May Blog Post: An AE?!

Wow, we got our grades for the senior presentations. I got an AE, yep. Still in shock. This project and the presentation have most definitely changed my life. I knew that this was a tough topic to do, but I came out stronger in the end. I am extremely grateful that I was able to shadow such an amazing mentor and that I was able to change two young girls' life. There are no other words, I'm graduating. It is all coming down to this. All we have left is the evening tradeshow to do and we're done. There are too many emotions. I'm going to miss iPoly and my two girls.

Blog 22: Senior Project Reflection

Positive Statement:
I am most proud of getting through to at least one person. After I finished presenting I had many people come up and thank me. THANK ME?! No, thank them. I am so happy that I was able to change at least one person's life. Whether in the presentation or with my mentees.

Questions to Consider
a) I would give myself a P.
b) I would also give myself a P on the senior project, I was able to meet all of the requirements.

What worked for you in your senior project?
I knew that because I had just recently overcome suicide it was rather risky to research suicide. What worked was that I was able to be strong enough to go through my nine month journey and came out stronger than when I went in.

What didn't work?
I wouldn't change a thing. I loved everything that I did and I am so thankful for having gotten this opportunity.

Finding Value
I know for certain that I want to pursue psychology. Working with Jessica and Miranda was not easy, but I know that I can do  it. I am going to be Majoring in Psychology at the University of La Verne. This project and the presentation was able to justify what I want to do.

Blog 21: Mentorship

Literal:
Done
Patti Azevedo- San Jose K-8

Interpretive:
There is so much I learned from this experience. I would say that the most important thing I learned is the importance of loving thyself. My best answer has to do with self confidence, and without this project I would not be as confident as I am today. I overcame suicide, yes. But ultimately I believe this project may have saved my life.

Applied:
My essential question is, "What is the most effective way to help a suicidal teen overcome suicidal thoughts?" My best answer is that the most effective way to help a suicidal teen overcome suicidal thoughts is by helping them build self confidence. With my mentees I was able to implement different self confidence building techniques and I now know that they are effective. Without this project I could've said the same, but there would not have been a chance of me putting this to practice.

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.

Blog 18: Third Answer

Content:
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 helping them find at least one support system.

• Talking to someone lets the teen know they're not alone.
• My mentees have let me know having me there lets them know that they're not alone.
• All a suicidal teen needs is at least one strong support system.
• My mentor told me that there was one person who was constantly calling to check up on her and that was one of the only reasons she was able to overcome suicide.
• In a five and a half year period 11,152 calls were made to a suicide hotline.
• Many of the callers were looking for a support system, someone to talk to. 

My personal experience in mentorship, my mentor, an article called "Suicide: A Review of Calls to an Adolescent Peer Listening Phone Service"

"A lot of you cared, just not enough." Jay Asher . We just need to help the teens focus on that one strong support system.

Blog 17: Fourth Interview Questions

1. How do you feel that helping someone build confidence will help them overcome suicide?
2. What are some ways to help a suicidal teen build self confidence?
3. How is talking about what's going on helping the suicidal teen overcome suicidal thoughts?
4. Why do you believe it's tough to ask someone for help when feeling suicidal?
5. What can be done to change someone's feelings towards talking about suicide?
6. How many support systems do you think someone who is suicidal should have??
7. Why could one support system enough?
8. What are the most common misconceptions about suicide?
9. How can educating the general public be vital to helping a suicidal teen overcome suicidal thoughts?
10. Why do you think teens have such a tough time talking about suicide?
11. What group of people do you think would benefit most from being educated in suicide?
12. Why wouldn't it be more beneficial to educate the other?
13. What do you consider a safe home?
14. What would make a safe home enough?
15. How would a suicide awareness event affect teens at school?
16. What group do you think has a tougher time approaching suicide?
17. What can be done to let people know what to do to approach suicide?
18. What is the importance to educating teens on what can happen if they don’t report a friend who is suicidal?
19. What can be done so that suicide is taken seriously?
20. What is the most effective way to help a suicidal teen overcome suicidal thoughts?