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Learning Summary
Ciara Black
Wright State University
EDL 765















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This summer I had the opportunity to complete my practicum at the Womens Center and
I choose this site because of my thesis interest around student parents. The Womens Center
seemed like a natural fit given my interests and the center has assisted in the creation and
sustainability of the MOMS group. MOMS stands for Mother Supporting Other Mothers and
although this organization is not an official student organization, it does sponsor events during
the year specifically for students and their families. The director of the Womens Center, Amber
Vlasnik also really impressed me with her professionalism, advocacy for students and goals for
the center.
My special projects this summer consisted of continuing the edits to the student parent
site which will be launched during fall semester. The site has been created as an online resource
for expectant and current parents to provide them with important information about several
topics related to being a parent. Although I did not have much direct contact with students since
it was summer term, I found the work very meaningful and beneficial for students. This project
has been a continuation of some of the work that the director and some previous
internship/practicum students have been working on for several months. The motivation for this
site came from the MOMS group as a way to connect student parents and provide them with
important resource all in one place. This site was a collaborative effort between a variety of
different university offices and the Womens Center. The second special project that I took over
was editing and updating the student parent resource guide. This guide is a handout that includes
many of the information that can be found on the site but it is resource to be referred to quickly.
Another unique aspect of my practicum was the fact that there were two other interns in
the center working on other aspects of Women Center work. The two other aspects included the
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development of the Womens Studies program internship experience and Women veterans.
During our weekly intern meetings as a group, I was able to hear about and contribute my
opinions to these projects from my perspective and educational background. For example, we
discussed the freshmen common text Girl in translation by Jean Kwok and what messaging was
provided in the text for students about themes around immigration, gender, education, etc.
Both of these projects although small scale, they are significant to the success of this
particular student population. As I am beginning the literature review for my thesis, I am
discovering that there has been limited information and research conducted about student
parents, their needs, challenges and ways to retain them. I view both of my practicum projects as
ways to assist in the retention of student parents. This is extremely important for this population
because they not only gain an education for themselves but set an example for their children.
Research shows that student parents who do complete their degree are more likely to transition
from government assistance if applicable, earn more money and positively impact the likelihood
that their children and grandchildren will attend college.
The learning that I was exposed to during my practicum experience went beyond my
expectations. I truly appreciated the authenticity of my experience. I learned about the politics
found within higher education, how organizational structure impacts the work that is done and
the connection between academic and student affairs. In addition, I learned what it means to push
the envelope and advocate for students. I received exposure on just how things in the higher
education setting can be impacted by gender. Higher education is still a very male dominated
field and there are times when gender plays a role, especially in leadership. Amber made me very
comfortable in the center and valued my opinion. We shared ideas about my projects that made
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me feel like my contributions not only were accepted but equal and she affirmed what I was
doing while providing constructive criticism when necessary. I value these skills as an emerging
professional because it provided me with confidence and allowed me to make connections. I
found that my conversations and interactions with Amber went beyond supervisor and supervisee
but more so to the level of mentor and mentee because I felt like she was truly invested in my
development as a professional.
Overall, my learning experience at the Women Center has contributed to my growth not
only as a professional but as a continuing learner. I was motivated by the dedication that was
exhibited by the staff in the Womens Center and also their willingness to advocate for students.
Some would not think that a center like the Womens Center would not perform much advocacy
for students but this is a core element of the centers purpose. This advocacy is not only for
students, but for faculty and staff as well. Advocacy was an aspect of some of the responsibilities
of the center that I wish I would have gotten the chance to explore further. I had the opportunity
to attend a Womens Center retreat which was attended by a number of Womens Center staff
members around the state of Ohio. This opportunity was unexpected and very beneficial because
it was a professional experience that allowed me to not only make connections with other center
professionals but also hear about the current events and issues affecting centers in different
regions across institutional type.