For my practicum, I am taking a class called "Nonprofit Management and Leadership." This class involves detailed learning about leadership in the nonprofit sector, including hands-on networking. This class has helped to build my confidence as a professional and has also shown me a number of important details of leadership, inside and outside of the nonprofit sector. (5 pts)

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I found this option through resources provided in my scholars colloquium class. Most of the class-related options available to us were presented directly to us. When I heard about this class, I was interested in its angle and thought that it would be a valuable experience. I would just advise anyone who takes a class for their practicum to clear it with a supervisor first.

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I have learned quite a bit from my practicum, though a lot of it has been personal learning and growth. While the knowledge of nonprofit leadership has undoubtedly been helpful, it has served to build my professional confidence and my ability to get things done and make connections.

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The assignment on the left is a reflection of the kind of personal growth I have undergone in this class intertwined with the more specific nonprofit knowledge I have gained. I had to personally contact and interview a nonprofit professional, which served as an excellent opportunity to look over my connections from a professional lens in a way I didn't do often previously. I ended up interviewing a director of case management at a homeless shelter from my hometown.

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Applying my practicum to my life beyond is fairly straightforward. If nothing else, I have learned a bit of professional skills. More generously, I have developed quite a bit personally and have learned quite a lot about nonprofit management, and hold an honest interest in the sector.

 

For the rest of my time at UMD, I plan to do an internship over next summer. My current objective, though, is to get a scheduling appointment early enough in the semester that I can actually register for the classes needed for my major! More seriously, I am now focusing on completing the last arm of my major, the specialization into a certain part of Communication. I've chosen the Social Influence track, since I believe it meshes best with my career goals. I would really love to work as a creative communications professional for a nonprofit or other company.

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View my resume here.