senior Final Lesson/Interview Reflection

1.  What three lessons were most helpful for you to see, and why?

1. Domestic Abuse/PTSD - Hannah Leonard
   During Hannah's presentation, it was obvious she was extremely comfortable and passionate about her topic. What was really helpful for me about this lesson was that there are many types of domestic abuses that we might not be aware of. For example, her activity consisted of this scenario where we were dating someone who was extremely attached and didn't let us hang out with anybody else. The point of the activity was to see how long we would leave ourselves in such a toxic relationship. She explained how having toxic partners can really affect and change someone's social life. A lot of people close themselves out from others just for their partner, which is extremely unhealthy. This was only one example out of many she presented to us of domestic abuse. It was a lot more than just physical abuse.
2. Criminal Law - Givanti Chatapal
   Givanti's presentation was a perfect example of a smooth, casual presentation that went extremely well in my opinion. When I think of my senior presentation, I would want it to run as smoothly and great as Givanti's. This lesson was really helpful because not only was the topic itself very interesting, but now I have this goal in mind and an idea of what a great presentation really is. Her activity was also very engaging and you could tell it wasn't a result of a last minute thing. From how her presentation went, I can really tell she worked really hard to prepare for her presentation. 
3. Event Planning - Jessica Nesci
   For me, Jessica's lesson was very helpful for me because it gave me an example of a much more social/interesting topic that could have a great outcome as a senior project. At first I was skeptical to whether something as interesting as Event Planning would really work out, but after watching her presentation, it showed me that as long as we try and are passionate about our topic, anything is possible. Event planning isn't a topic with straight-on facts and information we can look up; there goes a lot more thinking and personal thought into it which I really enjoy. It was relieving to see that people can have a lot of fun with their topics even if it's something outrageous.

2. List one that you learned about the senior project in interviews that will help you get off to a good start?

1. One thing that I learned from my interviews with the seniors about the senior project is that we should always have more than one mentor in mind, or at least have a backup. From what I learned, mentors can be extremely unreliable sometimes, so it's important to have a backup we can turn to if we end up without a mentor at any point. It makes things easier to be prepared and not have to spend so much time looking for a new mentor.

3. What topic(s) are you considering, and why?

1. Veterinary Medicine/Physician
   I've always been very fond of animals my entire life, although, it wasn't until I got a cat of my own that I realized I would be interested in pursuing a career as a veterinarian. One challenge I think I would face using a topic like this is finding a mentor willing to dedicate their personal time to teach me and guide me through this journey. It might be easy to volunteer at places, but actually building a connection with a veterinarian might end up being a little difficult. 
2. Event Planning
   On career day, we had an event planner as a career choice to learn about. I went to the guy's presentation and really enjoyed it. I could honestly see myself being a great event planner. It would allow me to open up my mind and be creative with my job. I enjoy being given the chance to use my creativity. This was partially the reason I attended Jessica Nesci's presentation. Seeing her presentation convinced me that a senior project on a topic as creative as Event Planning really is possible. 

4. What EQ do you think might be interesting to consider in guiding a project like this? (Please don't worry about any sort of formula...we want this question to come from your genuine interest).

1. Event Planning
   What is the best way to make an event successful?What element is most important in making sure an event doesn't fail?

5. What are some ideas you have about finding summer mentorship?

• I plan on visiting and emailing different pet shelters/pet hospitals around my area as soon as possible to try and see how it would all work out if I chose Veterinary Medicine/Physician. Like I said before, it worries me I won't find a dedicated mentor in this field but I'm ready to start looking around.
• Although this may be the easiest way out, I plan on trying to contact Jessica Nesci's current mentor to see if she'd be willing to mentor again this year. Also, although it is a long shot, I'm going to try and email the guy from Career Day, it's worth a shot. It all really depends on what topic I decide to stick with.