Blog 1: 2-Hour Presentations

From the 21st through the 29th of May, I have had the privilege of watching senior presentations. Admittedly, not all of them were spectacular, but I learned plenty from each and every one of them. I am thankful to have gotten the opportunity to see the fruits of their labor.

1.  What presentations did you see?

• "Social Work for Abused Children" by Debora Martinez
• "Teaching Elementary" by Regina Rizo
• "Criminology" by Analysa Gallegos
• "Neonatal Nursing Intensive Care" by Michelle Ortega
• "Pediatric Dentistry" by Nitjasin QP
• "EMT (First Aid)" by Jeremy Ethridge
• "Personality Disorders" by Kimberly Gallardo
• "Microbiology" by Vanessa Machuca
• "Angioplasty" by Angel Arredondo
• "Homelessness" by Bradley Yamashita
• "Medical Missionary" by RJ Baron
• "Linguistics" by Lara McConnaughey
• "Hip Hop Dance Choreography" by Mark Patena
• "Internal Medicine" by Alfonso Esquivel
• "Automotive Repair" by Junior Rico
• "Structural Engineering" by Wesley Wu

2. What questions do you have that haven't been answered about the senior project? This can be about the senior project in general, any components or about a presentation topic you saw or what they said.

One thing I feel was not answered about each topic is how much time people in that field spend working. Of course, senior project is not about careers and is about specific topics but I feel the career aspect is also important since we have to do mentorship and learn about working with said topics first-hand.

I also would have liked to know how linguistics is applied in the world outside of learning. Is it simply translation or studying the acquisition of new, second languages?

What components led up to the final presentation, aside from the interview with a mentor? Are there a lot of small components, or are they difficult and spaced apart?

3. What has the most important part of the senior project based on what you are seeing in the 2-hour presentations?

I believe mentorship is the most important part of senior project. Without any mentorship, there is little opportunity for in-depth experience and learning from an expert. Research can only teach a person so much about a topic in comparison to interaction with a person who can answer all of your questions and teach you what you need to know and more. However, I do think research is equally important. Research is where solid facts and figures come from. Research can also be used as a guide and reference for almost anything you need to know for this project.

4. What topic are you considering doing and why?

I am considering doing my senior project on obstetrics, which is "the branch of medicine and surgery concerned with childbirth and the care of women giving birth." I would like to do this topic because obstetrics has always piqued my interest and I would like to make a career out of it in the future.

5. What are you doing for your summer mentorship?

For my summer internship, I plan to shadow and do volunteer work at USC Medical Center with an obstetrician. It will most likely involve learning about how regular appointments are conducted and procedures in the event of labor.