Sustainability Project

Student Loan Debt Powerpoint

Purpose: The purpose of this app would allow incoming freshman to learn about the possibilities of paying for their college tuition based off of which university they want to attend. It will help them learn about deadlines for scholarships and FAFSA, applications for on-campus activities such as, Ambassadors or Student Government, as well as learn about how much interest they will accumulate.

More about the interest: When you graduate, depending on your loan company, your interests starts to accumulate. It will allow students to be able to choose a career and see how much they will start making after graduation in their surrounding area. From there it will calculate how much your payments will be and how long with that income it will take you to pay it off.

For scholarships, it will allow you to pick which topics or criteria best suits you. For example, first generation college student, international student, gender, sexual orientation.. you get the point. From there it will show you specifically which scholarships best fit you instead of going through all the scholarships that doesn't pertain to you.

I feel that that our contribution to this project was pretty equal as soon as we came up with the topic we each put our input into it trying to create the perfect app. We all look up statistics and created a outline. I then created the powerpoint to present to the class.

Final Facebook Review

***updated

FACELIFT:

For about a week I worked on rebranding our Facebook page. I made a new profile picture and cover photo. The old profile picture was a far away picture of all the staff in the office in front of the Holland building. The picture was outdated due to staff no longer working in the office and new staff added in. I found a picture of students sitting at a picnic table looking like they were working on homework, the picture was too bright so I burned the highlighted areas to make the background more blended in. I pasted one of the academic DSU logos on top and turned it from red to white to make it pop out more.
For the cover photo I wanted to emphasize DSU moto “active learning. Active life.” I had the active learning covered in the profile picture, so I wanted to show off the Southern Utah beauty by choosing a photo from Zion National Park. I added another DSU academic logo, and under it I put our moto hoping that those who view it would make the connection. Before it was a cheesy picture with staff members holding signs that read “We are here ^^”. I kept both images up to show the difference in marking.

ABOUT PAGE:

before:

 after:

I added the map, location and contact information so that it could be viewed visually. I also added the hours so students would be able to know when they are available to come speak with a career counselor. Nothing is more frustrating than realizing that the establishment you're trying to go to is closed, especially when it's a food place (that's just heartbreaking). I added the link to our Instagram, most of the Instagram posts were also shared onto the Facebook page.

 EXAMPLES OF POSTS:

ANALYTICS: 

Comprehensive Analytics from January - April

As for what worked and what did not with my Facebook posts, I don’t have a solid answer. It was never consistent. I would posts different times of the day to try and find what the optimum time was for the Career Center. I couldn’t find a consistency, it was different each time. I would post something at let’s say, 9 am on one day and get 300 reached, same time a different day and get 40 reached. It was never the same, the posts were even similar in style but different content.

However, one correlation that I did see through Facebook and Instagram was when I used real photos of actual DSU students those posts got the most likes. On Facebook, because of the tags it showed up on their personal Facebook which gained a greater outreached. I noticed that my best friend who lives in Oregon and her grandmother who lives in Texas ‘liked’ and ‘commented’ on the post. On Instagram most of the posts ended up on the ‘Explore’ tab. Those posts definitely received the most interaction.

When I would ask questions to my audience to increase engagement, I never received any answers. So, that was a bummer. I was almost tempted to even comment from my personal account, but that would be at an all-time low.
The times when we received the most followers was when we were paying for our event to ‘reach’ out to a greater population. Yup, that worked.

Something we could have done to market or promote the career center more would to be talking about it more with the students in meetings that counselors had. OR promoting it at events that we were hosting, like, “hey! Come follow us on our sweet social media to know more.”

Another thing I would have done differently would to utilize students. Yes, they have so much power. I would ask encourage the counselors to have students write us reviews, that way it could be another place to have a testimonial rather than our upcoming website. Also, we will be marketing our new website this coming summer and Fall 2018 semester. That would hopefully increase our followers and engagement with the student body. I think what was effective was having a calendar of when to post and being consistent.

Automatic Attitudinal Response

I've felt vulnerable sharing my opinions online, in a manner that it is fully public free for the world to have complete access to my posts. If you review my homepage of blogspot, you will see 5 drafts that I never posted. With the fear of judgment of others as they read my post, with the fear of my grade suffering I posted a few with the anticipation of the semester to being over so I can delete some of the posts. This fear drove the way I posted about the topics we were assigned to write about. 

I had a fear that I wasn't adequately expressing my thoughts, that my posts made me look naive and ignorant.  I had the fear of others who differ in opinions of thinking of me differently in a negative manner. I had a fear that those from high school would randomly Google my name and see my posts, and think that I am unintelligent. I had a fear that I wasn't well educated in my opinions, that I wasn't understanding the assignment, that I would be viewed differently by you who is grading my assignments. This all played a role as I thought about and typed up my assignments.This priming (pg. 47) prohibited my full ability to express myself. 

You said, "Our own prejudices prohibit us from hearing new information or ideas that are different from our own pre-determined standpoint. If messages are unclear or misunderstood, hidden presumption results in an intolerance of ambiguity, no patience with, nor critical attention to the question at hand, just defaulting to a polarized, pre-critical position." I'm grateful for my upbringing in Washington state by a single father who is non-religious. I remember sitting in my seventh grade science class next to a pregnant student. I remember walking down the halls my freshman year recognizing a fellow student who openly started dressing as the opposite sex, recognizing herself transgender. I remember my group of friends who started going to parties drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana and I joined as the DD and read Twilight in the corner. I was able to be exposed to a lot at a younger age, I didn't understand hatred, I didn't understand why there was bullying. 

Due to being exposed to a lot at a young age I had to develop a stance, an opinion at a young age. I've tried and still try to be open and accepting of other opinions. With that openness I've been able to change, mold, and develop a stronger opinion to govern my own moral compass. This has allowed me to have an open heart and heavy compassion for those that are not part of the 'typical society norm'. Even though I have become religious the past 5 years, I try to govern my way of thinking as Christ did. "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." 

Obama vs. Trump. "Republicans" hate Obama. Americans hate Trump. Maybe this is my small way of thinking but this is how I view them. Obama did was he did to the best of his ability. He did was he thought was best for the country as a whole. Trump is doing the best that he knows how (which may or not be the best). They are completely and totally opposite. You cannot push your moral compass onto others, that is unethical. It feels that there are human laws and ethics that majority of persons believe in. One of the laws that I feel are evident is that, experience, evidence and research should  . Don't just go around assuming that you were wired tapped without evidence or truth. Search it out, develop an opinion and look at it from the other opinion & consider their viewpoints. Appreciate it and understand differences the pros & the cons. You may realize you're more similar than different. 

I think that says a lot of how I think. I hope for the best of all people. I draw upon an experience I recently had when I met an Iraqi refugee in Portland. I remember her saying, "you're looking at me like an insect?" That shocked me, I wasn't aware that my non-verbals were portrayed liked that. I was able to ask and converse with her about her experience as a refugee, her challenges, her triumphs. I admired her more than anything, especially how the country views refugees right now. I cannot even begin understanding what it must feel like as a refugee currently. 

My hidden assumption: I believe that people do the best of how they know what it best. Their best of that day may not be their greatest best, but it is the best of that day. Their best may not be our best, yet, that is what they know is best. Believe in the best of people. That is my automatic attitudinal response, I hope for the best, I expect the best, therefore I'm trusting. I can see how others may think that I may not be stalwart that I may be a twig in the wind. I just want to be with Gandhi and Mother Teresa. 

Well Informed- Education

Literacy defined by the CIA is persons over 15 that can read or write. 

Quick world stats: 

Hungary
total population: 99.1%
male: 99.1%
female: 99% (2015 est.)

Haiti (a lot higher than I originally thought)

total population:  60.7%
male: 64.3%
female: 57.3% (2015 est.)

Estonia

total population:  99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.8% (2015 est.)

Ethiopia 

total population:  49.1%
male: 57.2%
female: 41.1% (2015 est.)

Guinea 

total population:  30.4%
male: 38.1%
female: 22.8% (2015 est.)

World

total population:  86.1%
male: 89.9%
female: 88.2% (2015 est.)

note: more than three-quarters of the world's 781 million illiterate adults are found in South and West Asia and sub-Saharan Africa; of all the illiterate adults in the world, almost two-thirds are women (2012)

I couldn't find information about Japan or United States literacy rate from this source. In the United States education from k-12 are federally funded, therefore students do not have to pay for their education unless they attend charter or private schools. However, in may countries across the world, such as Haiti, do not have privileges of obtaining an elementary education for free. Before the earthquake in 2010 50% of Haitian children attended primary schools, after the earthquake 2.5 million children didn't have a school to even attended to. On top of tuition they have to pay for uniforms, test fees, textbooks, and supplies. “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.”
B.B. King

Personally education should start in the homes before they start "formal education", that the parents have the responsibility of installing a love of learning in their children. As parents help their children find their interests and help them build it, it will provide confidence into the children that will help them in the subjects of the education they have a struggle with. Parents will be able to share the hardships with the children and remind them about when they first started learning about the subjects they love, that it takes hard work and persistence to become adequate in all aspects of education. I wish I had an upbringing with parents who taught me more about hobbies, such as gardening, crocheting, woodworking, and building. That I would have an easier time in school applying what I'm learning to my skills, that I would be able to apply math better to woodworking and building. Baking as well requires mathematics, but because I've been shaped to believe that math is my weakness, I believed it rather than trying to put mathematics into something I love. 

Formal education in of itself is failing the children it is serving as well. Many institutions and the government are viewing children as if they are at the same standard. 

I may have the opinion of the unpopular, but I feel that we need to treat our k-12 educators with more respect. They deserve an increase of pay, Parents and community members need to realize what is best for the future of children and be willing to sacrifice to build up the future generations. In my hometown they barely passed a bond vote by 42 votes, they needed 60% to pass a bond that will provide the finances for a new high school (severely needed) and a new elementary school. However, there were 7 people who felt that they needed a recount and paid $2,300 to have a recount so that the bond wouldn't pass. This breaks my heart, the need for a new high school would benefit the student tremendously. I understand that taxes are not the most enjoyable. Yet overcrowded school lack the resources for the students to get the attention they need from educators when they are struggling. It takes a toll on the teachers as their classes are over crowded.

Facebook Ad

For my ad I had chosen to focus on students who were in high school and obtaining an associates degree. The reason why I put that as an indicator is because of the transitioning period in their lives, I want them to know that the career center is there to help guide them to something that works for them. That they know that they have resources to help them rather than trying to figure things out on their own.

Not only that I had put a focus on people interested in nursing, health care, social media and business. With the new degrees Dixie is adding to their colleges, I wanted that focus to reach out to the students who are interested in that. Dixie will be add Promotional Health, which is basically Public Health, and focusing more on the Health and Sciences aspect. Dixie is also adding more emphasis, minors and certificates in the Business departments.

I would change the writing headline now that I'm reflecting back on it to something like this: "are you struggling finding which major you fit into? Are you hoping to gain more experience by working in an internship? Come into the Career Center & talk with a counselor on how you can be the best you!" I feel that is more friendly and welcoming. Letting them know that the Career Center wants them to be their individually best! Rather than trying to shape them into a cookie cutter.

Well Informed - Racism

Racism according to Webster Dictionary: "prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior."

Various other definitions that I'm curious about

White Supremacy: the belief that white people are superior to those of all other races, especially the black race, and should therefore dominate society.

White Privilege: A privilege is a right, favor, advantage, immunity, specially granted to one individual or group

Black Power: a movement in support of rights and political power for black people, especially prominent in the US in the 1960s and 1970s.

Black Panther: a member of a militant political organization set up in the US in 1966 to fight for black rights.

Refugee: a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.

Immigrant: a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.

Since 1776 America has dealt with various social movements to encourage equality among all races. Between 1861-1865 America was involved in the Civil War, North against South. Although there were other purposes of the Civil War, one was the North wanted to end slavery. Equality among blacks and whites, people who were free and those that were enslaved. After they had received their freedom from their masters, they were still not free. Nearly 100 years later we had Martin Luther King Jr. fighting for greater equality among blacks. 

However, in a country that race is so diverse, racism just doesn't exist among whites and blacks. Racism occurs between blacks and Hispanics, Hispanics and Asians, Asians and Whites, and I could keep going but I think you get my point. Social media frames racism in America to between Americans against immigrates, refugees and racial profiling. 

In 2015 I visited the country of Haiti, 95% of the population is black with 5% mulatto (half black & white), and white (according to CIA). In our car that was driven by a native Haitian, we were pulled over for having our windows too tinted. The funny thing is, all four of our windows were rolled completely down. The officer made us roll up our windows, then ticketed us. In Haiti, you have to pay the ticket right there or they throw you into jail (lack of mail system). Due to the color of our skin, we were pulled over, because we are white they assumed we are wealthy and we can pay the tickets. 

In Nice, France a Burkini ban was made due to the terrorist attacks. Police found a woman laying on the beach in her traditional burkini and made her take it off. In the article, it states that citizens on the beach were shouting at the family to "go home". Recently on a place a couple were removed for making racist comments to a Pakistani passengers, asked them if they had a bomb in their baggage (article here).

I'm white, I do not and cannot understand the life that those who are not white live in America. Yet, they do not also understand what it is like to be White in America. I was not raised in a nuclear home, with an abundance of wealth. My upbringing didn't teach me that because simply the color of my skin made me greater than those with different colored skin. I was not taught that I was to enslave, put down, or judge others based off the color of their skin. However, I am also being judge for being white. That because I am white I must have white privilege, I must view myself as a white supremacist. In the documentary 13th, you're right, I do not understand what it is like being black. It's not that great being white when everyone points their finger toward you. 

I do not have a solution to world peace, however I do have quotes the sum up my perspective on racism.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. - Martin Luther King Jr.
Memories of our lives, of our works and our deeds will continue in others. - Rosa Parks

Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome. - Rosa Parks
If you judge people, you have no time to love them. - Mother Teresa
If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. - Mother Teresa 

Facebook Campaign pt. 2

I've decided to change my Facebook Campaign to the Dixie State University Career Center. 

Personas:

1. Matilda, 22. She is a transfer student to DSU, it is her first semester here and is classified as a junior. She likes to go hiking, rock climbing and going to the national parks around the area. She is looking into what she can do with her degree, she picked it because the topic really interests her but she doesn't know what she can do career wise. She is noticing that her friends are receiving rewards for their success and wants to model them.

2. Eleanor, 42. A non-traditional student working on finishing her bachelors degree in psychology. She is a mother of three children and hoping to apply her education to her home life. As a mother she enjoys taking her children to museums, create science projects, and going on long drives to learn more about Southern Utah. She also can whip up a wicked batch of chocolate chip cookies. She has hopes of attending graduate school, she will turn to the career center for guidance of grad school and updating her resume.

3. Finn, 18. A first generation college student lacks guidance and support from his family. He is looking for a student job that would help him gain experience, earn money for living expenses and needs one that is flexible with his school schedule. Finn enjoys long boarding, mountain biking and wake boarding. He isn't from Utah, and is enjoying the outdoor activities & the new culture. 

Marketing Strategy:

I'm changing the Facebook presence to become more personable and relatable to all varieties of students. I will be creating 'meet the interns' to help students/faculty/staff see who is in the office. I will also be updating more of the events that are hosted by the Career Center in order to gain a higher attendance rate. I 'boosted' a post in hopes of gaining a greater audience.