Leveraging Diversity

The diversity event that I went to was called Leveraging Diversity. When I walked into the lecture hall I became very nervous because it was full of academic adults all formally dressed, I was in a sweatshirt. I was also very nervous when he started putting complicated formulas in his power point. I'm a Kinesiology major, not an Engineering major. I was very scared.

But once he started his lecture I became more comfortable. He talked about how having a diverse working population is important because it is the right thing to do, it is the law, and diverse people bring diverse ideas and view points. With those diverse ideas and view points, a company is better able to make predictions. My favorite part of the lecture was when he explained how working with a group of people who all had the same ideas may be easier and more fun, however, it is not as effective as working with a very diverse group of people. I find this very true because when you have a group of people who all think the same, there will be a lot of conformity and very few original ideas but you have a lot of fun because everyone thinks like you. Yet, if you get a large number of diverse people all bringing different perspectives, that is where the ideas come from, there are more debates and a lot more progressive thinking. Although this is usually less fun because of the debates and the possible hurt feelings, it is the best way to come up with the best, most original ideas and the most accurate prediction models.

I really liked the guy I saw for the Diversity even and am very glad it was a requirement (otherwise I would have never attended something like that.)

The Final Season

     A time that I felt at my best is probably my senior year of soccer at Cedar Falls.
After practicing with the team in 8th grade and playing on the varsity team freshman, sophomore, and junior years, I had observed the ways a team became successful and ways they grew apart. I knew that my senior year, I wanted to make sure this last season was as good as possible. And it was.
    I think the best thing about my final season with Cedar Falls Women's soccer team was the fact that there were no cliques; everyone was friends with everyone. For girls, it is easy to fall in to cliques and somehow, someone is always getting left out. Myself and another senior basically took on the leadership roles and made sure from day one to let the girls know that we were all in it together and it wasn't long before every girl was socializing, on and off the field, with everyone else. This was awesome because when we all got along, there was limited drama (solved easily) and made communication through the field during games much easier. Another great advantage to the 'no cliques' team was that everyone, no matter if they were able to play basically the whole game or just a few minutes, felt that they had the same impact on the team's success. We all know that a team can't rely on a single person, a few stars, or even the 11 starting lineup, it takes the twenty girls on the roster to show up at practice and games to encourage, to motivate and to push the rest for a team to be successful. I remember a girl who, although her speed wasn't great, her foot skills weren't up to 'varsity' level, was an incredible addition to the team because she was the most positive and supportive person you could meet! She knew she didn't get as much playing time as everyone else, but that never made her caddy or mean to those who did get the time she was missing.
     Another piece of my senior year playing soccer that I feel put me at my 'best' and definitely made a positive impact on the team was when someone was feeling down, disappointed or upset, I always felt it was my responsibility to help cheer them up, and I loved it. I know the game better than a lot of people and was able to talk to them, encourage them that they did well and if they asked me how to improve, I would usually be able to provide insights. I would even stay after practice to let people take shots, run drills or help them figure out ways to improve on whatever they needed. I have never been the most coordinated when it comes to foot skill, but being a goalkeeper allows me to see the whole field and understand the strategy and best ways to play towards a win.
     At the end of the season, we have an awards ceremony where my coach gives out letters, Mississippi Valley Conference awards, and team awards such as 'Most Valuable Player' 'Most Improved Player' and the 'Fury' award. However, she decided that this year's Most Valuable Player would be up to team vote. I was awarded the MVP award! When they gave it to me, they said it was for my hard work, my constant encouragement, because I always had extra water (carried about 5 water bottles at all time so that the girls didn't get dehydrated), and because I was almost like the team mom to all. I was so surprised and felt very proud of the work I had done to help make that team such a success!
     I miss the girls on my team and keep a team photo on my desk in my dorm! Those girls together probably made the best group of girls I have ever, and will ever meet! I'm so excited to go home and watch them play this year, and can't wait until I have my coaching licence to coach a team of my own!