Reflection
Senior year went by so fast and it’s already time to reflect. I started my Capstone project strong by getting in touch with Mrs. Boutilier even before the school year officially began. I connected with Donna Swarr, asked her to be my mentor, and began brainstorming ideas. Over time, I gained other connections such as Craig Mergins at the Knox Foundation and Heather Dionne, our city forester. I eventually found the organization Tree-Plenish and started my work with them. However, then came a time of not much productivity. I believe that I began to slack off and procrastinate, but I eventually got everything together in March and began to plan my event. In April, I successfully carried out my event and it has led to me where I am now.
Through my Capstone project, I personally learned that I can have an amazing work ethic at times but procrastination is still an issue for me. As I mentioned before, there was a period where I wasn’t working much on my project. Part of the reason for this was because my event wasn’t until April, but there were still a lot of things that had to get done beforehand to help make sure the event goes well. I was able to start off my Capstone strong but I was getting worried that I wasn’t going to be able to finish my Capstone the same way. However, soon came March, which included the deadline for trees to be ordered through my project. I realized that I had procrastinated enough and started getting to work. I talked with Donna again and she ended up helping me publicize my event by writing an article about it, which ended up helping me get a total of 52 tree orders. I know that 52 trees is a lot but I still felt that I could have gotten more if I had gotten to work on my project earlier. I realize now that even though I was able to get the job done, procrastination can still have consequences. Then came the end of March and I touched base again with Craig about my project, which led to an unfortunate situation.
I had gone through my Capstone project up until now with the thought that Craig and his team members at the Knox Foundation were going to help me plant the 52 trees throughout Hartford, but this was not the case. Somehow, there was some miscommunication between Craig and I that had gone long unchecked, which left me in a very stressful situation. Fortunately, I was able to meet up with Donna and Mrs. Boutilier so they could help me fix this situation and I eventually organized a plan that involved a combination of picking up, delivery, and planting of the 52 trees. This plan continued to have issues, however, as I had to communicate with Knox about the pick ups and each of the residents about their delivery or planting. All in all my event ended up going well, but the hiccups along the way still ended up teaching me a few things.
I feel like there are three major things that the Capstone experience has taught me: communication, adaptability, and support. Everyone says that communication is key, and I agree. I believe that communication is the basis of the adult world as everyday you will be interacting with people left and right. Throughout Capstone I must have sent out a thousand emails, each with its own message and purpose. I realize now that this is actually what adults do to communicate in their jobs all the time, which doesn’t include all the other calls, voicemails, faxes, meetings, video calls, etc. Issues, like the ones with Knox, could have been prevented with a bit more communication. Problems could have been avoided and solutions could have been created earlier. I believe that communication will help me succeed in my future and I am glad that Capstone helped me see its importance and helped me improve on my skills.
There is also adaptability. Nothing is perfect and I believe that that is especially true in the adult world. No matter how hard you try, there are going to be constant problems around you that will need fixing. Through my Capstone project, I acknowledged that some of the problems I faced were my fault, but also that not all of my problems could have been avoided. The issue at Knox was a problem that was partly my fault and could have been avoided, but I believe that the important thing to focus on was how I found the solution. Once faced with a problem, it is important that you are able to bounce back and continue to work. By being adaptable, I didn’t let these issues ruin my project, but instead I thought of solutions that would help me continue my project. There were also minor issues that I had with each resident, which were most likely unavoidable. Each person had their own needs, but also their own wants, so I played the hand I was dealt and I was able to organize pick ups, deliveries, and even the planting of their trees by me for each of the residents. Capstone showed me the importance of being adaptable in any situation and I am glad that it did.
One final lesson that Capstone taught me, which I think might be the most important one, is the importance of the support of those around you. My stretch for Capstone was to be more independent because I realized that I was going to be entering a new stage of my life that required independence. I told myself that the one in charge of this project is me, that the one that will move it forward is me, and that the one that will finish it is me, but in the end I realized that I wasn’t the only one truly working on it. Throughout the Capstone experience, I had the support of several people. Donna provided me with ideas and helped me publicize my event. Craig gave me advice and connected me with Knox’s resources. Heather helped me pick out tree species and with other specifics about my event. The team at Tree-Plenish provided practically 24/7 support for whenever I had questions. Mrs. Boutilier offered to help me whenever I had an issue or whenever there was work to be done and she was never afraid to ask me how I was doing. My friends at times helped me, especially with the Colt Park event in October. My parents have always had my back and they didn’t hesitate to help me deliver and plant trees across Hartford. I still need to give myself credit as this whole project wouldn’t have existed if it weren’t for me, but I had a huge support network that stayed by my side every step of the way and made my project truly possible. Independence doesn’t mean doing everything alone, it means making choices for yourself and taking action when needed. Because of this lesson, I am hopeful for my independent future and I know that whatever obstacle I will face, I will be able to get through it.
To wrap up my reflection, I want to focus on the results of my project. Because of my project, my home Hartford was able to get 52 trees planted to help combat its high rising temperatures and air pollution. In the end, 22 residents received trees, my parish received a tree that I helped plant, 6 SMSA teachers received trees, and finally, our school received a tree that I planted in its courtyard. Trees can symbolize life and growth and I’d like to believe that that tree represents the life of the SMSA community and our continued growth in the future. I really feel like I served my community through my Capstone project. Every time I planted a tree was a moment of joy. Not only was it helping the environment, but I also feel like, in a way, that it was helping me too. Even delivering the trees was amazing, seeing the smiles on residents' faces when they received their tree. All in all I loved the Capstone experience. I truly believe that I benefitted and grew from it. I learned so many things that have left me hopeful for my future. I hope that I will succeed no matter what I do and I hope that I will be able to achieve whatever I can dream of. However, looking at it now, I believe that my hope will grow into confidence and faith that will live on forever. I guess it's kind of ironic how I chose trees for my Capstone project.
Through my Capstone project, I personally learned that I can have an amazing work ethic at times but procrastination is still an issue for me. As I mentioned before, there was a period where I wasn’t working much on my project. Part of the reason for this was because my event wasn’t until April, but there were still a lot of things that had to get done beforehand to help make sure the event goes well. I was able to start off my Capstone strong but I was getting worried that I wasn’t going to be able to finish my Capstone the same way. However, soon came March, which included the deadline for trees to be ordered through my project. I realized that I had procrastinated enough and started getting to work. I talked with Donna again and she ended up helping me publicize my event by writing an article about it, which ended up helping me get a total of 52 tree orders. I know that 52 trees is a lot but I still felt that I could have gotten more if I had gotten to work on my project earlier. I realize now that even though I was able to get the job done, procrastination can still have consequences. Then came the end of March and I touched base again with Craig about my project, which led to an unfortunate situation.
I had gone through my Capstone project up until now with the thought that Craig and his team members at the Knox Foundation were going to help me plant the 52 trees throughout Hartford, but this was not the case. Somehow, there was some miscommunication between Craig and I that had gone long unchecked, which left me in a very stressful situation. Fortunately, I was able to meet up with Donna and Mrs. Boutilier so they could help me fix this situation and I eventually organized a plan that involved a combination of picking up, delivery, and planting of the 52 trees. This plan continued to have issues, however, as I had to communicate with Knox about the pick ups and each of the residents about their delivery or planting. All in all my event ended up going well, but the hiccups along the way still ended up teaching me a few things.
I feel like there are three major things that the Capstone experience has taught me: communication, adaptability, and support. Everyone says that communication is key, and I agree. I believe that communication is the basis of the adult world as everyday you will be interacting with people left and right. Throughout Capstone I must have sent out a thousand emails, each with its own message and purpose. I realize now that this is actually what adults do to communicate in their jobs all the time, which doesn’t include all the other calls, voicemails, faxes, meetings, video calls, etc. Issues, like the ones with Knox, could have been prevented with a bit more communication. Problems could have been avoided and solutions could have been created earlier. I believe that communication will help me succeed in my future and I am glad that Capstone helped me see its importance and helped me improve on my skills.
There is also adaptability. Nothing is perfect and I believe that that is especially true in the adult world. No matter how hard you try, there are going to be constant problems around you that will need fixing. Through my Capstone project, I acknowledged that some of the problems I faced were my fault, but also that not all of my problems could have been avoided. The issue at Knox was a problem that was partly my fault and could have been avoided, but I believe that the important thing to focus on was how I found the solution. Once faced with a problem, it is important that you are able to bounce back and continue to work. By being adaptable, I didn’t let these issues ruin my project, but instead I thought of solutions that would help me continue my project. There were also minor issues that I had with each resident, which were most likely unavoidable. Each person had their own needs, but also their own wants, so I played the hand I was dealt and I was able to organize pick ups, deliveries, and even the planting of their trees by me for each of the residents. Capstone showed me the importance of being adaptable in any situation and I am glad that it did.
One final lesson that Capstone taught me, which I think might be the most important one, is the importance of the support of those around you. My stretch for Capstone was to be more independent because I realized that I was going to be entering a new stage of my life that required independence. I told myself that the one in charge of this project is me, that the one that will move it forward is me, and that the one that will finish it is me, but in the end I realized that I wasn’t the only one truly working on it. Throughout the Capstone experience, I had the support of several people. Donna provided me with ideas and helped me publicize my event. Craig gave me advice and connected me with Knox’s resources. Heather helped me pick out tree species and with other specifics about my event. The team at Tree-Plenish provided practically 24/7 support for whenever I had questions. Mrs. Boutilier offered to help me whenever I had an issue or whenever there was work to be done and she was never afraid to ask me how I was doing. My friends at times helped me, especially with the Colt Park event in October. My parents have always had my back and they didn’t hesitate to help me deliver and plant trees across Hartford. I still need to give myself credit as this whole project wouldn’t have existed if it weren’t for me, but I had a huge support network that stayed by my side every step of the way and made my project truly possible. Independence doesn’t mean doing everything alone, it means making choices for yourself and taking action when needed. Because of this lesson, I am hopeful for my independent future and I know that whatever obstacle I will face, I will be able to get through it.
To wrap up my reflection, I want to focus on the results of my project. Because of my project, my home Hartford was able to get 52 trees planted to help combat its high rising temperatures and air pollution. In the end, 22 residents received trees, my parish received a tree that I helped plant, 6 SMSA teachers received trees, and finally, our school received a tree that I planted in its courtyard. Trees can symbolize life and growth and I’d like to believe that that tree represents the life of the SMSA community and our continued growth in the future. I really feel like I served my community through my Capstone project. Every time I planted a tree was a moment of joy. Not only was it helping the environment, but I also feel like, in a way, that it was helping me too. Even delivering the trees was amazing, seeing the smiles on residents' faces when they received their tree. All in all I loved the Capstone experience. I truly believe that I benefitted and grew from it. I learned so many things that have left me hopeful for my future. I hope that I will succeed no matter what I do and I hope that I will be able to achieve whatever I can dream of. However, looking at it now, I believe that my hope will grow into confidence and faith that will live on forever. I guess it's kind of ironic how I chose trees for my Capstone project.