Pampered Pets.

The last class of my STEAM course is called Social Entrepreneurship. In this class, we learned about everything that goes into play when starting up a business. We went over things like incentives, marketing, the hedgehog concept, mission/vision statements, legal structures, pitches, and sales. We also read a little of the book E-Myth. All of that information was super new to me, but I really liked taking it all in. It was cool to learn about all this information that usually only adults know. We had great guest speakers come in and talk about their experience with business. The whole class greatly appreciated their time. For the action project, the class was assigned to come up with a business of our own. We has to create a pitch video explaining the significance of our work. We also had to include the different business ideas we learned about in class. I really liked coming up with ideas for mine. I hope you enjoy my video below!

How to survive.

The last Humanities course for my senior year is called Endurance. In this class, we focused a lot on certain challenges and learned how to endure them. More specifically our own personal challenges and goals. Throughout the whole course, we looked at different examples of endurance. Those stories ranged from holding your breath underwater, to being stuck on a boat for almost a year, and a journey to hell. For the third unit we learned about what coming back from hell can be like. This means that the hero came back from the journey. For the action project the class was assigned to write our own survival guide book for our future. It has to include the reason for this mission that we plan on going on, as well as materials, cost etc. We were also asked to complete a timeline to showcase how long it's going to take us to complete our mission. I had a lot of fun creating this because it feels so real. I'm actually going to go through this. I hope you enjoy reading below!

Accredited Online School 

What and Why:
My dream is to become a nurse. Obviously, I have to go through schooling to accomplish this dream, but there are things that I can do and things that I do do for the time being. For example, I already have experience taking care of children. Or at least I think I do. I already have the caring personality that’s needed to be a great nurse. I understand that you need to learn how to complete certain and specific medical tasks, but I also believe that part of being a nurse means you have a big, caring heart. I’m lucky enough to say that I have that.

Lay of the Land: 

In order to get to where I want to be, I need to graduate from nursing school, and then pass a test to get my licence. It’s going to be a difficult journey, I know that. But I’m willing and determined to get through it all. I have to take courses like anatomy, microbiology, chemistry, nutrition, psychology, and nursing practice and theory (Peterson’s College Quest). I also have to complete clinicals to get a first hand experience of what I’m going to have to know how to do once I finish nursing school. I plan to get a bachelor's degree (BSN), so it’s going to take me 4 years to finish. If everything goes as planned, I'll be 22 years old when I get my degree. I’m pretty confident about job options once I start my journey of looking for one. Nursing is expected to grow 19%, and is considered to be one of the most fastests growing careers. The starting salary for a nurse is $66,640 (Drexel University). I’m pretty happy with that.I have a few family members that are in the medical field, so I have seen first hand how difficult getting to where you want to be is. With that being said, I think the best person(s) I can learn from is my mom, or my aunt. My mom is a sonographer. I have seen her go through many nights studying, and many all nighters. I’ve even seen her cry because of how stressful going through school is. But she never gave up. I knew she was smart, but her experience going through school proved it to be even more true. I can learn from her. She went through what I have to go through in order to get to where I want. “There were many tears, and sleepless nights, but at the end it’s totally worth it, because now I actually enjoy going to work because I love what I’m doing.” I really liked what she said, because although I know it’s going to be hard, I know it’ll be worth it when I’m at work and I’m actually enjoying what I’m doing.

Timeline:

2017- Graduate High School.
2017/2018- Start College (UIC).
2019- Get into the nursing program .
2020- Stay on track in my studies, as well as completing clinicals.
2021- Graduate nursing school with a bachelor’s degree (BSN)
2021/2022- Pass the final exam, and receive my nursing license.
2023- Find a job in a setting that I’m most happy with.
2024- Build up my experience.
2025- Move on to more intensive care units.
2026- Find a permanent position.

Resources/Materials:

The main cost that is going to affect me is the tuition for school. The full cost for my 4 years would come out to $60, 494.98. This also means that it would take me 9 years to pay off student loans. I’m lucky enough to have a family that is going to help me out financially, and they do not want me to get a job while I’m in school. They want me to just stay focused on my studies, but I might still look for a job that doesn’t interfere with school. Or I’d at least try to look.

Non-negotiables:

My main goal is to finish in 4 years. If I don’t, I’ll be devastated. But I’m NOT willing to quit school. If I ever find myself not doing too well in one of my classes, then I’ll sacrifice going out and having fun. I’m sure I’ll be tempted, but I’ll have more time for that once I finish. I’m willing to spend most of my time at the library studying until I finally understand what I’m struggling with. I understand that this sort of action can affect my relationship with certain people, but I’m alright with that. My close friends should know that school is my top priority.

What if:

The worst case scenario is not getting into the nursing program at UIC. It’s one of the best programs at the school, which makes it hard to get in. If that does not work out, I’ll look into other schools that offer the program. I would even look at the accelerated nursing programs. This would allow me to receive my bachelor’s degree in just 2 years. More money is needed for that, but I’m sure I’d figure it out. Not passing the test to get my nursing license would be another hurdle. If this were to happen, I would just have to study my butt off again until I do pass. Another worst case scenario would be not being able to find a job once I graduate. It would really bother me if I put in so much hard work into something, and not being able to use the skills I learned out of it. It would seem like a waste to me. If this were to happen, I would probably find volunteer opportunities. This would give me a chance to maybe put my skills to use, even if I’m not getting paid. Overall, my backup plans are still leading me to my goal. It’s just a different route.  

Map:

Map. RD. 2017 

Inspiration:

A huge motivation is the people who I’ll be caring for. Like I said before, if you want to enjoy being a nurse, you have to have a big, caring heart. That’s apart of your job. Yes, you have to know how to complete certain medical tasks, but you also are going to touch many people’s lives. “They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” This is a quote from Maya Angelou’s poem describing what nurses accomplish. Your main goal as a nurse is to make your patient feel better. It’s really a win-win situation. I feel good by making others feel good. “Nurses are there when the last breath is taken and nurses are there when the first breath is taken. Although it is more enjoyable to celebrate the birth, it is just as important to comfort in death." This is another quote that I really liked. As a nurse, I’m going to experience so many different events and moments. The birth of a child is memorable, but so is the death of someone. It’s a mixture of joy and sadness, but I can’t wait to go home everyday knowing I made a difference in someone’s life. I’m not going to lie, another motivation is the money. There are a lot of things that I want to do, but I can’t because of money. I always think about the goal. I’ll be 22, on my own, just worrying about myself. All the money I make is for me. 

When did I first find out I wanted to be a nurse?

I was around 8 or 9 when I realized that I wanted to work in a hospital or doctor setting. Two of my family members got sick around the same time, which meant that I spent a lot of time in the hospital. I remember always analyzing the nurses and watching carefully to see what they were doing whenever they came in the room to take care of something. It was always super cool to me. I would even come home and play with my younger sister, pretending to be a nurse.

 

Mejorando mi Espanol.

In order to finish up my credits, I had to complete 15 hours of language.  I decided to work on Spanish.  I speak the language at home because that's the only language my grandparents can speak well. It can get frustrating at times trying to communicate with them, but it also helps me improve my Spanish. I know I have to improve, so I went to visit a Spanish tutor. Once I actually met with her, I had to let her know that I understood the basics, and that I can carry on a conversation in Spanish with no problem. It was more the writing that I had to get done. Apart from getting tutored, I also decided to look into my culture more since Spanish is the main language for it. For that, I took a trip to Pilsen. I was lucky enough to go on a super nice day, so I spent most of my afternoon there. Right away, I was welcomed with the stories on those walls. The murals. Most of them reflected on life in Mexico, and transitioning here in America. I also went to the National Museum of Mexican Art. I visited the exhibits and was super impressed with all of them. Below I have pictures of my Pilsen visit. I hope you enjoy!

RD. Pilsen Visit. 2017 

RD. Pilsen Visit.  2017

RD. Pilsen Visit. 2017

RD. Pilsen Visit. 2017 

RD. Pilsen Visit. 2017.

Babysitting Journey

The last Humanities course for my senior year is called Endurance. In this class, we focused a lot on certain challenges and learned how to endure them. More specifically our own personal challenges and goals. The second unit of this course is called Katabasis. The definition of this word is diving into the underworld, while the hero is in a strange land, while danger surrounds. We learned a lot about journeys that people go through, and how they have endured them. The hope is that their stories and experiences inspire us while we go through the planning of our personal missions. For the action project, the class was assigned to work on our mission for 12 hours. Our mission is whatever we find ourselves passionate about. We just have to put it into action. It was pretty easy to pick my mission because I have already thought about this before. It was just hard actually conducting it. After I got through that though, I had a lot of fun putting this together. It came out a little longer than I expected, because every hour was important to completing my mission. Even the smallest details. I hope you enjoy going through my mission with me!

I want to be a pediatric nurse, so I’m going to be around a lot of children. Sick children. Of course I’m going to make sure that they’re getting the best care physically, but it’s also my mission to make sure that they’re feeling good mentally as well. I want them to feel safe whenever I’m in their presence. I also want to make sure that they’re having a lot of fun. Part of that means I’m going to spend a lot time trying to distract pain. My patience has to be worked on, because right now, it’s not the best. In order to achieve my mission of improving my patience, I am going to be babysitting. My aunt, who is in nursing school right now, is working as a nanny in the moment. She knew a family who was in great need of a babysitter, so I thought this was a perfect opportunity to work on my mission. 

Chapter 1: The struggle before the hustle.

Endurance is my last Humanities class of my senior year. This course focused on certain challenges and how to overcome them. More specifically, our own personal challenges. The first unit of this course is called Morpheus. This unit made us dig deeper into examples of endurance. We read examples of endurance, as well as watching videos about it. For the action project, the class was assigned imagine our lives after we achieved our mission. We were to write about this in a form of an autobiography. I was super excited about this project because I’m very excited about the future. I can’t wait to do what’s going to make me the happiest. Of course, it was still pretty difficult to write about, because you never know what can happen. But that also added on to the excitement. I’m super proud of the vision that I have set out for myself. It’s something that I can see myself doing, and being very happy with. It was also super fun and interesting trying to predict the future. This project really put me into the mindset of thinking about the future. That scares me, but also excites me. I hope you enjoy reading below!

Free illustration: Heart Care, Medical, Care, Heart - Free Image on Pixabay - 1040227

I'm  Rebecca, but my family calls me Becca. I come from a very huge family living in the Northwest side of Chicago, which is also my birthplace. My family is my everything. Ever since I was young, I remember being around them all the time. We all lived in one apartment, so there was no escaping them. It was super fun being around them all the time, but I can’t say there weren’t any annoying moments. In fact, I think those annoying moments are what shaped me to be the patient person I am today. Many good things happened in my family, but of course, so did bad things.

When I was 9, my grandpa suffered a heart attack. Luckily he survived but he still had to go through so much. One of the obstacles included open heart surgery. This was the first medical emergency that my family and I had to go through, and it put us in shock.They were in and out of hospitals trying to find the best surgeons. All this was super scary to me. I hated seeing my grandpa (who is basically my dad because he was the one that raised me and my siblings) going through this. He was sick, but I know he hated seeing everyone stress over him. Luckily he survived this major surgery, but there were still many more days spent in the hospital. I know a hospital is a place we should not be excited to go to, but I was. I know it was because I knew my grandpa was going to be alright, but there was another reason why. The nurses. I was amazed by what they could do. They were in his hospital room many more times than the doctors. I remember going home after the hospital visit and playing doctor with my siblings. Letting them be the doctors while I was the nurse. I would try to mimic their tasks by using my imagination. All of this was super fun to me. There was a time when I even missed the hospital because we stopped going. But soon, I wouldn’t have to. Another medical emergency occurred within my family. This happened when I was 10, so just a year later. And it was at this time when my call to action happened. My aunt, who I consider to be my best friend, was diagnosed with Leukemia. Hearing the word “cancer” come out of the doctor’s mouth sent us all in tears. This really made everyone weak for a moment. I didn’t have to miss the hospital anymore. It was like my family’s second home. My mom was always there, and I hated that. I was glad someone was keeping my aunt company, but I also wanted my mom to be home. I felt really selfish for missing her, so I knew I had to change my feeling and attitude. I started to pay more attention to the things my mom would do for my aunt. The more I paid attention to that, the more I started to appreciate what she was doing. I also started to realize something else. My younger siblings were even more confused as to what was going on. They missed her even more, and they also needed her. That’s when I had to step up. I am their big sister, so I need to show them that they can feel safe with me as well. Whenever my mom was at the hospital with my aunt, I made sure my little brother and sister were fed, did their homework, and were ready for school the next day. I didn’t want my mom to worry about any of that while she was away. And she didn’t have to thanks to me.

That experience shaped me into the compassionate person I am today. I was already a genuine caring person before that event, but it definitely became stronger after that. My compassion is what drove me to become interested in nursing, as well as my admiration for them. Nurses do so much, and I don’t think people realize that. They helped my 2 family members to recovery, and I can’t thank them enough for that. I have seen the smiles that some nurses bring to their patient’s faces, and I realized that I want to be one of those nurses.


To get my journey started, I attended University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). With all my hard work and dedication, I was accepted into the nursing program. I went through hell while I was in it. So many sleepless nights, crying, and stress. There were points when I wanted to give it all up and just quit. But I didn’t because I remembered who I was doing it for. My mom kept reminding me of that, as well as my aunt. I remember seeing my mom study her butt off while she was in school. She admits it was hard, but she didn’t give up. I admire her for that. I also admire my aunt. She had cancer, and now she’s a nurse. She knew what it was like to be in pain and scared, and she wanted to be the person to take that away. Her mission is also mines.


In 2021, I finally graduated and became a registered nurse. I got a job at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Downtown Chicago. I was the happiest person ever when I got called in to work there. I remember my first day there. It was so nostalgic. I remember walking down those hospital hallways as a visitor, and now I’m walking down them as a nurse. I was super proud of myself. While I was working, I interacted with so many different people. Those people included coworkers, patients, and the patient’s family. In a way, they have all shaped me into the person I am today. I learned so much, especially from my patients. I can’t lie and say that it was super easy for me to get up and go to work everyday. It wasn’t. I’m a very emotional person, and I get attached easily. Imagine the pain that I would go through when one of my patients was terminally ill. But I did my best, and gave them the happiness that they deserved.


Now, I’m a traveling nurse. Traveling has been one of my passions ever since I was a teenager, and it hasn’t died out. At first I was skeptical about combining my career with my hobby, but it all turned out super well. I’m called in to whichever location needs me the most, and I usually stay there for about 2 months. After those 2 months, I get called in for other locations. People call me crazy for doing this, but I don’t think I am. I’m doing what I love, which is helping people, as well as traveling. The latest location that needed me was Thailand. I worked my butt off over there, but I was also able to admire the beauty that the country holds. Of course I do miss my family and friends while I’m away. Especially my family. They were the ones that helped me throughout school by pushing me to never give up. They were the ones to cheer me up whenever I had a bad day at work. I couldn’t have gone through all that without them. I know they’re super proud of what I’m doing. All the tears, sleepless nights, and missing out on fun parties was worth it. Now I’m able to put smiles on people’s faces by letting my good heart take away their fear and pain.

Stay Curious And Happy

For this elective term, I took a class called Mixtapes. In this class we studied the historical context behind some genres of music like Blues and Jazz. We also learned the "language" that music holds, and learned about some key words that would help us better connect to what we're listening to. For the action project we were assigned to create a mix tape of music that we think really identifies us, as well as how we perceive the world. I listen to a lot of different music so I thought it would be super easy to pick my songs, but I was wrong. It took awhile, but I eventually figured out which songs fit best. It was super cool to go into depth with these songs because for each one I learned something new. I hope you enjoy exploring below!

Script:

I describe myself as an introverted person. Although I’m quiet most of the time, I really like to look out for adventures, laughs, and overall fun. I LOVE to laugh and have some sense of freedom. I also take pride in the sense of humor that I have. It has allowed me to not take so many things seriously. I’m a super curious person, and sometimes that gets me into trouble but I don’t mind sometimes. Depends on the consequence. I would for sure say that I sound pretty soft and mellow. They would be beats that you can dance to or just listen to while you relax. The world we live in sucks. Most rulers of this world are evil, greedy, and just plain out ignorant. I still see some good in this world though thanks to some people. Those people are the ones that still look out for fun. They’re the ones that let their creativity and curiosity drive them. In a way, these people could be considered brave for still showcasing those qualities. These kind of hopeful, happy people are the ones that drive me. Very uplifting, fun lyrics. I found that some of the songs that I picked have a slow to medium tempo, but the lyrics are pretty positive.

Song #1- Pocketful Of Sunshine.

Is this track conservative or progressive?

Progressive

Is this track sacred or profane?

Profane- There isn't any religious connection to this song. It's also pretty obvious as to what this song is talking about.

What genre of music is represented?

Pop & R&B

Natasha Bedingfield's Pocketful of Sunshine talks about finding a happy place. This happy place allows her to escape the trials that she encounters in her life. She’s able to send this message by her very moody and melancholy lyrics. The lighter and happier mood of this song is brought out by her cheerful and energized vocals. This is a dance-pop song. The repetition of the chorus allows a beat to be carried and makes it pretty predictable. This song came out in the summer of 2008, so not much was happening politically that would have affected this song. I would say that it’s a timeless song. There are many people who are trying to escape the tragedies of their lives today, which would make this song pretty relatable. The transmission hits when the chorus comes. It sounds intimate at first, but then it bursts to some energy. To me, this song doesn't hold any virtuosity because it sounds pretty basic. Like I've heard it before somewhere. This is for sure written in a major tone because it sounds upbeat.   This song is good for people who are looking for a happy, danceable tune. It’s also for people who don’t mind listening to mainstream music, because this song would be considered a radio favorite. This song is about escaping certain problems in your life by going to a certain place. In the song, she’s talking about a real literal place, but a happy place can also be considered a form of a mindset. These lyrics are what pushed me to include this song on my playlist.

And there's no more lies.

In the darkness,there's light. And nobody cries.

There's only butterflies.”

It really adds to the theme of yea life is going to suck, but it’s up to you to change that perception. It all starts with your happiness.

Song #2- Human Nature-Micheal Jackson

Is this track conservative or progressive?

Conservative- I would say it's conservative because it holds some truth about human nature, which could be considered traditional.

Is this track sacred or profane?

Profane- There isn't any religious connection to this song, but it's a super honest song.

What genre of music is represented?

Pop 

Michael Jackson is considered to be the king of pop. This song specifically though, doesn’t embody that. This is a slower song, with some honest lyrics. The message that I got from this song is that there’s this freedom that we have to live life the way we want to. We can make connections with anyone we want, whenever we want. The title of this song also can give a hint as to what the writer was thinking about when he was writing this. It’s talking about human nature. It explains the idea of people taking the chance of exploring love and life freely. I really like the intimacy that's caused by his soothing voice. The speed also has a lot to do with the feeling of closeness. All this was able to prove that his work is handled with a lot of virtuosity.It never really changed which makes it pretty stubborn, but it's still enjoyable.  The lyrics below really capture the purpose as to why I included this song.

If they say,

Why, why, tell 'em that it's human nature

Why, why, does he do me that way

If they say,

Why, why, tell 'em that it's human nature

Why, why does he do me that way

I like livin' this way

I like lovin' this way.

This song could really be for everyone. It’s talking about human nature, which is geared towards everyone. But if someone likes danceable tunes or prefers that over deep, honest lyrics, then I wouldn’t recommend this song to those people.

This song came out in 1982, which was a prime time for MJ. This song was on his album Thriller, which is still considered to be one the best selling albums ever. Since it was the early 80’s, I would say that this song really set the tone as to how to people were perceiving each other. The 70’s was fun, and a super interesting year for psychedelic drugs, but the 80’s was the time to be honest, and a bit more mature. I admire this song for the deep and soothing lyrics. I enjoy the freedom we have to make connections with whoever we want. Anyone can be curious about anything, and we have the freedom to explore anything we want. I believe that’s what drives people in this world.

Song #3-Summer Breeze 

Is this track conservative or progressive?

Progressive- I would say it's progressive because it really doesn't talk about any traditions or religious events. It actually talks about feeling free.

Is this track sacred or profane?

Profane- There isn't any religious connection to this song, but it's a super soothing one.

What genre of music is represented?

Soft-Rock 

Summer Breeze is a very soft-rock tune. The guitar elements add the rockish feel, but the soft, smooth and peaceful lyrics add to the prettiness of this song. It also adds to the intimacy of it. I would say the lyrics add to the closeness of the singer and the audience, because summer is usually something that most people enjoy. The loudness is very low, and I think that's good because of the soothing, sweet lyrics. The beginning guitar part is pretty exclusive because once I hear that, I know it's the specific song. There are specific things that the singer sings about, but the chorus cuts down to what this whole song is really about. The lyrics are below:

"Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind

Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind."

He’s basically saying that the breeze during the summer calms his mind down. The breeze also allows him to live a very peaceful life. This was written in 1972, and it’s pretty obvious. These were the very hippy days. The Vietnam War was also going on, and although there was no reference to that in the song, I still feel like the war impacted it. With all the chaos going on in the world, it would be really easy to forget that even the simplest things like nature can bring some sort of happiness. I would recommend this song to anyone who enjoys to sit back and listen to music. To those who actually find the time to let music relax them. I wouldn't share this song with anyone who enjoys dark lyrics, because this is far from that.I’m a very easy going person who is happiest with the simplest things, so this song makes me super happy knowing that it was written about the summertime and the benefits that come with it. It shows that it is possible to be happiest with very simple things, people just choose not to be.

Song #4- Happy House

Is this track conservative or progressive?

Progressive- There is a reference to Hell, but I don't think it makes much of an impact for this song to be considered religious or anything.

Is this track sacred or profane?

Profane- There isn't any religious connection to this song, but the lyrics are super fun.

What genre of music is represented?

Post-Punk 

This is a very chilling song by a post-punk band. I think the instrumental to this song is what makes this song super interesting, exclusive and just plain out cool. It’s very different, and almost haunting. That haunting feeling adds to the intimacy that it holds. I think the loudness goes well with the energy filled lyrics. This song is pretty stubborn too, but I like it. The lyrics to this song are pretty awesome as well. It’s telling a story about a house that’s called the “happy house”. This house allows people to have fun to the fullest without worrying about anything going on. It’s like an escape. The lyrics below really capture that idea.

"This is the happy house-we're happy here in the happy house. To forget ourselves-and pretend all's well There is no hell."

“Happy House” was released in the 80s as a punk song. Punk is going against the norms, and although the lyrics are very happy and uplifting, I know it’s all sarcasm. The point of this song was to highlight the way the media, and television portrays families. They always showcase very happy people, whose life must be nice.

People who enjoy lighter, happier songs wouldn’t find much enjoyment from this because this is almost mocking those kinds of songs. At the same time though, someone can ignore the sarcasm and just listen to the song as it is. People who like to break apart songs and find hidden meanings with music, would have a lot of fun with this song.

I was a person who ignored the sarcasm in this song, and just enjoyed the lyrics the way I wanted to hear them. I took it as a happy song. Like I said before, I really enjoy the thought of everyone being happy because I really believe that that’s what’s going to push people to do the things they want.

Song #5- Ride. Lana Del Rey

Is this track conservative or progressive?

Conservative- I would say it's conservative because it holds some truth about sadness and emotions that people face.

Is this track sacred or profane?

Profane- There isn't any religious connection to this song, but it's a super honest song about emotions.

What genre of music is represented?

Pop 

This song was written in the blue-eyed souled genre, which is blues and soul music written and performed by white people. The piano melody and nostalgic lyrics add to that feeling that categorizes this song under that genre.This has a pretty deep meaning, which again makes it intimate. The quietness brings a sense of closeness. It’s talking about a person who’s tired of being sunk into the problems that come with alcoholism, which includes loneliness and unpleasant thoughts. She just wants to live her life freely and just ride along with what makes her happy. It was written in 2012, and I don’t think anything politically was going on that was enough to impact this song. Anyone who enjoys moody music would love this, but those who prefer “happier” music, wouldn’t really appreciate this song as much. This connects to me because I don't think there's a problem with going crazy sometimes. If you're always holding things in, you're going to go even crazier.

Discipline.

Systems and Models is the 2nd STEAM course of my senior year. This class focuses on understanding the different ways of thinking with ourselves, within groups, and within organizations. We watched and learned about certain social experiments that would help us get a better understanding about what this class is about. The last unit is called Organization. It focused on people, groups and organizations. For the last action project, we were assigned to think like a organizational consultant and perform a SWOT on GCE. I really enjoy being a student here, so it was sort of difficult looking for flaws. Overall though, I really enjoyed completing this, and I hope you enjoy reading through it.