Silent Witness Vigil- Sponsored by the Women's Center

As I have told you all before, I work at the Women's Center   on campus. We are located in the lower level of Donovan Dining. Today on the Quad from 12-2, we will be holding a Silent Witness Vigil.The purpose of this event is to bring awareness to Domestic Violence. 

In 1990, Silent Witness began promoting and educating to support an end to domestic violence.It started with one exhibit in 1 state, and grew into an international presence.
Many men and women die each year of Domestic Violence in the U.S. Each 1 has a story.
Join our efforts to end this tragedy .
Because we need to remember their experience with Domestic Violence.
We need to remember their names.
                                              -The Women's Center

Identity in Context

 Context mapping is a strategic tactic to gain knowledge on a person's life. In my social work 326 course, we have discussed various ways to interact with clients. Social Workers and Youth Workers can utilize the following activities (below) as well as context mapping as engagement strategies:

       http://socialwork.msu.edu/koehle /docs/AboutEcomaps.pdf        

  http://www.genopro.com/genogram/ 

 During their initial meeting, Mitch noticed how hard it was for Julian to express himself so, he asked him to list the many places and relationships he must face on a daily basis.  He provided four identities:

1. Foreclosed Identity- an individual has committed to a certain way of being without exploring that way of being of trying different alternatives

2. Diffuse Identity-  little to no exploration of an identity therefore no  commitment to one. 

3. Identity Moratorium-  explores different roles and beliefs, but does not make a commitment to one. 

4. Achieved Identity- when the individual is absolutely committed to an identity therefore no identity crisis.


Once Mitch viewed the list, he finally realized what was bothering Julian. Too many people (his parents, friends, and teachers) were co-authoring his story.Which ultimately led him to a state of  confusion. Erickson says, "In the social jungle of human existence there is no feeling of being alive without a sense of identity". If a child/adolescent is not given independence and the freedom to explore different paths as well as adopt their own views, they will never be their own person.

This article really hit home for me. I often try to satisfy others by dismissing my own values, and  beliefs.  But in doing that, I am abandoning my true self. Julian gave up athletics and to focus strictly on academics All to make his parents and teachers proud. Mitch grew up in a poor district and dedicated himself to his studies to make his mother happy. 

But what price do we pay when we change who we are, to make the people in our life proud? A loss of personality!
     Julian went from being a friend, athlete, and student to just being a student. His friendship with Antwon became non-existent and sports became a thing of his past.


                 My Context Map

1. Family
  - Daughter, Sister, Aunt

2. Rhode Island College
- Youth Development, RIC Women's Center Employee

3. Library
 - Volunteer

4.  Preparatory Enrollment Program Student
   - 2012 Alumni

Constructing Adolescence

I found this week's blog to be a bit challenging. I emailed Professor Bogad last night because I did not understand what was being asked of me. I understood bits and pieces of the prompt but I was not comfortable with it. After reading Christina's blog, the light bulb flashed on. Her personal example helped me realize that I was over thinking the assignment.

The case study centered on Ms. Peterson and Antwon brought me back to high school. First impressions may mean everything to certain people. It certainly meant a lot to my teachers in high school. If students were disruptive, rude, loud, or impossible as they would say, they would utilize every opportunity they had to dismiss you. Whether that was suspension or detention. Ms. Peterson's first impression of Antwon was negative. She too found him to be rude, and disruptive. But what separates her from my former teachers is, she took the time to get to know him. Sure she had her judgments, but she worked with him rather than against him. Ultimately, she discovered the underlying problem was his concerns with the mandated standardized testing. Megan pointed out something out in her blog that I believe some adults tend to forget, "we both teach and are taught by youth". Antwon taught his teacher that not all "cries" for help are expressed through words. Actions sometimes speak louder than words.
            I know the prompt for this week's blog said list 10 people who have shaped your life but I have eight special people who have shaped my life in a positive direction within the past year. 

 My sister Alexandria

My cousin Christina

My niece Mystique

My niece(Lanyia) & my nephew( Jarell)

My sister Dominique  

My brother(Ryan) and my sister-in-law (Nikki) 

My brother plays a very important role in my life. He is one of many co-authors in my life. I met my brother for the first time when I was six years old. He was 14. We clicked right off the bat. He was someone I could confide in. Someone that possessed no judgements. After 1999, he moved back to Mass and we had no contact with one another but I thought about him all the time. In 2012, he found one of my sister's on Facebook and we have been in contact ever since. He attended my high school graduation, we met our future sister-still and our nieces  nephew.  He helps me embrace my strengths. I am so lucky to have him in my life