Action Plan

Running head: Action Plan

Action Plan Olivia Collins Loyola University of Chicago

Action Plan

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According to John Dewey in Experience and Education, “Everything depends upon the quality of the experience which is had. The quality of any experience has two aspects. There is an immediate aspect of agreeableness or disagreeableness, and there is its influence upon later experiences. The first is obvious and easy to judge. The effect of an experience is not borne on its face” (1938, p. 27). I open with this quote from John Dewey because Loyola has been quite the experience. Here I have gained explicit and implicit knowledge about institutions, education, race, politics, and so much more. I came from a public University and worked for a year prior to Loyola as a Director of Social Services. All my experiences have not been quality, but they have all been educational and effective in me becoming who I am. Here I have absorbed more about the significance of diversity, equity, politics, and hidden curriculum. As I write this paper, I think about what is next for me as an educator and as a life-long learner. As I am currently entering the job market, I hope to stay in the Higher Education field, but I am open to other fields. If this program has taught me anything, it is, life is a journey. On my journey I plan to continue to learn from all my experiences in the work force, in classrooms and outside of institutionalized education. I plan to get my license as a social worker in the state of Illinois and a Certified Nursing Assistant. As someone who is unaware of their next steps, I think it is in my best interest to be equip with the licenses I may need to acquire careers of my interest. I eventually will return to institutional education to receive a PhD in psychology. Education has always been my home away from home. Education being my first love I do plan to stay up to date on relevant research. I know in order to stay informed I will need to read relevant research and attend conferences, which I look forward to. A part of being informed and having relevant research means watching the news, reading educational journals, such as The

Action Plan Chronicle and Inside Higher Education. Another way I plan to stay involved in education is by being friends with other educators. Majority of my friends are in Higher Education and plan to stay or purse PhD’s and through them I expect to be passively involved. The main characteristic of my desire in life is to help people become better versions of themselves. One way I currently do this in my spare time is by assisting friends and family with their resume and cover letter. I plan to continue to mentor the youth at my mother’s local church in the importance of education and teach them how to apply college. Learning and being and educator is something I plan to do for myself and for my community. Though my educational pursuit at Loyola is ending my journey to learn will never end. I will learn in different realms of life.

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Action Plan References John Dewey. (1938). Experience and Education. First Free Press