Reflection – Storytelling 

 Challenge & Selection 

 Storytelling is a great tool that I use all the time . I work with vulnerable populations , developmentally   disabled individuals , senior citizens , and economically disadvantaged people . Many of these people deal   with oppression and dysfunction in every aspect of their lives , they need to be empowered and   inspiration is a path to empowerment . I spend a lot of time “ opening people up ” and finding ways to   inspire them to improve their circumstances . When I work with seniors , we share stories for different   reasons . Often they 're lonely and are so happy to share stories of their lives with me to connect and   they find meaning in sharing these experiences as a form of teaching and/or legacy , in a sense . With my   developmentally disabled clients I share stories of my life in order to help them visualize a state of   independence , I use their feedback against the context of my story to ascertain their goals , and   sometimes we use stories to better understand their interests and thought processes . I use this   information to develop different strategies to try and find a way that works for them to gain more   independence in the areas they find lacking in their lives . 

 Application 

 I have a story about using storytelling . In discussing policy changes with a social service agency , I was   trying to explain to them the benefits of taking a more client focused approach , among other things , and   in particular , of recognizing each person as a unique being , and addressing their individual needs first   and foremost . The agency was in the grip of a “ compliance culture ” and its clients were failing in this   non - empathetic , rigid structure . I was also explaining how sometimes addressing the needs of one   individual can impact everyone for the better , even if it seems extreme or out of the ordinary . I told a   story about when I ran an emergency shelter after a natural disaster . Everyone was doing really well   except for one woman whose stress was making her very emotionally volatile . I could tell she needed   attention ; in my mind I decided she would be “ Princess for an hour . ” I made her a cup of coffee and sat   down with her and let her talk . It turned out that her mother , who was with her , had survived a brain   aneurysm and she was terrified that she would fall or that some other crisis would befall her during this   disaster while in the shelter . 

 Insight & Approach 

 Well , wow , that was an eye - opener . Her mother was a calm presence and doing very well . Clearly it was   time for me to open up with my story . I told her how scary it was when my father had his brain   aneurysm in front of me and how I had to get him to the hospital and how difficult and scary that all   was . I shared how he recovered well , and then tied us together , by noting how she and I both have   parents who survived brain aneurysms . This worked really well . She really needed individual attention   for that brief time , and she ended up with that and a true support . She calmed down , her mother , who   had become worried about her , calmed down , and everyone around them calmed down . Peace reigned   again in our little shelter . 

 So I told this story to the agency , and I think it had a big impact on people there . The policies are being   reevaluated and the caseworkers are going through new training . Sometimes a little story can do a lot of   good . 

 This course made me see this as a tool in a new way . When I 've done it before it was really " ad hoc , " but 

 now I can prepare ahead and think of stories that will assist me in presenting my ideas and best   illuminate them . 

 I have a design background , but I ended up as an entrepreneur in business . I had no idea this would ever   be considered an asset , but I am so very grateful that it is ! 


EMAIL: 
ID_NUM: 
NAME_STUDENT: 
PHONE_NUM: 
STREET_ADDRESS: 
URL_PERSONAL: 
USERNAME: 

### Task: You are a PII (Personal Identity Information) Detection. Given a essays written by students, you have to identify ONLY the following:
NAME_STUDENT - The full or partial name of a student that is not necessarily the author of the essay. This excludes instructors, authors, and other person names.
EMAIL - A student’s email address.
USERNAME - A student's username on any platform.
ID_NUM - A number or sequence of characters that could be used to identify a student, such as a student ID or a social security number.
PHONE_NUM - A phone number associated with a student.
URL_PERSONAL - A URL that might be used to identify a student.
STREET_ADDRESS - A full or partial street address that is associated with the student, such as their home address.
### Input: Reflection – Storytelling 

 Challenge & Selection 

 Storytelling is a great tool that I use all the time . I work with vulnerable populations , developmentally   disabled individuals , senior citizens , and economically disadvantaged people . Many of these people deal   with oppression and dysfunction in every aspect of their lives , they need to be empowered and   inspiration is a path to empowerment . I spend a lot of time “ opening people up ” and finding ways to   inspire them to improve their circumstances . When I work with seniors , we share stories for different   reasons . Often they 're lonely and are so happy to share stories of their lives with me to connect and   they find meaning in sharing these experiences as a form of teaching and/or legacy , in a sense . With my   developmentally disabled clients I share stories of my life in order to help them visualize a state of   independence , I use their feedback against the context of my story to ascertain their goals , and   sometimes we use stories to better understand their interests and thought processes . I use this   information to develop different strategies to try and find a way that works for them to gain more   independence in the areas they find lacking in their lives . 

 Application 

 I have a story about using storytelling . In discussing policy changes with a social service agency , I was   trying to explain to them the benefits of taking a more client focused approach , among other things , and   in particular , of recognizing each person as a unique being , and addressing their individual needs first   and foremost . The agency was in the grip of a “ compliance culture ” and its clients were failing in this   non - empathetic , rigid structure . I was also explaining how sometimes addressing the needs of one   individual can impact everyone for the better , even if it seems extreme or out of the ordinary . I told a   story about when I ran an emergency shelter after a natural disaster . Everyone was doing really well   except for one woman whose stress was making her very emotionally volatile . I could tell she needed   attention ; in my mind I decided she would be “ Princess for an hour . ” I made her a cup of coffee and sat   down with her and let her talk . It turned out that her mother , who was with her , had survived a brain   aneurysm and she was terrified that she would fall or that some other crisis would befall her during this   disaster while in the shelter . 

 Insight & Approach 

 Well , wow , that was an eye - opener . Her mother was a calm presence and doing very well . Clearly it was   time for me to open up with my story . I told her how scary it was when my father had his brain   aneurysm in front of me and how I had to get him to the hospital and how difficult and scary that all   was . I shared how he recovered well , and then tied us together , by noting how she and I both have   parents who survived brain aneurysms . This worked really well . She really needed individual attention   for that brief time , and she ended up with that and a true support . She calmed down , her mother , who   had become worried about her , calmed down , and everyone around them calmed down . Peace reigned   again in our little shelter . 

 So I told this story to the agency , and I think it had a big impact on people there . The policies are being   reevaluated and the caseworkers are going through new training . Sometimes a little story can do a lot of   good . 

 This course made me see this as a tool in a new way . When I 've done it before it was really " ad hoc , " but 

 now I can prepare ahead and think of stories that will assist me in presenting my ideas and best   illuminate them . 

 I have a design background , but I ended up as an entrepreneur in business . I had no idea this would ever   be considered an asset , but I am so very grateful that it is !
### Output: 