Blog 20: Exit Interview

Content:
1) What is the most effective way to help a suicidal teen overcome suicidal thoughts?

• The most effective way to help a suicidal teen overcome suicidal thoughts is by having them fill up a stress box.
• The most effective way to help a suicidal teen overcome suicidal thoughts is by helping them build self confidence.
• The most effective way to help a suicidal teen overcome suicidal thoughts is by helping them find a support system.
• Best Answer: The most effective way to help a suicidal teen overcome suicidal thoughts is by helping them build self confidence. There was a study conducted by Dr. McGee and Dr. Williams that there is a correlation of about .80 that connected self confidence with suicide. According to the CDC guys are 76.5% more likely to commit suicide than girls and about 35% of guys would give up a year of their lives to achieve their ideal body weight. According to Dove’s research, up to 2% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful.

2) When I met up with my mentor, Patricia Azevedo who is the Program Administrator for the Pomona Unified School District for School Mental Health Services, I knew that I wanted to help others. I told her that I wanted to be able to help young girls overcome suicide. She referred me to San Jose K-8 and I began to mentor two young girls, Jessica and Miranda. My mentor, Patricia Azevedo, told me what a stress box is, and I saw my mentees using it. I was able to see it in use because of my mentees, Jessica and Miranda. Self confidence was always a problem for me and that's where I got the idea that self confidence could be an answer. I spoke to my mentees, Jessica and Miranda about self confidence and they let me know they needed work on it. I did research on what the best ways to build self confidence are and I implemented them with what I was doing. My mentor, Patricia Azevedo told me that when she was suicidal she had someone who was constantly calling her and letting her know that they were there for her; that person was her support system. It is because of her that I was able to obtain my third answer.

3) My parents were not very fond of my senior project. They told me it was a waste of time and that I should focus on something different. I sat them down and told them that this is what I love to do. I let them know that this is what I was focusing on and that I would appreciate their support. They understood and told me that I have their support and that they would stand behind me. Scheduling was another problem. I never rally organized my schedule and therefore I was always forgetting about something. I fixed this by taking a look at my schedule on a weekly basis and planning my week that way. This proved to be very effective. 

4) My mentor, Patricia Azevedo, was extremely helpful. It is because of her that I was given the opportunity to mentor young girls and get a hands on experience. Patricia Azevedo was always there to answer any questions I had and was able to guide me with everything I needed. At the beginning of the year I read a book, Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide, and I found that to be the most important source. It is because of this book that I was entirely hooked on researching suicide. It is because of this book that I have extensive knowledge on suicide.

Blog 19: Independent Component 2

Content:
a) I, Paola Rodriguez, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
b) The teachers at San Jose Elementary School and Jose Montenegro from Tri-City MHS helped me complete this independent component.
c) Done.
d) I worked for a significant amount of time with different people to form a presentation on suicide. This presentation was delivered to the freshman of iPoly HS.

Interpretative:
Attached is the final presentation I delivered. There were many revisions and this was what I put together on the final presentation.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1yYzLprM6LlkJO4HaDrcVBiHVPicyxDoVSIWPmVyQrC4/edit#slide=id.p
These are the ways I was planning on setting up my presentation.

Applied:
This component helped a great deal with answering my EQ because I was able to talk to others about suicide. I had listened to others talk about suicide and I read many articles on suicide and I was finally able to be the one giving a presentation and stating my own observations.