Shandell's Portfolio

My time in IAS has given me professional and personal growth. I was able to deepen my understanding on a variety of topics, such as global issues, gender issues, dominant cultural norms, research, climate and environmental issues, activism, social justice, diversity, the real history of the United States, and so much more. In IAS I was able to think critically and intersectionality. I have developed a new perspective on life. The IAS program let me engage in my education in different and creative ways, such as making videos, art, research, and writing. Communicating in new ways, especially through video, forced me out of my comfort zone where I became vulnerable, yet empowered at the same time.

During my first quarter at UWB, I took BISIA 383: Performing Diaspora. It was Winter 2021. This was one of my favorite classes because I was able to create storytelling through videos. Two of my favorite videos are, “I Love My Children” and “From Pain to Purpose.” The purpose of these assignments was to tell stories and recreate pieces that we watched throughout the course, such as the movie Pina, which is based on a famous dancer and choreographer. Some of the IAS learning objectives these artifacts cover are communication, critical thinking, and diversity because I was able to learn from my lived experiences through creative expression. I was able to think critically about the interconnected relationship of the purpose, audience, and context. I gained a deeper understanding of how to effectively communicate my work through media outlets. Each of the videos have significant meaning because they tell the story of how much I have overcome. They also depict the starting point of why I decided to pursue an education and a career in social work in the first place. I would have never had the courage to create either of these videos before taking BISIA 383.

In Summer 2021, I took BIS 255 Critical Diversity. This was another course where I was able to use media, and parts of my story. The assignment “Philosophical Tantrum,” was inspired by a YouTube video, “Philosophical Tantrum,” by Guillermo Gómez-Peña. After the video we were asked to write a philosophical tantrum and decide how to present our tantrums to the class. I decided to present my philosophical tantrum as a poem. I used the knowledge I gained in the previous quarter to make a poem in video form. My philosophical tantrum was called, “Who Am I?” This assignment further strengthened my communication skills and creative ability. I was able to think critically and reflectively on my identity, and how I can connect to society. Another assignment that I did was a google slide titled, “Powerful Women.” This was a final project for BIS 387, Women and American Literature. The material for this course focused on Sojourner Truth, Harriet Jacobs and her story of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, and Angela Davis who wrote Women, Race & Class. This artifact is important to me because the more I learn about history, the more I become aware of how the women of the past, especially women of color, fought with fierce strength, and how these women paved the way for all women. The IAS learning objectives for this artifact were diversity and equity because I gained new knowledge of the history of women, such as Sojourner Truth, Harriet Jacob, and Angela Davis. I was able to connect historical and cultural relationships between women of the past, and women of present time, and how they have created the rights for women today.

Throughout my time in IAS, I was able to do a lot of assignments that taught me how to research and investigate topics of interest. In Winter quarter 2022, I took BIS 304 Institutions and Social Change. In this course we looked at different social institutions, and how they are influenced by societal norms. For the final project we were asked to find an institution to research and write a position paper. focusing on the areas of that institution that could improve, and why the institution doesn’t work. The institution I investigated was Child Protective Services (CPS). The reason I investigated this institution is related to my future career goal as a social worker. I believe that the CPS system is flawed, and this assignment helped deepen my understanding of ways to research issues surrounding institutions. I was able to increase my knowledge on interdisciplinary research and inquiry by critically developing research questions, collecting appropriate sources, and taking a position on a topic that is meaningful to me. I made an argument that CPS has a disproportionate number of children of color involved in a system that is racially biased, which results in more women of color being referred to child protection services. Another issue with CPS is that families with low incomes are disproportionately involved in this system. I did a lot of research for this paper and found an overwhelming amount of evidence to support my argument. This assignment will be useful for me in my career as a social worker because understanding how institutions are biased and can be flawed will help me be aware of my own biases.

The most valuable thing I have gained in IAS is internal growth. I never thought that I would be able to balance working full time, going to school full time, and being a single mother. Every quarter that passed, I realized that I am more capable than I ever gave myself credit for. I never went to middle school or high school, so for most of the time as a college student I felt insecure about my writing skills. When I was working on my transfer degree, I started in bridge classes, and I had to start in the lowest math classes. I honestly thought I was not smart enough to finish my degree, but I never gave up. I don’t feel this way about myself anymore. I have more confidence in my writing skills, communication skills, and my ability to manage my time well. One of my dreams is to go to the school of social work because I want to get my master’s in social work. I feel more ready now than ever to apply to grad school. I also feel more confident in applying for jobs after getting my bachelor’s degree. The reason I feel more confident in this is because of the education I received at UW, Bothell.