Starting Point...
This project that we have created as a group and will continue to study the theory of happiness through the experiences that we will make throughout the month. This project is included going in depth of subject and emotion of happiness. There is no one true definition to meaning of happiness because it can be described different ways in our society. Throughout this project, I'm will be intrigue by the people we work, volunteer or talk with in the streets about their reasons why they are happy and content in their lives , what made them happy as a child, and how they find their own happiness as individuals.
My mentor is Kate Webb who works as an art therapist from Draw from Within located in Little Italy. What I learned from our first meeting with Kate was that the art therapy is open to all ages and from different backgrounds. Art Therapy is another way of releasing your stress, sadness and negativity into creating beautiful art pieces. As well, as a source of happiness to express their creativity and artistic skills. Here is a picture of her logo that she showed us in our meeting. |
Ending of the Week 1:
Since we are volunteering and researching about happiness around the San Diego County, there isn't a specific workplace that we can describe. But what has struck me about this project is interviewing people, asking them simple questions about their happiness. I am excited to continue to experience our theme of happiness about throughout the the four weeks. And one thing that I am nervous about is how fast this externship is and how little time we have for each other in the next month or so.
Throughout this week, I have been taking pictures throughout of our externship so below this picture was from the Botanical Garden in Balboa Park. We were at Balboa Park interviewing San Diegons and tourists about the meaning of happiness, are they happy themselves and many more questions for our documentary. |
Second Week of Happiness:
It is already the second week of externship which is quite amazing how time goes by fast. Throughout this externship, it has been great talking to people around the San Diego County and exploring different areas of the city as well. It has been a different experience traveling around San Diego without family or the school supervising us since we are "adults". But, the connections I have made between this externship and what I've done in school is scheduling,organizing our time and being curious. In school, there is always a lot scheduling within our projects, classwork and exhibitions. That's why it is important to have a plan or outline to follow up if something goes wrong or redirection to the original plan. And organizing your time can fit with scheduling so being able to be flexible with your time and work. Lastly, being curious has been a main connection that has stood out to me because curiosity is a big way of how we learn in HTHI. And how we ask and answer our questions that we have about subjects, school and life in general.
Since we are the Seven doors to Happiness, we have experience many happy moments throughout our time, especially visiting Balboa Park, volunteering with Q international school and attending music therapy with Resounding Joy. They are all unique and amazing in their special way. My favorite moments about each of these places is visiting the Railroad Museum in Balboa because it was many of group's members first time going in the museum and experiencing the beauty of the mini city of SD with trains going around the city. Participating in a scavenger hunt with Q international while exploring the tourist attractions/museums in Balboa Park. As well as, singing and listening to stories of the elders in the Summer House Retirement Housing for Music Therapy. I'm interested to participate, volunteer and experience more adventure for this externship while learning my meaning about happiness.
This picture from the Photographic Arts Museum and the picture made out of 96 pictures to make into one single picture. It was an interesting exhibit.
Since we are the Seven doors to Happiness, we have experience many happy moments throughout our time, especially visiting Balboa Park, volunteering with Q international school and attending music therapy with Resounding Joy. They are all unique and amazing in their special way. My favorite moments about each of these places is visiting the Railroad Museum in Balboa because it was many of group's members first time going in the museum and experiencing the beauty of the mini city of SD with trains going around the city. Participating in a scavenger hunt with Q international while exploring the tourist attractions/museums in Balboa Park. As well as, singing and listening to stories of the elders in the Summer House Retirement Housing for Music Therapy. I'm interested to participate, volunteer and experience more adventure for this externship while learning my meaning about happiness.
This picture from the Photographic Arts Museum and the picture made out of 96 pictures to make into one single picture. It was an interesting exhibit.
Realization
This externship/experience has been great so far. At the end of the day, I am happy that I decided to choose a group project than a regular externship. Because, I know this externship will give me memories that I will always remember while I continue to grow older. I will look back from those memories of exploring San Diego with my friends while documenting our research of happiness. There's something beautiful knowing that I had a great group of friends who support and cared for me throughout my four years especially my senior year.
This group project is all about teamwork, time management and communication. It can be hard to schedule new events or change plans along the way but it's only part of the experience of growing up and finding our own meaning of happiness. Our externship isn't as structured or academics to learn from. But, it is flexible and teaches us the ability to think for ourselves, to challenge the questions we have about happiness and to make our own choices like we should be able to since we are graduating in a month.
This group project is all about teamwork, time management and communication. It can be hard to schedule new events or change plans along the way but it's only part of the experience of growing up and finding our own meaning of happiness. Our externship isn't as structured or academics to learn from. But, it is flexible and teaches us the ability to think for ourselves, to challenge the questions we have about happiness and to make our own choices like we should be able to since we are graduating in a month.
Rewinding all the happy memories...
Externship progress
In both ways, it has been difficult however manageable to keep up time and our progress throughout our externship. Our mentor for our entire group, Marcy who has been super great and good communicator to us since the beginning before we started externship. She is a career and passion coach which gives us a different perspective of how people have help find to their true passions in life in order to bring them happiness. We met up with her on Mondays and Fridays and discuss her about our week, what we have learned, our favorite memories and etc. These meet ups usually by email and last Wednesday and day before externship we met with Marcy face to face as well. As we had other support along the way especially from the Qinternational, have been very kind to us and always inviting us to different events around San Diego.
Pictures of events from this week and final product
Final weeks of happiness:
During this externship, I have learned that volunteering can be challenging if there is miscommunication. Volunteering is a fulfilling way to give back to the community but we all have to be honest of how much we do as volunteers. Many organization can take advantage of an volunteer and their free time if the volunteer is not clear with what they are affording. So, being clear and have good communication is the key to having a great volunteering opportunity.
Overall, Marcy our group mentor is awesome checking up on us and seeing how our progress is going throughout the project. She has been offering us tip and advice on our resumes, networking with other professionals and participating in some volunteering. We are lucky to have a mentor like Marcy who has been involved in our happiness project since Day 1.
Overall, Marcy our group mentor is awesome checking up on us and seeing how our progress is going throughout the project. She has been offering us tip and advice on our resumes, networking with other professionals and participating in some volunteering. We are lucky to have a mentor like Marcy who has been involved in our happiness project since Day 1.
Final week of externship
Since, it is the last week of externship and working on the Seven Doors to Happiness Project, there is plenty of reflection for me to explain. The measure of success of the work we did was based on teamwork, talking to each other as a group about what was needed to get done and to not take life too seriously. It becomes often enough for us to take life too seriously and not be able to enjoy the things that makes us happy. That was the whole project was finding what was our pieces to our happiness while exploring how others in San Diego find their own. It was interesting to see how people find their happiness by using art, yoga, music, singing, sharing stories and etc. It was simple tasks that many people do normally on a daily basis.
It gave me a different perspective on happiness and sharing the experience with my friends definitely made a difference. I was with my friends more than my parents during these five weeks of externship. We volunteer, ate, stress over challenges and laugh a lot together. It was great that we were able to document our externship especially outside externship when we had Grad and Prom night.
This work taught me balanced my education as well because I was taking a Mesa college class, studying for final exams and writing papers while participating the externship. It was hard to flexible because I really wanted to do well in my college class and at the same time, not miss anything during my externship.
It is amazing how this project was inspired by Mabel and Bethany to have a project to be inspired by people's happiness while being able to spend our last months together as friends and high schoolers. I didn't know what to expect during this externship. I didn't know we would be making a documentary, working with the Make-A-Wish foundation, spending time with elderly people participating in music therapy or volunteering for a marathon. For my final product is working on the script for our documentary which is weird to be working on because it is a realization that externship is almost over and high school as well.
It gave me a different perspective on happiness and sharing the experience with my friends definitely made a difference. I was with my friends more than my parents during these five weeks of externship. We volunteer, ate, stress over challenges and laugh a lot together. It was great that we were able to document our externship especially outside externship when we had Grad and Prom night.
This work taught me balanced my education as well because I was taking a Mesa college class, studying for final exams and writing papers while participating the externship. It was hard to flexible because I really wanted to do well in my college class and at the same time, not miss anything during my externship.
It is amazing how this project was inspired by Mabel and Bethany to have a project to be inspired by people's happiness while being able to spend our last months together as friends and high schoolers. I didn't know what to expect during this externship. I didn't know we would be making a documentary, working with the Make-A-Wish foundation, spending time with elderly people participating in music therapy or volunteering for a marathon. For my final product is working on the script for our documentary which is weird to be working on because it is a realization that externship is almost over and high school as well.
Last Post of Externship:
Time goes fast when you are having fun and stressed out at the same time. This is the last day of externship, we have two weeks before school is over and I passed with my college class with B. It has been a great five weeks and this experience will not be forgotten.
What I viewed about my life after high school hasn't really changed but I have learned that I have accept what I have in my life, not keep wondering what I could of have if I did something different and to take as many pictures or videos I can. I also thought about my future and what will happened in the next months of 2016. Because though, many of my friends are staying in San Diego including myself, I still have fear that we might grow apart despite the technology we have to stay connected. I don't think it is bad to have in fear about what ifs however, if they consume your life then how can you ever have fun in the present.
That is why I've been trying to enjoy this past year to spend time with my friends as much as possible, be with my family and be adventurous with the places we've traveled. The externship hasn't influence the direction of my life. Because I already knew what I wanted to do with my life in the sense what I want to do in the next few months. I'm going to San Diego State in the Fall- studying Speech Pathology, want to more open and talkative to the new people I meet, keep close with my old friends, be as adventurous as possible and maybe get my licensee.
Honestly, this externship didn't change my whole life as I expected and my direction of my life hasn't changed as much as before. Nevertheless, I learned many lessons and connections in this externship especially with happiness. I've always been a happy person since I was little, I've never cried much and always tried to be positive even when I'm stressed out of my mind. Though I have learned happiness is something that can not be forced on anyone, you can guide someone towards their happiness but it is their decision to what makes them happy for them and their lives. I'm glad that the externship has ended on a good note, excited for what will come to the what ifs of life and seeing what life and my happiness will take me in few months of summer and my first year of college.
What I viewed about my life after high school hasn't really changed but I have learned that I have accept what I have in my life, not keep wondering what I could of have if I did something different and to take as many pictures or videos I can. I also thought about my future and what will happened in the next months of 2016. Because though, many of my friends are staying in San Diego including myself, I still have fear that we might grow apart despite the technology we have to stay connected. I don't think it is bad to have in fear about what ifs however, if they consume your life then how can you ever have fun in the present.
That is why I've been trying to enjoy this past year to spend time with my friends as much as possible, be with my family and be adventurous with the places we've traveled. The externship hasn't influence the direction of my life. Because I already knew what I wanted to do with my life in the sense what I want to do in the next few months. I'm going to San Diego State in the Fall- studying Speech Pathology, want to more open and talkative to the new people I meet, keep close with my old friends, be as adventurous as possible and maybe get my licensee.
Honestly, this externship didn't change my whole life as I expected and my direction of my life hasn't changed as much as before. Nevertheless, I learned many lessons and connections in this externship especially with happiness. I've always been a happy person since I was little, I've never cried much and always tried to be positive even when I'm stressed out of my mind. Though I have learned happiness is something that can not be forced on anyone, you can guide someone towards their happiness but it is their decision to what makes them happy for them and their lives. I'm glad that the externship has ended on a good note, excited for what will come to the what ifs of life and seeing what life and my happiness will take me in few months of summer and my first year of college.