Goal 4
The fourth goal of the Honors Program is to engage with diverse perspectives in order to cultivate cultural competence and
an appreciation of differences. This goal asks students to analyze current and historical international issues and aspects of global culture, demonstrate foreign language proficiency at an intermediate level, collaborate actively with diverse local and global partners, and appraise issues from multiple viewpoints. As for me, I had the opportunity to analyze current issues and appraise issues from multiple viewpoints during my tenure in the Honors Program. I will present three artifacts that showcase the previously mentioned outcomes as well as how it relates to the fourth goal of the Honors Program. One artifact is a written reading response from HON 351H- Integrity and the Examined Life, another is a paper on leader interviews from HON 250H – Foundations of Leadership, and the last artifact is a journal from HON 252H - Visionaries of the Past.
In Professor Sachdev’s class, Integrity and the Examined Life, I demonstrated the ability to analyze a current situation. In his
discussion post assignments, us students reflect on the content we read and watched. For the fourth post assignment, we wrote on the Disney film Soul and analyzed the questions it brings about existence and purpose. In it, I’ve discussed our purpose in life isn’t clear but we can learn more about it if we find a career in life that makes us the most happy. This paper illustrates my ability to analyze a current situation due to the relevance of the discussion of existence and purpose. Everyone in this world seeks meaning in their lives, and many have formed religions around it. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I recognize this issue to be prevalent inside and outside the church. Selecting this artifact not only reflects my awareness of a current situation, but also accomplishes the first outcome of the fourth goal, which is to analyze current and historical international issues and aspects of global culture.
In Professor Smestad’s course, Foundations of Leadership, I demonstrated the ability to appraise issues from multiple
viewpoints. We were asked to interview many leaders within the city of Minot and write a paper on it. For my assignment, I asked a registered nurse from a hospital and my ex-manager from Walmart questions such as “What are the values that you use to guide your leadership role?” and “What is your personal best leadership experience?” Both interviewees shared their answers as was outlined in my paper. I concluded my paper by stating my two interviewees helped me understand leadership required communication, patience, and diligence as vital skills to have. Leadership is an ongoing issue in the world, and not many people have the opportunity to interview leaders like I have. Learning from leaders is our best way of understanding them and becoming leaders ourselves. This paper discussing leadership meets the fourth outcome of appraising issues from multiple viewpoints, meaning I’ve accomplished the fourth goal of the Honors Program.
Lastly, in Professor Smestad’s course Visionaries of the Past, I demonstrated the ability to appraise issues from multiple
viewpoints. In my first journal, I analyzed the poems “Suppose” and “Solitude” by Phoebe Cary and Ella Wheeler Wilcox, respectively. In this analysis, I noted how both poems speak on gender roles and expectations being placed on children. Not only did I analyze the themes in both poems, I also noted the rhyming scheme and how it applies to the future. I noted both female poets as visionaries for noticing these issues of gender roles as ongoing rather than contemporary. My analysis of the two poems meets the fourth outcome of appraising issues from multiple viewpoints, which fulfills the fourth goal of the Honors Program.
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The fourth goal of the Honors Program, to engage with diverse perspectives in order to cultivate cultural competence and
an appreciation of differences, has been exemplified by me throughout my tenure in the Honors Program. I was able to reflect on current issues apparent to me and analyze issues from different viewpoints. Thus, I achieved the fourth goal of the Honors Program.