In Their Shadows - Vanessa Jech
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
All about the business of learning, education students grab knowledge in and out of the classroom, from faculty, texts, and each other. The College of Education, recognizing firsthand experience as vital to applied learning, offers various opportunities for students to align theory and practice. Shadowing an outstanding professional is one of those methods. On the following pages, three students share their experiences as they go to work with professionals.
Vanessa Jech took the long road to find her major, but she eventually discovered the
perfect fit.
The senior from Kingfisher, Okla., began her college journey studying interior design,
but she quickly realized the health field better suited her. She moved into nutritional
sciences and dietetics and then into allied health, but neither was quite right.
Thanks to her involvement in the student Health Club, Jech found just what she’d been
searching for in the College of Education’s health education and promotion program.
“I love working with people,” she says.
Jech teaches spin classes at the Colvin Center on campus as she works toward certification
for personal training and group fitness.
The opportunity to shadow OSU alumna Kerry Morgan, community youth coordinator for
Saint Francis Health System in Tulsa, excited Jech.
“I am really interested in Kerry’s work. I want an internship I really enjoy, and
this experience will help me better understand what kind of area I might like to work
in,” she says.
Jech’s Journal
I arrived at Health Zone in Tulsa at 10 a.m. on July 12, 2010, to meet Kerry Morgan.
Health Zone is a part of Saint Francis Health System where Kerry coordinates pediatric
management.
She gave me a tour of the facility and introduced me to the other employees. She also
spent time giving me an overview of her job.
Kerry is responsible for developing, implementing and evaluating programs for youth
that improve their knowledge about nutrition, encourage them to increase physical
activity levels and get them to a point where they can make good decisions on their
own.
A large part of Kerry’s job is to conduct ShapeDown, a pediatric weight-management
program that features entertaining interactive sessions on healthy eating, physical
activity, cooking classes and self-esteem. This six-week program is primarily for
children and teens ages 8-14.
Around 11 a.m., I began helping Kerry prepare for the assessments and for the kids
to arrive later that afternoon. During my visit, Kerry was concluding a six-week session
of ShapeDown and preparing the final fitness assessments for the participants.
We also spent time planning a session of ShapeDown to begin later in the month. Kerry
takes care of all the small details. She’s responsible for promoting ShapeDown or
finding scholarship money for those who can’t afford it. She makes phone calls to
parents to confirm enrollment.
We took a break for lunch and then continued to prepare for a future session and the
day’s program until the kids’ arrival at 3:30 p.m.
The first hour of the class is set aside for physical activity, and we conducted the
fitness assessments, charting their progress since the beginning of the class. I was
able to interact with the children and help with the assessments.
This was my favorite part of the day because I really enjoyed seeing the program in
action and working with the children. From 4:30 to 5 p.m., we covered a nutrition
lesson. After class, Kerry entered the results from the fitness assessment into FitnessGram
and an outcomes spreadsheet.
Based on my experience, I feel it is important that someone in this position be a
very
patient and encouraging person. She has to be flexible, patient and personable simply
because all of the kids she works with have different personalities and ways of learning.
There were children who were eager to learn and to make a change, while others had
problems staying on task and had negative attitudes about being there. A person in
this
position would need to be extremely optimistic.
Overall, my day shadowing Kerry was a successful one, and I can definitely see myself
working in a similar occupation to hers.
Morgan’s Views
I have gained valuable practical experience in my current role. I have been well prepared
to succeed thanks in large part to my experiences at OSU. While pursuing my master’s
degree, I was fortunate to work with knowledgeable and supportive faculty members.
Having the opportunity to teach classes as a graduate assistant and then as a visiting
lecturer led me to my true calling.
Jech helps Morgan prepare for assessments at the conclusion of the six-week ShapeDown
program for children and teens ages 8-14.
“This was my favorite part of the day because I really enjoyed seeing the program in action and working with the children.”
This article was featured in Education Magazine. View full publication below.