Week 8 FINAL REFLECTION

Chances for Children is aptly titled; it gives children a "chance" to be healthy. Ironically, it also gives us adults a "chance" to do something big by helping others. For me, there is nothing more rewarding then helping people- this is what life's all about! I came into the experience ready to do wwhat I love and and passionate about. It has proven to be all I wanted and more. I made new friends, worked in teams, had a "say", sharpened my marketing skills, became well-versed in the linguistics to the organization, learned about the world of marathons, inspired, recreuited and encouraged others to get involved and much more then I can fully grasp right now. As I reflect back over the past several weeks I feel honored to say that I worked with such generous and optimistic people. It wasn't always easy; being outdoors in this Arizona heat was awful. But it was the principle of what I was doing that kept me pushing harder and harder each day. I really loved how each day was something different. I never did the same thing or see the same people or do the same duties every day. One day I would be in charge or marketing, another day was PR, another day was presentations, the next was composing a media contact list, the next was working to put together PSA's, etc. Everyday had something new. I think I learned the most when I shadowed Susan Loken during her day. She really has an amazing personality and made me feel like I was already employed. She trusted me during her meeting presentation to answer questions and participate on behalf of the organization. I thought that was huge. From her, I learned about the inmportance of patience. She is a firm believer in "doing what you love, and do it well. Then, you will never have to work a day in your life."- this is something I try to emmulate in my every endeavor. It's not always a breeze. Sometimes things can be monotonous and tedious but if my attitude is where it needs to be, I can chose to take something "new" from each experience and in each day. I also learned more about the dynamics and linguistics to marketing and grants. Further solidifed within my internship position is how much I love kids. I found myself to get emotional in times where I had the chance to talk about the kids we are helping and showcasing photos from our events that were really endearing. (Visit our website at chancesforchildrenaz.com to see!) I just have really enjoyed working so hard with so many people for one common goal; helping others. As I said in the beginning and I will say again: NOTHING IS MORE REWARDING TO ME THEN MAKING A IDFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS. And, I sure hate to sound like pageant Patty over here with "world peace" speeches so I will leave you all with a poem I live by. It was also on my web portfolio from week 4 so if you've already seen it, sorry for the repetition but it's really a wonderful poem:
To laugh often and much,
To win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children,
to earn the appreciation of honest critics,
and endure the betrayal of false friends,
to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others,
to make the world a better place whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition,
to know that even one life has breathed better because you have lived...this, is to have succeeded.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
And so as I reflect back on my time here at Chances for Children, I think I can honestly say that I used and spent my time well; in an attempt to leave the world a bit better "whether by a healthy child" and in our case, 100s of 1000s of children. I beleive I can walk away saying perhaps one or two lives have "breathed better" simply because I have lived and chosen to take part in this organization. I have grown intrinsically, spiritually and emotionally. I feel like I have also grown in respect to implementing time management into my life a bit more and not taking myself too seriously. With the issues we see in the lives of some of these kids, I have learned to count my blessings and be grateful for my good health. That's all I can ask for is my health to remain where it is. I have grown to learn how very important it is take care of myself too. All of the facets that deal with our organization (health and fitness, education, awareness) have been eye opening. I may not be a child anymore but I dream of being a mother one day who can educate her own children on making healthy decisions. Without question this was a very positive experience and I highly enourage and recommend future BISer's to look into interning her (pending your two concentration areas, of course.) I would recommend it because it's upbeat, high energy, interactive and diverse. If you're not about sitting in front of a computer for eight hours a day and love working with a team, Chances for Children is so great. They really take you on and treat you as though you're an employee.
Not to sound like a broken record here but "helping others...helping others...helping others...." has been my "job" all summer so I cannot complain one bit. Writing my "IMPROVE" blog was actually a challege. I really had to reach and think of something to "change" to make better around here when truth is, these guys have it together. I was but a mere asset to a team that's already shooting for the stars all along and I'm really going to miss everyone! However, I do plan on participating in the very marathons I have been advocating this summer and if you or anyone you know would like to participate in the PF Changs Rock n' Roll Marathon in January 2011 then I encourage you to visit our website and sign up. And LADIES, we have a womens-only half marathon called "Sole Sisters" for women of all ages to participate in. I am a first timer myself but I beleive in the principles of this organization and in what we do here, so I can't imagine not participating.
Even in my final reflection I find that I am looking to the future with Chances for Children by doing all I can to help give these kids a chance.

Week 7- IMPROVE

So far, the only real area that may need improvement is the media kit (as far as who is in charge of putting together the posters and postcards for the organization.) Currently, the organization is trying to recruit and promote for two marathons and two running groups. This means we have informational meetins across the state to give out more extensive details on what the marathons entail, etc. Unfortunately, we have come across several issues when it comes to having the necessary information on our posters and postcards. Information that is lacking is essential contact numbers, times that meetings will be taking place and crucial email addresses. In my opinion, this is imperative information that someone needs at FIRST GLANCE. In school I learned about eh drastic importance of various problem solving strategies to help eliminate any confusion when it comes to relaying integral information. If I was "boss" I would give this responsibility solely to ONE person. I think the current issues right now is that too many people are in charge of making a single advertisement. This makes the situation cluttered, messy and filled to the rim with not-so-necessary info. I am a first beleiver in "Keeping it Simple"...this makes people want to read it. Think about it, when someone sees a lengthy paragraph or more of writing, more likely then not they will want to look away. Bullet points are key; they are eye catching, substantial and to hte point. If I had the authority to make this happen I would call a meeting specifically for the purpose of discussing marketing techniques and layouts. I would then assign one or two people maximum to be in charge of composing draft posters, ads and postcards. They would then be printed and end up on my desk where I would proof read them to ensure that only the most necessary information was in fact on it! It would save us time and money the first time around rather then having to reprint and pay for it later with a lack of attendees at mtngs due to insufficient information presented to them, or because we had to go out and buy stamps and spend the time stamping each postcard; this is time that could be spent at or planning events, meetings and everything else in between.

Week 6 - INTERVIEW

Today I (AMB) interviewed Susan Loken (SL) who I shadowed during her day in the office.

AMB: What types of challenges do you face?
DL: Balancing my time. Time managment. As a mom and runner myself, I have so many hats I have to wear each day in order to plan events and choach and market.

AMB: How do you deal with deadless stress, difficult people and internal politics?
SL: With deadliens it's all about planning ahead. That's key. And then with stress, I run! Running and staying active helps relieve stress for me big time. As for internal politics, I like to talk it out. When we are all super busy here we both have time when each of us will take turns holding down the fort. And communication is key!

AMB: What do you like and dislike about your position?
SL: I like knowing that I am doing what I love every day which is helping other people and bettering the lives of others. I dislike the fact that there is always sooo much to do and sometimes I feel like...I wish I could do more. And do it better.

AMB: What do you feel can be done to make work go smoother?
SL: More interns!!! More volunteers.

AMB: How do you feel about working with others?
SL: I love it. Wouldn't have it any other way. Relationships are the most important thing to build in this organization.

AMB: How do you seperate the personal from the professional?
SL: Live in the moment. Often times my family IS and can be involved within my professional life such as when we put on family races and workshops. Love for my family to be involved.

AMB: Do you enjoy working on group projects?
ASL: Yes, very fun. Leaders and coaches..all of us..four brains are all better then one and you can accomplish more. Success is not a sole journey!

AMB: What is your ideal work environment?
SL: Active, lots of poeple, healthy, POSITIVE, where everyone is working together for a common goal in harmony.

AMB: How does your personality help or hinder your communication with others or your conflict resolution approaches?
SL: I am good at confronting people and putting a positive spin on it if there is a conflict and I am good at confronting it before it gets to be too big.

AMB: How has your education and experience prepared you for your current job?
SL: I just finished personal training school so I can be better at my job and with my coaching certification class USATF in Chicago. It's all helped mme so much.

AMB: After whome do you model your work behavior? Or, who do you most respect?
SL: My boyfriend Bill. He has a strong work ethic and is just a fair and loyal and hardworking person who gets the job done. He is supportive through and through. He has had the same secretary for 20 years which says something about how he treats his employees...and he works as hard as they do. I like that because...if you're going to tell someone to clean the toilet you should be able to do it too!

AMB: Have you reached out to mentors and has the mentorship systeam worked for you?
SL: I learn from everyone, everyday. Different team members have brought something new to the table and I learn from them. I am a sponge and everyone has their strengths and I try to better myself and the organization through them.

AMB: In doing what we did today at the meeting, what do you think is the most important characteristic to have?
SL: Passion. A passion for what you talk about. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Practice and endorse what you preach. I am talking about something I love and do personally. Passion.

AMB: It can be difficult post graduation and in today's economy to land that dream position. Any advice?
SL: life is a choice! I choose to be happy, everyday regardless. So, I advise you and my boys to be happy, don't stress. If it's meant to be yours it already is. Enjoy the journey getting there.

Week 6- SHADOW

Today I shadowed Susan Loken, the Marathon Program Director at Chances for Children. I came into the office at noon. She was making schedules and catching up on emails before heading out to give a presentation at UBS in an attempt to recruit more runners for the PF Chang's Rock n' Roll Marathon under Team Chances. Before we could go to the meeting we needed to gather all of our materials and make necessary copies. We headed out together to 4800 N. Scottsdale Road with all of what we needed to give a lengthy and informative presention. And her presentation was awesome and I am so lucky that I got to sit in on it! She even let me participate and answer questions that some of them had. I was able to give my take on the organization and why I was so passionate about helping children. I think this proved to be an asset to the presentation because it added some element of the relatability factor. The office consiststed of people who ran last year and were eager to run again this year. Also in the meeting were newbies who had never before considered a marathon. Susan was so great at her tactics of presenting the idea. I was impressed by her level of confidence in presenting the material in the way that she did. She didn't sound rehearsed at all. Rather, she sounded very knowledgable, comfortable and approachable. The group was asking substantial and relevant questions about the fundraising components, the benefits for the business, tax write offs--you name it and Susan had the answer for it. It was neat to see her in action otuside of the office. As a Marathon Program director, she has to wear several "hats" throughout her day; office manager, computer whiz, information processer, humanitarian, printing press, marketing squad and today, public speaker (which is what I love!) After the meeting had ended, I quickly realized that her "job" wasn't done yet. People who were unable to make the 1:25 meeting were catching her before we left the office and asking her several questions about Chances for Children and how they can be involved and if they can race this year with zero experience, etc etc etc. As you can imagine, after already giving out this information extensively that it may seem a bit tedious to answer the same questions over and over again with new people. Instead, Susan championed this with such an upbeat attitude and her personality was just refreshing. It was very clear to me today that this was a woman who is sincerely passionate about helping people get healther and change the lives of children. I learned the importance of patience yes, but even more so about being in love with what you do because it will reflect in your work ethic and in your attitude. She also told me today that life is a choice and that she chooses, everyday, to be happy. This makes her job that much more rewarding every morning when she wakes up and heads to the office. We didnt end up leaving until shortly after 3pm. Our drive back up was informative. She continued to give me life lessons. She is a full time mom on top of everything else she does so it was interesting to get to know that side of her. We really can do it all! Mind over matter.
We then had to drive over to Office Max and get some ink for the printer. After that we came back to the office and we are here now. She is just signing out now by inputing information for our newest racers who signed up today (which it the last thing she does everyday since it's quite a lengthy process) and she will be ready to come back tomorrow for another meeting for Team Sole Sisters. :)