Outcome 5 - Demonstrate that they have been and will continue to be a life long learner

My artifacts demonstrating this outcome 

Artifact #1 - My resume

Artifact #2 - MBA entrance essay  

Artifact #3 - Unofficial graduate program transcript

My Reflection on meeting this outcome

Artifact #1 is my professional resume. This document demonstrates that throughout my career, I have made learning a priority. This is seen in the section detailing the various training courses I have taken and educational opportunities I have pursued. Some of the courses I have taken include Six Sigma Green Belt training, Building Essential Leadership Skills and Presentation Skills as well as technical training in Oracle and Sabrix Tax Automation. The career path detailed in my resume also shows that I have continually looked for opportunities to challenge myself and to grow professionally. This is evident by my steady progression over time from entry level career positions to more advanced levels of technical and fiscal responsibility including management of contract resources and budget.

Artifact #2 is my MBA entrance essay. In this essay, I present the reasons why I was a good candidate for acceptance into the Southwestern College MBA program. One of the key reasons I wrote about is the fact that I place a premium on the intrinsic value of higher education. I believe this document is a good representation of my commitment to learning as it details the many challenges that I knew I would face by going back to school at that point in my life.

Artifact #3 is my unofficial transcript from Southwestern College. This document shows the courses I have completed and my grades for each class. I believe that it also demonstrates my commitment to educational excellence by virtue of the fact that I earned an A or a B in all of my classes but one. My grades represent not only that I have achieved proficiency in a broad range of subjects but also that I invested the significant time and energy necessary to complete these courses. This would not be possible (or at the very least would be much more difficult) without a strong commitment to learning.  

My Future Learning Goals related to this outcome

Certainly there are professional advantages to possessing a graduate level education. I can easily apply the concepts and tools that I obtained during the MBA program to my career and this will likely result in some level of career advancement for me at some point. In all honesty though, my reasons for deciding to return to school were more personal than that. Before I began this program last year, an graduate degree for me represented unfinished business. It was a challenge that I had begun to face at a point in my past but had left incomplete. This was not the example that I wanted to set for my children and it was not consistent with the ideals that I have tried to live up to in my own life. I want my children to understand that education is not just about grades and credit hours. It is about the challenge and the effort and the value that a full and well rounded education brings to a person's life. By finishing my MBA, I am doing more than just telling them that education is important. I am showing them through my example. The success I have achieved in this program is the result of much hard work and personal sacrifice and it represents one of my proudest achievements in life.

Outcome 4 -Exhibit poise and confidence in verbal, interpersonal and written communication.

My artifacts demonstrating this outcome

Artifact #1 -

Artifact #2 -

Artifact #3

My reflections on meeting this outcome

Artifact 1 is a video taken of me introducing the headlining artist at a concert that I promoted for my church. This was an event that I planned and promoted as part of a larger initiative to host and sponsor more live music events that I am trying to implement in my church organization. I wrote and delivered the introduction and acted as the emcee for the event which drew around 50 people. I received a great deal of positive feedback for the introduction including a thank you card (presented above) from the church leadership specifically mentioning my introduction.

Artifact 2 is an email that I received from one of my business leaders commending me on a presentation that I prepared and delivered to a management steering committee regarding a recent project that I had been involved in. This communication was sent to my direct management as well as several other business leaders and my peers.

Artifact 3 is a paper that I prepared for my business law class as well as the feedback I received from my instructor. This paper required me to analyze several scenarios involving key business law concepts and then to distill those concepts and communicate them clearly and concisely, much like I would if I were writing a brief or report for management. My instructor commented that this was probably the best paper he had ever had for that assignment.

My Future Learning Goals related to this outcome

I believe that excellent verbal and written communication skills are one of the most important tools that a person can develop. The benefits of being able to effectively communicate your thoughts to others is key to anyone who wants to achieve any level of success professionally or personally for that matter. It is of very little value for a person to be able to recognize and develop a vision or be filled with exciting, creative ideas if they are not equipped to communicate that vision or those ideas to potential stakeholders or others who could be help them execute on it. My own career demands that I continually hone my presentation and writing skills as I am frequently called on to present updates to senior business leaders on the status of various projects and initiatives. I have taken training courses on presentation skills and am currently enrolled in a leadership development program at my company that will place a strong emphasis on effective communication.  I will continue to focus on this as an area of continuous improvement as I grow in my career