Category: Academics

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CliftonStrengths Assessment Project | Part 4 with Jake Dobransky

Jake Dobransky

This year, Grove City College had several students take the CliftonStrengths assessment for free as part of a grant the college was awarded in order to foster a deeper exploration of calling and vocation for the students. The program development grant is from the Council of Independent Colleges, specifically their Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education. This assessment endeavors to provide students with a common language of talents and strengths and attempts to promote a culture where students thrive both inside the classroom here at Grove City College, and in the outside world. One of those students that took the CliftonStrengths Assessment is junior Jake Dobransky, who is pursuing a Business Economics major.

I asked Jake how the CliftonStrengths Assessment has helped to shape his understanding of calling and vocation, and he said, “The CliftonStrengths Assessment has helped me see that whatever future God has for me, He has wired me with strengths and gifts to prepare me for my future roles.” I also asked Jake about how learning his results has helped him in his academics and he said that the assessment has not really influenced his academic work. Although he did say it gave him a greater understanding of who he is, but he is still the same student as he was before.

I discussed with Jake how learning, and now knowing his results, has helped him in different leadership roles he may experience. He said, “The assessment gave me clear insight that my strengths don’t center in influencing others. If I want to inspire or change a group of people’s minds, it may be best for me to connect with an individual with influence and have them encourage others with their help.” I also asked him how learning his results has helped him in relationships with others, both on and off-campus, he said, “With my greater awareness of my sense of responsibility, I try to be more patient with those around me who like to waste time.  It is right and natural to be balanced, and that means having fun is good once in a while.” Jake said learning his different strengths and talents through this assessment has helped him to be a better Residents Assistant (RA) to those he serves. He said both in understanding why he values his work and how he can better engage with his residents.

Jake said he has not noticed any significant changes in his daily life, but he realizes now he is more self-aware. He said when working with others he is more patient and tries to selectively choose his words in order to achieve the best end result in any given situation. Jake said the best takeaway from this assessment was, “I am not an influencer by nature and must rely on facts and reason to convince others.  I have adjusted my efforts in how I try to relate with those around me.”

Jake plans to start a career where he can utilize the economics he is learning here at Grove City College and pair it alongside his love for data analytics when he graduates. Here on campus Jake is a member of the Beta Sigma fraternity, a Residents Assistant (RA) in Lincoln, a member of the Men’s Club Volleyball Team, a member of the Crimson and White Society, and a Member of Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK).

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CliftonStrengths Assessment Project | Part 3 with Garrett O’Toole

Garrett O’Toole

This year, Grove City College had several students take the CliftonStrengths assessment for free as part of a grant the college was awarded in order to foster a deeper exploration of calling and vocation for the students. The program development grant is from the Council of Independent Colleges, specifically their Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education. This assessment endeavors to provide students with a common language of talents and strengths and attempts to promote a culture where students thrive both inside the classroom here at Grove City College, and in the outside world. One of those students that took the CliftonStrengths Assessment is senior Garrett O’Toole who is pursuing a Communications Studies major.

I asked Garrett how the CliftonStrengths assessment has shaped his understanding of calling and vocation, and he said, “It has really helped me learn about how I’m wired, and where my natural gifts are found. It’s essentially a more in-depth Myers-Briggs test, which allows participants to understand themselves more, which helps greatly in terms of determining one’s calling and vocation. Its results are a great resource to learn the language behind these strengths and apply them to potential job or internship positions.” I also talked to Garrett about how learning his results has helped him in his academics and he said his results have helped him to more clearly define his study habits, and to put a theory behind why he does things in terms of schoolwork. He said, “I mainly understand why I study the way I do, which is helpful to me because it’s something I can point to while I’m studying and questioning why I am doing it.”

I also asked Garrett how learning his results have helped him in different leadership positions. He said this is one of the areas where knowing his results helped him the most. He said, “From the insights that StrengthsFinder gave me based on my results, I’ve actually applied some of the things the assessment said to my leadership style. It clicked with me that I lead others the way I do based on my strength results and putting some language behind it has slightly changed the way I lead to more effectively accomplish things and to empower others while using their strengths.” I also talked to Garrett about how his results have impacted relationships with others both on and off campus, and he said that one of his strengths is communication, so he can also put theory behind why the way he communicates has helped him to gain a better understanding on how to navigate through certain social situations. He also said, “It has also helped me to communicate in a more uplifting way now that I’m more aware of it, not that I didn’t before, but just being more cognizant of my own habits has been beneficial.”

Garrett works in the Advancement Office on campus, so he said having his strengths results has helped him to focus his work on things that pair well with his results. He said, “As a result, knowing where my skills are, I take on assignments that I know I can do really well, along with producing high-quality work that the office can use for their constituents.” Garrett said this has been a beneficial way he has utilized his results outside of the classroom. I asked Garrett if he has noticed any significant changes in his life since learning his results from the assessment. He said, “In terms of ‘significant changes’, I wouldn’t say so, but I can definitely attest to a significant awareness that was raised based on my results.” Garrett said the best takeaway he gained from this assessment was how the StrengthsFinder uses a theory that focuses more on your strengths, rather thank your weaknesses. He said, “This in turn allows participants to focus on things like vocational calling, which is definitely different when compared to more general tests like an MBTI exam.”

Garrett plans to do anything in terms of business, marketing or higher education when he leaves Grove City College, and here on campus he is involved with the Student Government Association (SGA), a member of the Adelphoi En Christo (AEX) Housing Group, a Residents Assistant (RA), and he is a Center for Vision and Values Student Fellow.

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CliftonStrengths Assessment Project | Part 2 with Kristen Bishop

Kristen Bishop

This year, Grove City College had several students take the CliftonStrengths assessment for free as part of a grant the college was awarded in order to foster a deeper exploration of calling and vocation for the students. The program development grant is from the Council of Independent Colleges, specifically their Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education. This assessment endeavors to provide students with a common language of talents and strengths and attempts to promote a culture where students thrive both inside the classroom here at Grove City College, and in the outside world. One of those students that took the CliftonStrengths Assessment is senior Kristen Bishop, who is pursuing a Communications Studies major, with a Biblical and Religious Studies minor. Kristen’s top five strengths from the assessment include: communication, activator, ideation, woo, and strategic.

I asked Kristen how the CliftonStrengths assessment has shaped her understanding of calling and vocation, and she said, “It has helped me understand gifts that I have been given and how to embrace them and use them well. Instead of trying to fit a mold I now understand I should look for a job that I am already gifted at so that I can help a company, organization, or non-profit do well and grow.” I also asked Kristen how learning her results has helped her in her academics and she said the results have helped her to understand why school has always been a struggle for her, and how she can learn best and adapt her learning style and study habits to aid herself in the best way possible.

I also discussed with her how learning her results have helped her in different leadership roles. She said the results allow her to focus in on the gifts she has and help her to better understand her leadership roles. She said, “I understand that I love to get things started right away, communicate plans of action, create new ideas and ways of getting jobs done, and working with others.”

I asked about how her results have helped her in different relationships with others both on and off campus, she said, “Being aware of my strengths has helped me be aware of how I go about problems or issues, but also learning about other’s strengths has helped me understand that there might be miscommunication because we are coming from different points of view.” Kristen said her results help her most in a job setting when it comes to how well she works with others. She said it also encourages her to learn more about her leadership style and how she learns best.

I inquired if she has noticed any significant changes in her daily life since learning her results from the CliftonStrengths Assessment, and she said, “I do practices to help me grow in my strengths. For example, with ideation, I have an idea book and write down all my ideas so that I can sort through them and actually work on them!” Kristen said the best take away she has gained since taking this assessment is learning that you grow more when focusing on your strengths rather than your weaknesses. She said, “Instead of trying to fit into a job you aren’t gifted in, look for a career your natural gifts lead you to. You’ll then be able to help more in the job and feel more fulfilled.”

Kristen plans to work with the Young Life Field Staff when she leaves Grove City College. Here on campus she is involved with the Gamma Sigma Phi sorority and she is a Young Life Leader.

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Major Spotlight: History

history major grove city college

I spoke with Julia Wooldridge, a sophomore History major, about her experience with the Department of History at Grove City College. She has always had a passion for history, spurred by a childhood love for Indiana Jones, so when she came to Grove City she knew she would study History. She crystallized the major for those interested, and shared some of her favorite parts of the department.

A basic overview of the major starts with the classes. World History I and II are the first core classes for any History major or minor, going over everything from western to eastern history both ancient and modern. The classes then become more specific and diverse, including classes on specific countries and time periods, such as American history, ancient history, early modern Europe, and eastern history.

Each professor has unique knowledge and specializations that bring different views and opinions. Dr. Graham is affectionately considered the ancient history professor, but has a specialization in the late antiquity period. Dr. Mitchell teaches a lot of Spanish and European history, and Dr. Harp is very learned in American history. Julia mentioned that she loves the different frameworks that each professor brings to their classes, and it makes the classes more interesting with different approaches and methods of teaching.

The History major is perfect for bookworms! Julia spoke fondly of the supplementary materials that History majors read in many of their classes that bring diverse positions and thoughts to discussions about historical periods and specific countries. There are not many worksheets or daily homework, but instead class discussions and papers on the historical topics at hand. In terms of how the department feels, Julia said “It is a smaller major, so it is a tight knit community! Even if you are not close friends, there is still a connection there. You kind of know everyone. With professors, it is easy to get close to them because it is so small.” Julia recommends this major is for students who have a love for reading and learning about all different kinds of cultures across time.

If you think that the Department of History may be for you, learn more here!

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Major Spotlight: Mechanical Engineering

mechanical engineering grove city college

Rachel Ault is a junior mechanical engineer at Grove City College who spoke with me to shed some light on the Mechanical Engineering major for those who may be interested. She was interested in the major since high school, where she took some pre-engineering classes that she excelled in and enjoyed. With a strong background in math and science, Rachel knew that engineering would be a great way to apply her skills in a career.

During your first and second years as a Mechanical Engineering student, the classes you take are broad looks into different industries. These classes begin to give you a feel for the kinds of industries you enjoy and may want to focus on as you progress in the program. Rachel spoke highly of the variety of avenues and applications in engineering that you can pursue at Grove City College. She recommends getting internships to experience the industry in a real-life setting, and notes that the professors are very helpful in obtaining internships.

Rachel really likes that the professors all have different specializations that bring new methods and variations to each class. Dr. Bardy has had experience in the heating/cooling field, so his class in thermodynamics is highly detailed (and Rachel’s favorite class). Dr. Clauss is a chemical engineer, which brings a different perspective to the mechanical industry. Finally, Dr. Archibald and Dr. Allison both have experience with design and manufacturing, which rounds out the department with a variety of expertise.

The workload of a Mechanical Engineering student is nothing to sneeze at in Grove City College, which is recognized for having one of the most prestigious mechanical engineering programs in the United States. Rachel noted that the “one hour in class, three hours outside of class” maxim holds true, and you have to be a highly self-motivated individual to excel in the program. When I asked her what her favorite part of the department is, she responded: “I really like that with our labs we have experience in the shop, and that we get that hands on experience with mills, lathes, and various other things like that. I like that since it is a smaller college, you get more one-on-one time with professors, and professors are more willing to spend time with you and help you.”

If you think the Department of Mechanical Engineering may be for you, learn more here!

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3 Tips for Successful Planning

Diary planner

If you were like me in high school, I was happily winging my schedule at any given time. Small group meeting tomorrow? Totally fine – I will just file that away with the rest of my life’s schedule that I have memorized! When I arrived at Grove City, however, I realized that my laissez-faire attitude toward planning was not going to work anymore. Juggling anywhere from four to six syllabi in a given semester on top of any internships, jobs or social events that I had planned was not going to be covered by a note jotted down in my phone. Learning how to effectively organize your school, social and work life is pivotal to being successful when you transition into college. Here are three easy tips that can jump start your college planning.

Your first order of business: get a planner! This handy little notebook will become your best friend as you navigate the busy waters of life at Grove City College. The real first thing you should do, however, is write out your entire syllabi schedule in your planner. From every homework assignment, group project and exam, make sure you know when everything is due and what resources you may need to complete the assignments. If your planner has margins, write in the office hours of each professor or their email addresses so you can contact them with any questions. No matter how organized you try to be, you will probably lose at least one syllabus in your college career; make sure that information is written down in a planner so you do not have to worry as much about lost syllabi.

Second, make sure you write down every social engagement or when you have to work. When I say every single event, I mean it; the amount of times my friends and I have double-booked ourselves because we forgot to write down who we were having lunch with is embarrassing! This will not only help you keep a clear schedule for any additional meals or events you want to attend, but it will help you see when you have free time for yourself. College is hectic, and finding alone time can be important for your mental and emotional health. Being consistent with your schedule can help ease the stress of being in college.

Finally, schedule in time for homework. When you do not specifically plan to do homework, it can be easy to flip on Netflix and squander the next several hours bingeing the latest TV show. Instead, schedule time in your day to work on specific homework in your favorite workplace. When you have a homework goal and it is scheduled into your planner, you are more likely to get it done before it becomes last minute. It may feel tedious, but the feeling of freedom on the weekends when you have already finished your homework is totally worth it.

These three tips are simple, but powerful. Learning to schedule wisely can do wonders for easing you into your college career.

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ART 207 | Advanced Ceramics

Interested in taking some art electives during your time at Grove City College? If so, ART 207 might be an interesting opportunity for you. ART 207, also known as advanced ceramics, is a course for students who either have already taken a ceramics course at Grove City College or who have experience outside of the College working in the art setting with clay. Why this course requires such qualifications is due to the fact that it takes the basic concepts of both hand building and wheel throwing and elaborates and expands on technique, use of equipment, and creativity involved in each type of art production. In doing this it allows you to truly test your ceramics skills and to improve your knowledge and abilities to create different and more complex pieces of art with clay.

How this is accomplished is through the use of assignments that focus on different aspects of improvement. One example of this can be seen in the first assignment given to the wheel throwing section of the class. Students are asked to perform the basic task of producing cylinders while not focusing on the creation of the cylinder itself, but rather on the space inside the cylinder. Such an exercise takes a skill learned in Beginning Wheel Throwing (making a cylinder) and elaborates on it by providing the artist the opportunity to envision the use of the piece and its effectiveness in accomplishing its end goal of holding something. This provokes a different thought process in creating the cylinder. This assignment and various others (the hand-building and wheel throwing sections of the class receive different assignments simultaneously) provide students the ability to not just maintain and improve their ceramics skills, but to also learn new skills and thought processes when thinking of the art.

If this sounds interesting to you be sure to check out ART 207 when scheduling your next semester of classes, or during your meeting with your advisor as an incoming freshman at Grove City College!

 

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Internship Spotlight: Indie Artists to Innovate Records

Where you go to school does not limit careers you can have if you work hard enough. This is the quick version of how I went from intern-managing an indie band to having an internship with Innovate Records in Ohio.

Growing up, I always loved music and had an interest in the entertainment industry. I come from a practical Pittsburgh family who wanted me to stay close to home for college. Because of this, my dreams of working in the music industry had vanished – or so I thought. I proceeded to enroll at Grove City as an English major.

Music Marketing Course

Everything took off at the beginning of my junior year. While optimizing my schedule in the summer, I noticed Dr. Lewis’ Music Marketing course, which he only offered once before, had an open space. I immediately emailed him and he signed me into the class. During this time, students split into teams and intern-managed an assigned band. Fortunately, I love the band I worked with (Atlantic Wasteland, check them out on Spotify or wherever you stream music). We ended the semester with a 50-page marketing plan, which we presented to a panel of artists and record label representatives.

Knowing my experience was coming to an end, I asked Dr. Lewis if I could take an independent study with him in Artist Management (an independent study is when you and a professor create an in-depth mini course to look at a specific topic. I would highly recommend!). He approved, and I was able to continue learning more industry specific marketing techniques.

Relay for Life Benefit Concert featuring Atlantic Wasteland

During the course I used analytical tools, such as Spotify for Artists, to gather data on Atlantic Wasteland’s target audience. After discovering the main demographic is college students in the Pittsburgh area, I knew this was the perfect opportunity to bring a new kind of music to campus. I then paired up with my sorority, the sisters of Sigma Theta Chi, and the Pansophic fraternity to create the Relay for Life Benefit Concert featuring Atlantic Wasteland.

We spent long hours searching for local sponsors and coordinating with other bands. The set included the campus-renowned professor band, Crimson Floyd, the Pittsburgh alternative rock band, Young Lungs, and the headlining alumni band, Atlantic Wasteland. The event went well and in four days we raised $230 for The American Cancer Society.

Innovate Records Internship

While this was happening, I received surprising news from Dr. Lewis. Due to the timing of our paperwork, my independent study would not work. To make this happen he contacted Grove City alumnus Jordan Biel, who owns the Christian record label Innovate Records. He also owns its secular sister label The Cellar Records.

Currently

I am working with Sol Virani an artist under The Elite Allegiance Records. Also, I recently received acceptance to study at the Contemporary Music Center in Nashville next semester.

With this I leave you with one piece of advice: Never be afraid to ask for anything, the worst response you can hear is “no.” Which is not too bad anyway.

If you want to find out how you can pursue the music industry through Grove City College, feel free to email me any questions at Funderlichsr1@gcc.edu or talk to a Grove City Ambassador head over to the official website at http://www.gcc.edu/

Innovate Records Intern, Samantha Funderlich, with Atlantic Wasteland
Me with Atlantic Wasteland after the benefit concert.
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ART 103 | Beginning Hand Building

Whether your artistic abilities are horrible, great, or somewhere in between, ART 103 could be an intriguing option for you! This class is a three-credit art course at Grove City College where students are given the opportunity to work with clay to create artistic pieces.

The class covers the basics of creating art with clay and walks you through the process of making various types of pieces. As you become more and more accustomed to the machinery and processes, bigger, more specific projects will be given to you, allowing you to show both what you have learned while also providing an opportunity to express your artistic side and personalize pieces to be and look like whatever you want within the confines of the assignment. This course is a great option for people who have never worked with clay and also for people who may have years of experience working with this artistic medium because grades are given based on your progress and efforts rather than comparing one student’s piece to another student’s. While this class can be difficult for some, the professor (Kathy Rhoades) is very understanding, motivational, and caring towards her students and willing to help them in any way.

With this brief overview of ART 103,  a comparison can be made between this course and a normal elective. This course requires creativity rather than constant learning as in a normal course. This aspect is something that some people may look for as an elective during a busy or more difficult semester but could also be something that may not interest you. Another aspect to take into consideration is the course fee that comes with this and all other ceramics courses at Grove City College. The fee varies slightly each year but can be something that deters some students from this class over another. When considering this fee, though, it is important to also keep in mind that your textbooks for another elective may be more or even equal in price. In conclusion, this course is one that I love as it provided me a time to relax and use my creativeness to create art that I can look at and actually be proud of, which I cannot say I am able to do when drawing or painting, while being in an environment where I am surrounded by others creating themselves, inspiring my works, and that is led by a very encouraging and helpful professor.

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Discovering My Artistic Abilities | Ceramics

Are you one of those people who has always had a profound interest in art? The kind of intense intrigue where you look at the piece of art and cannot help but wonder what the artist was thinking or how it is even possible that the creator was able to make such a complex and beautiful work simply with paint, a brush, a canvas, and their mind? This type of curious mind was one which I possessed and which always drew me to art… no not as some artist who loved to draw and was extremely gifted, but rather a terrible artist incapable of drawing a simple shape but who was simply intrigued by the work and precision others were able to produce in their works. In having never possessed the capability to draw or paint I somewhat gave up on exploring the field of art and had just stuck to simply observing and enjoying others pieces, that is until my junior year of college when I found a form of art that I had not had the opportunity to experiment with earlier in life. This new medium for art supplied me with the opportunity to use the strength of my hands and machines to create my art rather than the steadiness of my hand or my ability to blend colors. This new opportunity supplied me with confidence that I could in fact contribute something artistic for once.

The medium I was introduced to in the second semester of my junior year was ceramics, more specifically wheel throwing. For those of you who do not know what wheel throwing is, it is a form of art in which one uses clay, a spinning wheel, and various other tools to create pottery. Being that a wheel is used this allows symmetry in these art pieces to be acquired quite easily and allows for enhanced focus on other areas of the art form. As noted above, this form of art allowed me to avoid my shortcomings and inability to be steady, blend, and draw and allowed me to focus on new skills and techniques. In one semester of work I had fallen in love with this form of art as it supplied me the ability to contribute and inspire others as I had been my whole life.

After the close of the semester my interest only grew greater for this field of art which drove me to pursue more classes and more opportunities to work with this artistic medium known as clay. I am now in the second semester of my senior year and before graduation have made space for a few elective credit hours which have allowed me to add two more ceramics classes to my college transcript and which allow me the opportunity to both work with clay in a different manner and to hone in my wheel throwing skills one final time. The two ceramics courses I am currently taking are beginning hand building where I will be able to use different equipment to make more intricate and varying shaped pieces and advanced ceramics where I will be able to keep improving my wheel throwing abilities and creating new more complicated pieces.

With my story I hope that this encourages you to pursue your interests in college, whether these interests are something you already enjoy or something you did not know existed. Explore the various opportunities of your college or university and use your elective hours to learn about things that interest you, you never know what you might learn or what you might grow to love.