Running head: PERSONDAL FOUNDATIONS DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITES SUMMARY

Personal Foundations Development Activities

Mark E. Campbell II
Western Michigan University

Introduction

PERSONDAL FOUNDATIONS DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITES SUMMARY

2
In order to complete the Professional Foundations Development Activities, I have
completed three different activities attending a public speaking workshop, getting a massage by a
massage therapist, and attending a counseling session at Sindecuse Health Center. The variety of
these three activities showed a balance between work and personal life. For example, attending
the public speaking workshop was a great opportunity for me to receive feedback on how to
become a better public speaker and presenter. These are skills that I wanted to improve so that in
classes and future presentations I am a more polished public speaker and presenter. Going to
Massage Green Spa was an interesting experience for me because I have never been to a spa
before. This activity served as a balance between work and personal life. My last activity was
attending a counseling session at Sinedecuse Health Center. This activity was an activity about
my own mental well-being and keeping a balance between work and personal life.
Throughout this paper, I will give a brief summary of each of the three activities that I
attended. Furthermore, I will draw connections between the activities that I choose to attend and
the ACPA/NASPA competencies. Ultimately, I will synthesize my summaries, my evaluation of
my own ACPA/NASPA Personal Foundation competencies and deliver my opinion about what I
learned from completing these activities
Personal Foundation Competencies
At this current time, I have evaluated my level of Personal Foundation according to the
ACPA/NASPA Competencies (2010) to be at the basic level; here are two of the characteristics
of Personal Foundation states, describe the importance of ones professional and personal life to
self, and recognize the intersection of each. Recognize and articulate healthy habits for better
living (p.26). These two characteristics are the focus of all three of my activities was to have a

PERSONDAL FOUNDATIONS DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITES SUMMARY

3
better grasp between my professional life and my personal life. For example, attending the public
speaking workshop is at the intersection of professional and personal life because I can use my
public speaking skills in both my personal and professional life. Going to get a massage and
making a counseling appointment are both healthy habits for better living. Additionally, I felt as
though my mental energy went towards my professional life such as my graduate assistantship
and my full time graduate status.
Public Speaking Workshop Summary
As previously stated, the first activity that I attended was the public speaking workshop
was for students, faculty, and staff of Kalamazoo College. The workshop took place in the
morning of Saturday, January 18th, 2014 in the Hicks Student Center Banquet Hall. I chose to
attend so I could improve my presenting and public speaking skills. The workshop was lead by
Dr. Ora Stokes who has degrees in rhetoric and communications. Throughout the workshop she
gave techniques for the various types of speeches: informative, impromptu, persuasive, and
extemporaneous speaking. At the end of the workshop, we gave a five minute impromptu speech
about a topic we read in a magazine. She evaluated our performances and provide me with very
insightful feedback. I learned how to use space when giving a speech and not to sway back and
forth when presenting. Overall, I am pleased that I can use my improved public speaking and
presenting skills in both my professional and personal spheres of my life.
Massage & Sindecuse Health Center
For my second visit, I decided to get a massage at Massage Green Spa on Stadium Drive
in Kalamazoo. I have never had a professional massage before, and I thought this because I did
not have any predispositions about the massage I should check it out. The massage was a full

PERSONDAL FOUNDATIONS DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITES SUMMARY

4
body massage and was very affordable because Massage Green Spa gives a college student
discount. Also, I thought that having a massage would be a could way to de-stress since I am
constantly sore from working out and I have a tendency to put my stress in my shoulders and
neck. The massage was wonderful and I left feeling the most relaxed I have felt in many months.
I will definitely make another appointment in the future.
My third visit was the hardest, because I had to make a counseling appointment in
person. I have never made an appointment in person, when I attended undergraduate at Calvin
College, you could make an appointment over the phone. This time I had to go in person and
make an appointment. Regardless of all the anxiety I felt about making an appointment I walked
to Sindecuse and saw someone that day. It was a great opportunity to talk to someone about my
own personal struggles and how to better myself. It was relaxing to have someone listen to me
for once. At my graduate assistantship, I spend most of the time listening to students and
colleagues, so I was very excited to share my views about the world and my personal life. I have
enjoyed counseling a vast amount that I have continued to go to counseling for the past few
weeks. From both of these activities, I learned the importance of building healthy habitats. Also,
I learned it is important to take care of yourself and no one will look down at you for taking care
of yourself.
Conclusion
From doing these three activities, I learned more about the professional and personal
balance. I strongly agree there has to be a balance between both the professional and personal
spheres of my life. Earlier in the year, I struggled with finding balance between these two
spheres and now that I have completed this assignment I am more likely to keep my professional

PERSONDAL FOUNDATIONS DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITES SUMMARY

5
and personal balance at equilibrium. However, I am not suggesting keeping both spheres is an
easy task yet, I will continue to be dauntless in my pursuit of having equilibrium between my
personal and professional spheres and continue to build and maintain healthy habits to contribute
to a better life. Most importantly, I learned there is great value in taking care of yourself. These
activities reintegrated me into healthy habits for taking care of myself and not just constantly
being at my graduate assistantship or doing homework.