Anyway, I have to write a personal statement. I have decided to put that statement on my blog for those to read. If you do read it, I welcome you comments. You could even tell me that it is the worst you have ever read. I like honesty. Besides, I am not planning on being a writer.
This is somewhat long.
The question is:
What have been your most significant learning experiences? Please provide some examples.
What is your learning style, and how do you go about solving problems?
Why are you considering coming to Antioch University New England at this time in your life? What do you hope to get from the experience professionally and personally? What do you have to contribute to Antioch New England and your field?
Personal Statement
As a 37 year old African American living in New Hampshire and working at a summer camp, I am often asked and I wonder, “How did I get here?” Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, I wandered willingly into a landscape that was somewhat foreign to me. I soon realized that many different experiences in my life have led me down this road. I wanted to work directly with children. I wanted to illustrate that everything we do is based on choice. I wanted to hear other peoples’ stories. As a younger man, the military was calling my name. It was the unwritten and unspoken assumption in my family. I then made a choice. I took a road never travelled by my family. Prior to my sophomore year in high school, I signed up for an environmental leadership program called ECO-ACT. The program, funded by the Desegregation Program of St. Louis, brought together high school students from city schools, predominately black, and county schools, predominately white. We participated in a 3 week summer training and school year of teaching 3rd-5th graders ecology lessons.
During the summer training, we went on a 4 day – 3 night canoe trip on the Meramec River. This was my first camping trip. I was expecting many first experiences on this trip, such as sleeping in a tent, cooking on camp stoves, and living out of a plastic bag. The life changing moment happened on my first time going to the bathroom in the woods. It was an experience that I will never forget. Without too many details, I was prepared to walk into the unknown after getting appropriate directions and supplies.
I walk the required 100 feet into the woods away from the river and then I get down to business. As I am completing the process, I look up and realize that I am not alone. A deer is standing about 20 feet away from me. I get confused on the details, as far as male or female, antlers or no antlers. Our eyes meet and I freeze. It seems like an eternity but for probably 3 seconds we stare at each other. I have never been this close to a deer ever. I am amazed, captivated, and mesmerized. There I am in the woods, with my pants down, staring at a deer about twenty feet from me. Pretty soon, embarrassment sets in. I pull my pants up quickly and the deer becomes startled and runs off into the woods. Afterwards, I saw the woods, the river, and the environment in a whole new light. It was an amazing place full of wonder, surprises, and sometimes embarrassing moments.
After graduating from college, I became the Instructor for the ECO-ACT Program. During that time, I was diagnosed with Graves Disease. Graves Disease is basically a hyperactive thyroid. Prior to this diagnosis, my relationship with my father was pretty nonexistent. After finding out about Graves Disease, I told my mother who then called my father’s mother. My mother got in touch with my father because, as it turns out, he also had Graves Disease. While all of this is going on, I was a part of a theater group. About a week before our first show, I was doing laundry at my grandparents’ house when my father walks down the stairs. We exchanged greetings and then he got to the point of his unexpected visit. He said, “I didn’t cause this to happen to you.” I was a little shocked by that statement. Graves Disease is hereditary but I told him that I didn’t blame him for disease. He went on to say that he would like to get together soon to catch up. I thought about this request for a minute and said that it would be fine to do so. However, I knew I would not be the one making plans. If he wanted to meet with me, he had to make the first move. As a child, my father would make plans to be with me and I would get all excited but he never showed up. He stated that he wanted to be around more. So, I told him about the play I was in. He said that he would come. I was excited against my better judgment at the possibility of my father coming back into my life. He missed the first weekend because he got lost and could not find the theater. He never showed up for the second weekend and I never heard from him again. What did I learn? I need to express my concerns and make the best possible choices for myself. I felt like he made his choice and so have I.
For 6 years as ECO-ACT Instructor, I learned interview skills, group management, teaching techniques, and program development. In January of 1999, I felt that it was time for a change. I decided to head east. New Hampshire was not my first choice but it wasn’t my last choice either. I wanted to work more directly with children so I became a summer camp counselor. This move would cause a big change in lifestyle, a huge pay cut, no health benefits, and an introduction to community living. After about 1 ½ weeks of training, I was put into a cabin with 8 boys. I was nervous, excited, and confident in my abilities. About three days into being a camp counselor with campers, I had a very insightful conversation with my boys. They asked me, “What is it like to be black?” Here I am the only black person at a summer camp in a room with 8 young white boys. To answer to this question was important to me. Unfortunately, I cannot remember exactly what I said although I do remember the conversation sparked by the question. We talked about discrimination – discrimination skateboarders in stores and someone may not be able to something because of their age. We proceed to talk about life at camp and future goals. It was amazing. They had a question. They asked the question. I hope they took something away from the conversation because I sure did.
These experiences were only the spark to future realizations in my life. I learned to look at knowledge through my own eyes. My learning style began to develop as a seeker of information that I was interested in, that I wanted, and that I could use. I wanted to learn something new, of which there is a lot. I wanted to be a part of the process of my learning. I wanted to know that I had a choice in my learning. In college, I took a whole class on Paradise Lost by John Milton. This epic poem contained so much obvious and hidden information that I was simply fascinated. The information gathered during class floored me just about every time we met. The multiple ways that people looked at a single passage and got different information was great, and sometimes frustrating.
As a Camp Director, I deal with problems on a daily basis. Many problems can have simple answers. “Yes, you have to hangout out with the campers.” “Drink some water if you have a headache.” For bigger problems, I happen to enjoy meeting with those involved, talking to my peers, and getting advice from my supervisor. It is important to have as much information possible to make the best decision you can especially if it will affect other people. Everyone should be on the same page or at least know the page number. Of course, there are times you just need to make the call with the information you have at the time.
I am considering Antioch University New England now because I feel that I am ready. I enjoy hearing different viewpoints and trying new concepts. Also, I found out that my place of employment is closing. The closing of my place of employment allows me the time and energy to change careers and learn something new. I am hoping to gain a degree and certification in a field that will allow me to do what I have wanted to do, work with children. This program will satisfy my personal and professional goals by allowing me to not be confined by four walls and a ceiling. It will allow me to share my knowledge, expand my viewpoints, and experience new thoughts. In the end, it will give me a choice.
I believe that I could provide Antioch and my field with a desire to keep learning and seeking out new ways of doing things. In college, I studied post-modernism. One idea of post-modernism is that there is nothing new only different versions of the old to make look new. I can accept that as long as we, as humans, continue to create and try something. Antioch would have a new voice in class bringing up different viewpoints and asking questions. Antioch and my field would have someone that is willing to try some new ideas or thoughts. I believe that Antioch has a unique delivery of knowledge that fits my current learning process.
