1. HDF 415: FLITE PEER LEADERS LEADERSHIP PORTFOLIO Lydia Omoaregba Spring 2013 http://lydiaowebsite.yolasite.com/ http://lydiaowebsite.yolasite.com/

2. Table of Contents Opening Statement SLIDE # 4 Strengths & VIA SLIDE # 3 Section 1: Self Leadership SLIDE # 5 Section 2: Leadership Theories SLIDE # 6 Section 3: Inclusive Leadership SLIDE # 7 Section 4: Critical Thinking SLIDE # 8 Section 5: Interpersonal/Organizational Leadership SLIDE # 9

3. Discovering My Powers [Opening statement] I connect my FLITE Peer Leadership experience to the Growth of a character who I sometimes think myself to be, Super Man; In this case Super Woman. As a peer leader to the First year leaders inspired to excellence; FLITE, I do not know how to explain how much I enjoyed this experience but I will try. After taking my FLITE class I knew that I wanted to a FLITE mentor and I was willing to do just about anything I could to get that position. I understood that this position would be a great deal of responsibility and hard work but I was ready. I have learned how to use my strengths and values in diverse ways. I have also learned that as I move on and develop I continue to discover more traits and aspect about myself that motivate me to be a better person. My students have helps me learn that just like Superman, I might have weaknesses but that does not have to be a bad thing. I hope that as they “hopefully” continue in the minor they take the things that I have taught and transfer it to someone else.

4. My Strengths Signature Strengths Relator Consistency Analytical Includer Context Values in Action [VIA] Fairness Gratitude Leadership Judgment Kindness

5. Section 1: Self Leadership 10.Student will demonstrate the ability to lead a project from start to finish (follow-through) HDF 415: Peer Leadership Student Organization Leadership Consultant.[SOLC] The thought of planning and leading a project from start to finish can be a scary on but it is not impossible. In HDF 415 I had the opportunity to help plan an activity for the class I was a peer leader for, HDF 190. My partner and I were assigned the task of coming up with a way that would help the students in both FLITE class understand the Social Change model. We needed to plan this activity and also lead it and we were up for the challenge. I saw this task as a project that we needed to take very seriously for the sake of the students. What we decided to do was to use an activity called “stepping stones”. We chose to use stepping stones because it was an activity that helped us understand the model. My partner and I came together and wrote up a lesson plan for the activity; we were ready to bring it to the students. I was not particular nervous about leading this activity because I knew I had the skills to do it. The ability to lead a project like this came from months of practice which I sort from facilitating retreats for an organization that I am part of, and leading members of another organization in a workshop. Before the students were to attempt stepping stones, I explained the activity to them. I also made sure to go over the rules and safety precautions of Stepping Stones. It was important to do because it helps the students feel more comfortable about what they were about to do. I also take these skills and abilities with me when I facilitating a retreat. SOLC is an organization that I am part of which stands for Student Organization Leadership Consultants. In this organization the members are required and expected to help plan and/or lead a retreat for other student groups on campus. Each time I lead an activity, I explain what the activity is, the purpose of the activity, the rules, and any safety rules of the activity. The ability to do all that effectively takes time and practice which I think I have had plenty of.

6. Section 2: Leadership Theories 35.Student will describe personal application of the above theory HDF 190PINK Women Process HDF 415 Last semester I participated in a community service project with three other girls and I believed I applied the four virtues. Last semester I was in the process of becoming a member of PINK Women and one of the things required for us to get into the organization was to perform community service project. My group chose to collect and donate can foods to a food pantry in providence. It was a great experience and it show that the four V theory was implemented. Vision is the first V and our vision was to feed the hungry. The time that I was working on this project was the holiday of Thanksgiving and I pictured doing my best to feed those in the area of providence. My group members and I imagined us having fun and eating so much food with our families and became uneasy to know that people would not have the same experience. I also knew that we would not be doing much but it was something. The second V is value. I was able to enjoy this project a lot because it was an example of my values. I knew that my parents would be proud because this was a value they raised me on. Virtue is the third V. Although we did enjoy participating in the project it was a huge benefit to our experience and us. I was able to accomplishing a big community service act as a freshman in the University. It would look good in my resume and it was a good leadership experience. The last V is Voice. When going on with this project I wanted people to know that what we as a group were doing is very important. I wanted it to spread to other organizations and I also wanted to continue to work and this project; and I believe I will. I would like to connect the 4 V’s to my role as a peer Mentor to the FLITE class. The 4 V’s which are Vision, Value, Virtue, and Voice were very important when being a mentor. My Vision for my group was that would develop a friendship with each other and help each other grow throughout the minor. And vision I had for my students was to help them learn much about leadership and their strength so that one of them could maybe be a FLITE peer leader to the incoming FLITE next year. My main Value as a peer leader was to be fair with my students and show them leadership. I wanted this class to benefit as a student and to also benefit my students. I wanted my students to get some Virtue from this experience that they continue in the minor. Finally, I tried to allow each student to have a voice. I wanted to create an atmosphere that would allow the students to notice if one of our group members was missing. ****Look at evidence #

7. Section 3: Inclusive Leadership 67.Student will demonstrate knowledge of the “Model of Intercultural Sensitivity” by Bennett and its uses in leadership HDF 415Diversity AwardsThe Bennett developmental Model of Intercultural sensitivity was a theory that I read about in my peer leadership mentor class. This model was developed by Dr. Milton Bennett after watching students in different cultural situations such as “workshops, classes, exchange, and graduate program”. There are six components of this model. They are Denial, Defense, Minimization, Acceptance, Adaptation and Integration. Denial can be connected to when person “denies that the idea of cultural differences exists” and they are seen hardly surrounded with people of the same cultural. Defense is the second stage and it help recognize that there is something as cultural difference and they are willing to guard and defend it. Dr. Bennett says that someone in the stage of minimization is not seeing the difference. This person focuses more on the similarities instead of the difference. Acceptance is the fourth stage in the development model of intercultural Sensitivity. People in this stage understand and recognize cultural difference with not need to look over or evaluate any of the details. Adaptation and Integration are steps 5 and 6 of the model. The Adaptation stage shows that it is not difficult for people to change or adapt to new and different situations. Integration is the last stage and it means that peoples in this stage “not only value a variety of cultures, but are constantly defining their own identity…” These people do not have a problem mixing or adding to the idea of Cultural Difference. ***Look at Evidence :

8. Section 4: Critical Thinking 77.Student will describe examples of leadership in crisis situations HDF 190: Peer Leader Leadership Institute 2012 Being a Peer Leader to the FLITE students was a very awarding and exciting experience but it also posed crisis like situations. There were times that I questioned my leadership because I was not sure what was happening. A time that I considered to be a crisis situation was when the other peer leaders and I sat down out instructor and talked about the individual students in our group. It was obvious that not all of the students in my group were doing what they were to be doing and I did not know how to approach it. Although my job as a peer leader is to basically challenge and support my students, I still wanted them to be on top of everything. It was especially hard for me because I try to tell my students numerous times to get the work done. I understood that I could tell them so many times and it was their jobs as students to get it done but I felt that it was also my job to keep let them know that they had to do it. Every time I came cross this small crisis I would always think of something that one of my instructors told me. “Never go down to the students, let them come up to you.” This quote helped me get through times that I needed to stop chasing students and allow them to grow by doing it without a reminder or maybe not. Another instance that I came across a crisis situation was at Leadership Institute. One of the activities that occur at institute is a session called Boundary Breaking. Boundary Breaking is a time to share the experiences that you might have gone through and allow someone to know another side to you that you might not share with just anyone. It gives you the opportunity to learn more about people and where they come from. Boundary Breaking can sometimes get very real and emotional. I personally am not a very emotional person and the thought of leading a boundary breaking was very nerve racking. As a peer leader I would have to share and open up about some person things and listen to people open up about some personal thing which I was not too prepared for. My crisis situation was how to handle a student who might get very emotional. I did not want to seem cold and insensitive. But I somehow was able to help the students who did get emotional with having to feel uncomfortable. ***Look at Evidence

9. Section 5: Interpersonal/Organizational Leadership OutcomeTarget classAdditional ExperiencesDescriptive notes regarding learning and practice 79.Student will demonstrate knowledge of active listening techniques HDF 415SOLCIn HDF 415, FLITE Peer Leader, we were provided a class packet that would help us learn how to become better peer mentors to the students. One of the chapters in this packet explains more about interpersonal Communication Skills in regards to peer leadership and one of the topics that it focuses on is Listening Skills. This topic of Listening skills explains that there are two parts of listening effectively. External Distractions and Internal Distraction. It lets us know that “many peer leaders have problems demonstrating this skill because distractions…” (Interpersonal Communication Skills. Creating the Helping Interaction) External Distractions are linked to location and/or environment, objects such as “stereo or television” or other forms of noise. Internal Distractions are “thoughts that interfere with listening” There will be times when moving your location is out of the question, what you will need to do are concentrated better.. Internal Distractions can be more difficult to get rid of and is hard to begin working on it. It is also very helpful to Practice which listening skill is more important and which is more effective. ****Look at Evidence # One of Superman’s Power is Super Sonic Hearing.