The Elevator Speech

Thank you to Yvonne Tomczak, PR & Marketing Assistant, for writing today's blog.

Yesterday, the second-year students learned about elevator speeches in their Personal and Professional Development 2 (PPD2) class. They all had to create a 30 second elevator speech about themselves that they would then have to practice on four different people. 

The class came and visited us in the Development department to practice these speeches. One by one they came up and introduced themselves, talked about their major and what they are currently learning. They shared their hobbies and special interests, and told us something that they are looking forward to this school year. All of them did a wonderful job despite being nervous.

I figured, since I am new to Shepherds Ministries and all of the second year students just introduced themselves to me by using these newly learned elevator speeches, maybe I should write one and introduce myself this way too. So, here is my elevator speech:

Hello, my name is Yvonne Tomczak.

I am the new Marketing/ Public Relations assistant here at Shepherds. As the assistant, my duties vary every day. Some days I am getting smaller office tasks out of the way, and other days I am writing different kinds of pieces, taking pictures around campus, and/or putting together ads and posters. 

I enjoy designing my own typefaces, photography, knitting, and anything else that is crafty. I also really enjoy taking walks with my husband along Lake Michigan. 

Something I am really looking forward to is getting to know the students better and learning more about Shepherds. I am also really looking forward to coaching the Special Olympics soccer teams again this coming fall!

At the end of the exercise, Instructor Sarah Kolkman debriefed the students, asking them why having an elevator speech prepared could be beneficial to them. Students agreed that this would help them with first impressions and make introductions less awkward and choppy. They also stated the value that such an elevator speech could have for them in an employment setting or when applying for a job.  
 

Here are some of the student's reflections about elevator speeches:

Mrs. Kolkman asked, "Why is it important to have an elevator speech memorized?  How will you use this speech this year?"

"Because you never know who you will meet and it might be a very important person.  It will be helpful for interviews and for other speeches in other classes and in life.  it also is going to be really good for when we have a big speech in class or in a job." - Gretchen

"If you have an elevator speech you will have a better future.  I can use this in class and out of school and the more you practice the better you will be" - Nee Dow

"It can bring others together" - Leah

"So you can be ready for unexpected visitors who want to know what you have been doing in Shepherds College and what the school is all about" - Hannah

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

Teacher Tuesday: The Basics of Friendship & Fudge

During Preview Day last Friday, I had the opportunity to watch as different staff members talked to potential students and their families about their roles in the college. I heard Mr. Wright welcome our visitors, Mr. Terrill discuss Appropriate Independence™, Miss Houk give a demonstration on R.E.A.L. learning, Mrs. Konopasek, as the Supervisor to the Academic Advisors, talk about matters in and out of the students’ control, and Mrs. Luchterhand introduce the new Ai Academy.  

Mrs. Leith then invited her 2^nd year Horticulture students to the front of the room where they demonstrated what they had learned about flora and fauna since classes started in August. After their impressive presentation, Mrs. Leith asked if the visitors had any questions for her class.

I had a number of them I would have liked to ask as a new gardener – how do I get rid of Japanese Beetles in my organic garden?  What’s the difference between a slug and a snail, and can I stomp the stuffing out of them when they eat my tomatoes, or is that breaking some kind of organic code? Can the Horticulture class come to my house to landscape my yard and call it a lesson?

No one asked these questions. Instead, the questions the parents asked that stood out in my mind had nothing to do with green, leafy things and everything to do with friendships.

“Are you making friends at Shepherds College?”

“Are friendships easier or harder to make at Shepherds than they were in high school?”

“Can a shy person have friends at Shepherds?”

I was so proud of our students’ responses! They were warm and inviting – “Yes, I’m making lots of friends. It’s easy at Shepherds College to make friends. No one bullies or makes fun of you. They just accept you. Even if you’re shy, no one cares. They’ll still be your friend.”

I praised God as I listened to the students’ sincere replies to the parent’s concerned questions. Thank You for pouring your generous spirit into these young adults. Thank You for blessing them with parents who care enough to teach them about love and kindness and respecting others. Thank you for Shepherds College staff who reinforce these values to create a welcoming “home away from home” for these students.

When I returned to my desk, I had a niggling thought, a vague recollection… I knew something about how the college staff reinforces the “friendship values,” but what did I know? And how did I find out? 

I flipped through piles of documents on my desk, scanned my chicken-scratch on mini-notepads, checked all the scribblings on my calendar, scrolled through my email inbox… and there it was.  Weeks ago, Mrs. Kolkman sent me several fun pictures of her first-year Personal Development 1 class as they learned about friendship. I quickly sent her a reply email, “Send me details!”

And here it is – the tried and proven successful, Personal Development 1, R.E.A.L. lesson on friendship:

“Students were paired together and given a worksheet. They had to talk to each other to find out similarities and differences between themselves.  After they found the similarities and differences, they wrote them down in a Venn diagram and drew a picture of themselves to fill in the empty space. We called them Friend-diagrams.

Then students built a Jenga tower, comparing the activity to building a friendship. They talked about how hard it is to build a tall, strong tower and how easy it is to let it fall down.  During this activity, students discovered that encouragement, trust, honesty, love, prayer and kind words are used to build up and strengthen a friendship.

Lying, breaking promises, not being dependable, gossiping, breaking boundaries and speaking hurtful words are used to tear down a friendship. 

And finally, the students worked together to make Friendship Fudge. As they talked about the 'ingredients' needed to make a friendship, they added the fudge ingredients to a bag and mixed it all together by passing the bag around."

The Recipe for Friendship Fudge:

4 C Powdered Sugar

3 oz Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 C margarine, softened

1/2 C cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 C mini marshmallows

Mix all ingredients in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag by squeezing the bag and passing it around the group. When the fudge is completely mixed, cut a corner from the bottom of the bag and squeeze the fudge out onto a pan or cookie sheet. Cut and serve!

The students put a lot of effort into that fudge. They mixed, squeezed, squished, poured and smoothed. And the end result? Something solid, satisfying and fun - much like their friendships at Shepherds College. 

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

She Likes Food

The students had finals before they left on summer break.

Mrs. Kolkman, the instructor for Personal Development 1, asked the first year students to do something a little different for their test. She assigned a Community Engagement Project and told them to interview and blog about…well, me.

Six groups of students visited my office and interviewed me over a period of two days. Each student in the group had a role assigned to them based on their DISC assessment results. Some students were group leaders, some were interviewers, some were writers, some were encouragers and some were typists at the end of assignment.

They all impressed me with their professional behavior and genuine interest in performing the task well. I found myself looking forward to every group’s visit and the opportunity it presented to learn more about each student on the team.

Below you’ll see all the groups’ final results.

But before you go on, I would like to say one thing. I tried really hard to come up with thoughtful answers to the questions. The interviewer would ask the questions and I would respond – in great length. I would talk and talk… and talk and talk – I think the word I’m looking for is babble – and the students would nod respectfully as they listened. I told them about my love for cooking and fine dining and reading - especially cookbooks -and inviting people over to dinner  parties and trying my hand at organic vegetable gardening and… and I waited expectantly for the pencil to start scribbling away.

It wasn’t happening. 

Inevitably, the writer would look at me, blink a few times, then turn to the interviewer or the group leader and ask, “What should I write?” 

 

As I took a deep breath and scrambled through my thoughts for a quick way to summarize my ramblings, another student would lean over and whisper, “She likes food… a lot.”

 

So there you have it.

Now on to the interviews:

Group #1 - This semester, in Personal Development, we have learned about the six character traits, the four principles of A.I., and we learned about love while watching “Fireproof.”  For our final we completed a Community Engagement Project.  Our project was to serve Mrs. Griffis by writing a blog about her work here at Shepherds College.  

Each student had a role in the interview process.  

Krista: DISC – (S,C) I do not like change, I like Routine, I am loyal
Philip: DISC –(D,I,) Outgoing, leader, Blunt            
Alex : DISC -  (D,I) Outgoing, Creative, Leader            

We were also assigned a character trait to utilize during our final.  Our Character trait was integrity.  The definition of this character trait is “Knowing and doing what is right all the time.” 

This is how we utilized our character trait during our Community Engagement Project-We did the right thing without arguing or complaining.

During our interview, we found out some interesting things about Mrs. Griffis. 

Question 1

How do you use integrity?

She makes sure that what she writes is true.

Question 2

Why did you choose this job?

She was not looking for that job, God got it for her.

Question 3

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Gardening, cooking and reading cookbooks.

Question 4

Is this one of your most fun jobs?

Yes, she gets new responsibilities every day, she gets to meet new people every day, and she gets to post new ‘news’ every day.

*****

Group #2 - This semester, in Personal Development, we have learned about S.M.A.R.T Goals, A.I, Strengths, and character traits. For our final we completed a Community Engagement Project.  Our project was to serve Mrs. Griffis by writing a blog about her work here at Shepherds College.  

Each student had a role in the interview process. 

Brandyn– I,S: Team player, Outgoing, talkative.
Megan – D,I: Leader, outgoing, funny.
Crystal– I,S: talkative, steady, outgoing.
Caroline – S,C:  Kind, organized, systematic. 

We were also assigned a character trait to utilize during our final.  Our Character trait was diligence.  The definition of this character trait is “investing my time and energy to complete each task assigned to me."

This is how we utilized our character trait during our Community Engagement Project. We all talked about our plans to work on the interview, and gave people different jobs to do after the interview. 

During our interview, we found out some interesting things about Mrs. Griffis. 

How do you diligently work on the blog?

I first make a plan of how I am going to write it, then I plan a time to write the blog. 

How do you do your job diligently?

I keep a schedule of my job on a calendar near my desk. 

What are you diligent at?

I am diligent about working at the garden, cleaning my house and getting my job done every day.

How do you know what to write about people?

I ask questions, then listen when people are answering my questions and then I see the story in pictures.

*****

Group #3 - This semester, in Personal Development, we have learned about relationships, love, strengths, and weaknesses. For our final we completed a Community Engagement Project.  Our project was to serve Mrs. Griffis by writing a blog about her work here at Shepherds College.  

Each student had a role in the interview process.  

Kathryn: D, C  - Accurate, direct, and systematic
Sharon: D, I  - Direct, problem solver, and humorous
Audrey: S, C  - Loyal, careful, and perfectionist
Wade:, D, C  - Direct, correct, and blunt

We were also assigned a character trait to utilize during our final.  Our Character trait was respect.  The definition of this character trait is “Recognizing and showing  value to God, authority, others, property and myself.”  

This is how we utilized our character trait during our Community Engagement Project: We worked together without arguing and bickering. We also had great communication with each other by asking and answering questions.

During our interview, we found out some interesting things about Mrs. Griffis. Such as:

What do you like to do for fun?

A lot of stuff: cooking, gardening and other things. 

What is your favorite animal?

It has to be a Black Panther. 

  

How often do you write blog posts?

I try to write 3 times a week for Shepherds College and also for Shepherds Ministries.  What kinds of things does she write about? She writes about students and wishes them happy birthdays / takes pictures a lot.

How do you show respect at work?

I was on the team when they discussed the character traits. Taking time with my co-workers and God also.

*****

Group #4 - This semester, in Personal Development, we have learned about: character traits, how to set a

smart goal, AI, and DISC strengths.  For our final we completed a Community Engagement Project.  Our project was to serve Mrs. Griffis by writing a blog about her work here at Shepherds College. 

Each student had a role in the interview process.  

Charles: – S,C – Loyal, kind, and trustworthy.
Maika: – S,C – Family- oriented, loyal, and kind.
Nikki: – I,D – Leader, people- oriented, and encouraging.

We were also assigned a character trait to utilize during our final.  Our Character trait was initiative.  The definition of this character trait is ”Recognizing and doing what needs to be done before I’m asked to do it.” 

This is how we utilized our character trait during our Community Engagement Project:  We showed initiative by doing our tests right away before we were asked to do them.  Charles took the initiative by typing. Maika took the initiative to make sure we did everything right in the correct order. Nikki showed initiative by being a leader.

During our interview, we found out some interesting things about Mrs. Griffis. 

Question 1: What are your interests?

Answer – Mrs. Griffis’ interests are cooking, reading books, keeping gardens, likes to dine, and likes to visit her son in Green Bay.

Question 2: What is your favorite thing to do in your job?

Answer – I love the people I serve, I like meeting new people, and I’m excited to see the other students come back.

Question 3: How do you show initiative in your job?

Answer – I ask people about their jobs to write stories. I like to help my boss out by helping him with his needs. I like to reach out to the emotions of people. 

Question 4: Where do you like to travel?

Answer – I like to travel out east. I like cooler weather and rainy weather is fine to travel in.

*****

Group #5 - This semester, in Personal Development, we have learned about how to handle your anger, also

keep your personal information’s to yourself, and making better choices. For our final we completed a Community Engagement Project.  Our project was to serve Mrs. Griffis by writing a blog about her work here at Shepherds College. 

Each student had a role in the interview process.  

Sarah: – S, C –  Detailed, Loyal, Listener
 David: –D, I -  Talkative, Ego, Argumentative
 Israel: –I, S - Sensitive, steady, careful

We were also assigned a character trait to utilize during our final.  Our Character trait was Discernment.  The definition of this character trait is “perceiving the difference between right and wrong.“ 

This is how we utilized our character trait during our Community Engagement Project:  Making sure that we said the right question appropriately to Mrs. Griffis. Also, making sure I had the correct information after I wrote it down.

During our interview, we found out some interesting things about Mrs. Griffis. 

Question 1: What do you do in your spare time outside of Shepherd’s?

Has a daughter at home to take care of, and go to baseball games with her husband.

Question 2: How long have you worked here at Shepherd’s?

6 years.

Question 3: Did you ever experience negative comments or views on your blogging?

No, she had spam, but she had to block it. 

Question 4: How do you use discernment when you are blogging?

Whether something is appropriate to post online, not harming the college.

*****

Group #6 - This semester, in Personal Development, we have learned about S.M.A.R.T., Character Traits, and D.I.S.C. .  For our final we completed a Community Engagement Project.  Our project was to serve Mrs. Griffis by writing a blog about her work here at Shepherds College.

 

Each student had a role in the interview process.  

Andrew: I & S – Talkative, Humor, and Creativity
 Anthony: D & I – Leader, Team Player, and Enthusiastic
 Ryan: S&C – Team Player, Sympathetic, and Positive
 Kati: I&S – Enthusiastic, Good Listener, and Talkative

We were also assigned a character trait to utilize during our final.  Our Character trait was Responsibility.  The definition of this character trait is “knowing and doing what is expected of me.“ 

This is how we utilized our character trait during our Community Engagement Project. We worked as a group to get this project done

.

During our interview, we found out some interesting things about Mrs. Griffis. 

Question 1: How do you represent Responsibility?

Answer: Responsibility is her Number 1 Strength because she takes responsibility for everything even when she shouldn’t.

Question 2: What interest do you have outside of your job?

 

Answer: She loves doing everything with food.

Question 3: What interest do you have in your job of Social Media for the College?

Answer: The interest she has is telling the story of the students to draw people to the College.

Question 4: Do you like cats?

Answer: She likes cats but she doesn’t have pets.

Thank you, Mrs. Griffis for your dedication towards our education.  We appreciate all the work you do.

*****

And thank you students for writing this blog for me. Thank you for giving me another year of great memories at Shepherds College. I can’t wait to see every one of you back on campus in August!


Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.