Senior Project Reflection

Jasmine Gallisath Mr. Rudebusch British Literature 27 March 2019

Senior Project Reflection For my Senior project, I shadowed Heather Larsen, an activities assistant at Jenkins Assisted Living Facility. An activities assistant is someone who tends to plan and do activities in settings such as retirement or nursing homes, camps, recreation centers, and cruise ships. I spent a total of 28 hours overall working on my senior project. I spent about a half an hour interviewing a receptionist at the Castlewood Assisted Living for research for my product, I spent about 2 hours preparing and revising my informationational essay, spent 23.5 hours shadowing, and the last two hours writing my shadowing journal and reflection paper. Some challenges that I faced were getting things done on time, because I am in the play, and I literally have practice 4 times a week from after school until 8 o’clock at night, so it has been difficult for me to get all my homework done at night. It was also difficult for me to write my essay, because I’m really bad at words and at English period. Also, it was hard for me to work on my senior project in class because I sit at a table with people who never shut up! I tried to use my work time in class wisely, but as I said before, it was kind of hard for me to focus with the people who talk all the time at my table. After doing this project, I learned that I have the patience to deal with different kinds of people, I would be good at being an activities assistant, and that I really enjoy working with the older generation. In my future, I could use these things to help me figure out what I want to do

after high school, and what I’d be good at. This shadowing experience could also benefit me in my future if I wanted to go into this field. While trying to prepare my senior project, I will need to put some more information into my presentation for notes. My notes will need to go more into detail on my job shadowing experience, and more into if I would like to pursue this as a career in the future. I hope that my panel members will gain more knowledge on what an activities assistant is, and what role they play in the assisted living community. I’d also like my panel members to know how great of an experience I had, and the opportunities that can come along with this job. Overall, after having a great shadowing opportunity, and putting so much hard work into my senior project, I would have to give myself a B on this project. I know that after watching other people present their senior projects, and seeing what they had done and accomplished, I know that mine wasn’t perfect. I realized that there were definitely some things that I need to change or add to my presentation, and my project overall. I wouldn’t give myself an F, because my project wasn’t that bad, but I also wouldn’t give myself an A, because nobody is perfect, and there is always room for improvement.