Spano Antonio 12413 Golden Knight Circle Apt. 104 Orlando, FL 32817
November 22, 2990
Emily Gay Cornerstone Lab Instructor
Introduction Dear Ms. Gay, The intent of this letter is to inform you of my experience as a member of the Cornerstone service learning project. My tenure during the Cornerstone course at the University of Central Florida resulted in a colossal gain of knowledge and appreciation on my end. The service learning project is an experience that will long allow me to implement the skills I learned as I begin my march into the business world. Identically, those particular skills I ascertained also landed a permanent fixture into my mindset; allowing me to utilize the experience in my every day life. For instance, I learned how to cope with baseless matters accordingly. With failure comes success and although I was never a strong believer of this notion, the service learning project took my beliefs to heights not before seen in my point of view. Together, the A Team, has taught each other significantly. I will begin to depict my experience to better inform you of what I gained. What I Learned About Teams and Teamwork Communication is the key to success and can not be stressed enough. Dr. Ford communicates to you, Emily Gay, who then transpires that same information to the service learning project teams. Those
team members then work together in communicating that information to make sure each goal and task is implemented correctly. Poor or rickety communication between any two parties will result in considerable damage to the overall project. The A - Team is excellent communicators and has mocked this excellence throughout our project. Rather if be calls, e-mails, text messages, telegrams, Morse code or satellite signals; the A Team constantly found ways to share delegate information. Consistency in communication is just as important as communicating itself. We notify each other more than once on what needs to be done and we continue to excel in this aspect. Good communication also results in excellent teamwork. Teamwork derives from communication and is the foreground of a teams success. There must be a willingness to work together as a team or the information we communicate with each other simply has no demeanor. I can call Rachel Bullis and ask her to pick up ice for our event, but if she is unable to do it another team member must be able to pick up the slack. Also, if our final draft, put together by Chris Moore, has mistakes than another team member needs to correct it. These are some of the joys of being on a team. A few downsides include mixed emotions, different ideas, and accountability of each others actions. Conversely, obstacles do have their upsides. You gain knowledge and experience from these weaknesses and learn how to adapt adequately. Cornerstone Team - Overcoming Challenges The A Team prospered from obstacles endured during our service learning project. The reason for our success during these downfalls reflects tremendously on the base of our project; communication and teamwork. The A Team keeps strong-headiness whenever anything goes wrong and that is because we work well together in communicating a contingency plan. The third week of our project, Derek Mclean was suppose to start a web-page for our group and also during that time our group needed to meet for a mandatory social activity. We agreed on assignments, a date, a place, and a time. I called all the team members the day before to confirm, but I couldnt get a hold of Derek. Several calls to Derek from
other team members and numerous e-mails and text messages were also implemented but there was still no response from Derek. The rest of the team decided to do the social activity anyways. Instead of laughing, drinking beer, and having fun, our team conducted a meeting to fill the gaps Derek had already deluded. We discussed who would be taking over Dereks responsibilities in case he wasnt in our group anymore and what needed to be done in accordance to Dereks absenteeism. After this moment, the A Team grew stronger and it was then when we realized that all of us were serious. I, personally, knew at that point that nothing could stop us. Other obstacles included not getting donations we expected, fundraisers not working efficiently, and changing our minds about our Fall Festival several times. The A Team did nothing but great things at our lowest points and the importance of this is strictly were affected by great communication and unbiased teamwork. Experience as a Project Manager The key to success is communication, the foreground of success is teamwork, but success really all begins with the individuals. I had the opportunity be to a project manager on several tasks throughout this service learning project. My main contribution was my role in public relations. My main responsibility included keeping in constant contact with our client and relating any information to the rest of my team. This was a unique role for me because I never considered myself a people person. I took the role because I knew it was something I needed to hone and the confidence I gained from this experience will long be lived. The only challenge I faced as the public relations project manager was being stuck as the middle-man. I was the one who needed to influence or persuade, set dates, organize, relay messages, and find compromises that were suitable for both parties. Nonetheless, the experience I gained from this role predominantly outweighed the challenges. Experience as a Follower
In accordance to leading, I also took on the role of a follower. My experience as a follower was a delightful one. Other team members did a brilliant leading out their roles as project managers. Their instructions were clear, well defined, organized, and to the point and I enjoyed every minute of it. Reflections: Project Management Techniques and What I Would Do Differently Given that the A Team believes in teamwork and are excellent communicators, obstacle jumpers, organizers, leaders and followers; we were also able to use project management techniques successfully. Our meetings consisted of effective note-taking and task assignments. We brainstormed larger than hurricane Katrina and always comprised competent back-up plans. We utilized every resource available to us. There was never a doubt or disbelief that something could not be done. The A Team was driven with exceptional team spirit, with a must and can-do attitude. Most importantly, we believed in each other. We could rely on each other, especially when instances were at their worse. I wouldnt do anything different and I couldnt have asked for a better squad. Reflections: Service Learning and How it Impacts the Student, Citizens, and the Community Service learning is a method that combines community service to enhance learning, teach civic commitments, and toughens communities. Civic engagement reflects my education as a business student in many different ways. It helps me, as a business major, gain knowledge of the outside world and use that knowledge to excel in the workforce. For example, I learned how to present a professional image of myself. It teaches students a hands-on perspective of what the business world is like. For example, things arent always peachy and you need to be able to think quickly on your feet to resolve issues and conflicts accordingly. It molds the fundamentals of the most important aspects of business life like communication, teamwork, responsibility, dependability, professionalism, and punctuality. Service learning also plays a huge role on citizens. It helps teach norms and morals to the citizens and helps them realize that helping the community may also help themselves. It encourages communities to bind together
and work at making the community a better and safer place. It opens up relationships between the students and the community and allows them to share endless opportunities together. UCF Business School graduates add value to their lives by experiencing in service learning. It gives them the upper hand as they apply into the business world. It looks great on a resume and will help students better understand the concepts needed to be successful. I feel I am perceived in the community as someone who wants to make a difference. Conclusion I have learned a great deal in this course. I thought I knew it all, but its amazing how much my eyes have opened in these past four months. On top of everything I learned, I was able to help the community which was a first time experience for me. It has given me new light on what the world is actually like and how I must move forward to maintain it. I feel this project was more of an opportunity than anything. Never did I feel pressured or forced. I was content with everything I did and pursued it under my own free will. I would like to thank you for this opportunity, not simply because of what I learned, but because I have gained a substantial amount of confidence. Not just confidence in myself, but confidence that I am doing the right things and that this is really what I want to do. Everything I gained from this experience has been more than just scratching the surface; roots have been touched and I am now able to look at things from the inside out rather than just looking in. Thank you tremendously and have a great day! Sincerely,
Antonio Spano A Team Member