Capstone Reflection Instructions

Your reflection should depict the continuity within discontinuity and demonstrate shifting or evolving identities as you have grown from the time you first began your education. Remember, one goal of Integrative Studies is to help you find the common thread(s) of your life and weave them together in a way that is cohesive. The goals of your reflection are to assess the effect of past experiences on your lifes current trajectory, explore those life episodes that have shaped your value systems, and identify specific steps you must take to reach your professional goals. As you do this please keep in mind we are assessing your ability to connect experiences, connect disciplines, transfer knowledge, integrate communication, and reflect on your developing sense of self. Please use the following format in preparing your assignment, showing each of the four sections listed below with corresponding headings: 1. Reflection Summarize a few key decisions/choices/experiences that led you to this point in life. This is where you might discuss some of the discontinuity of your lifes experiences. How did these points change your direction? Be vulnerable! Relate personal life episodes that are triggered in your memory. Relate your story in the first person, describing the action and quoting exact words you remember hearing or saying. This critical, personal connection is important to your story.

2. Education - in Hotel restaurant manager, organizational leadership, Human resources. Discuss your educational journey. You are nearing the end of your program and preparing to graduate. What has been most valuable to you about your education? Did you participate in a service-learning course, internship, study abroad, or some other integrative experience? If so, tell me about it. How will you integrate your education into the next step(s) of your life? Tell me how integrative learning has made a difference in your educational experience.

3. Application- In this section identify the thread(s) that run through your experiences; life, education, work, etc. In previous courses, you have read or heard Dr. Tanner discuss the thread that runs through his experiences. Now its your turn to weave your experiences together. Utilizing metaphor, make a convincing argument for the continuity within discontinuity.

4. Connection. In this final section, you should be meaningfully synthesizing connections among your experiences inside and outside the classroom. Again, what are the connections, the thread(s) that help weave your interdisciplinary experiences together? What are your next steps? Will you go to graduate school? Start a career? Persuade me that youve taken the necessary steps to reach your professional goals.v