Monthly September Extra Post

September, a real month of work within our project, and one that has already seen the impending absence of two senior teachers. To summarize my efforts for this month, I've been involved in attempting to acquire more contacts than just  just my primary mentor. The reason for this renewed interest rests in my proposal for my independent component which is an online graphic organizer of the mentors I've been talking to linked to several similar questions which I have asked them. (See possible designs below evidence) The impetus for this proposal rests in a particular subset of my research unrelated to my main topic, the applicability of political skill to every day life, . For my research, I'm using the psychological definition of political skill (i.e. networking, genuine sincerity, communication skills ,etc...). It is a vested interest of mine to have my research be useful beyond an academic capacity, and it is for this reason that I particularly want to place an emphasis upon what prompted my mentors into pursuing their careers. By understanding what prompted their ambition, the results may be used to engineer programs designed to push others into this career path or help those already on this path. Looking at the body of research, I would like to utilize this year as a sort of prototype for the type of research I would like to further pursue in my college career in Political Science. Although the specific design of this proposal are relatively simplistic for a research opportunity, they should suffice as a graphic representation of the data collected.

What I've accomplished

•  Attended my first meeting/interview with primary mentor Victoria Martinez
• Observed the firsthand local political process and observed multiple proposals be submitted
• Collected a body of research to support my senior question
• Collected more contacts than before (see business cards below).
• Completed blog entries 5-6
• Modified Mentorship Hours
• Currently in the middle of contacting several other sources

Things I'm looking into

• Contacting former associates and other connections for this topic
• Attempting to get a variety of political types in order to have better diversity of sources (Concerned citizens active in political process, business leaders involved with politics, active politicians, aides to politicians, other government workers, etc...)  
• Continue to refine research and begin to selectively select for subjects closer to my independent component
• Independent component proposal needs to be refined. Visual design for graphic organizer, array of questions to be questioned on, and number of sources to be surveyed all need to be solidified before proposal can  be approved.

 

 

Business Cards of Contacts/ Potential designs of Graphic Organizers

Blog 6 - Second Interview Preparation

1.  Who is your mentor and where do they work?

My main mentor is currently Victoria Martinez who currently serves as a city council member for the city of El Monte

2.  What five questions will you ask them about their background?

1.  Were there any obstacles you found to entering your current position? 
2. What was it like running an election campaign?
3. How do you feel your college years prepare you for your current job?
4. What causes have you advocated for or actions pushed recently?
5. In your own words, how would you describe your current position?

Blog 5-Mentorship and Research Reflection

First Blog Post after my meeting with my mentor, and I am excited for my future prospects . This Tuesday on September 9th, 2014 I  attended the El Monte City Council Open Meeting and met with my mentor, Victoria Martinez, while there. I also got the privilege of meeting with several potential mentors as well including city clerk Jonathan Hawes and Municipal Specialist Jerry Moreno who I'm looking into contacting currently. Overall, I had some questions answered and enjoyed seeing how the meeting actually functioned which is a major gain for me in regards to firsthand experience. 

1. Mentorship question: Describe your experience in how you found your mentorship?  If you haven't found one yet, describe your experience so far in the search of a mentor.
       Actually finding my mentor was surprisingly stress given that she was actually a family member who I could easily get into contact with. I had been referred to her by my mother when I offhandedly mentioned that I needed to locate a mentor, and I then proceeded to send her an email to see if she would be willing to become my mentor due to her current employment on the city council of El Monte. We arranged phone meeting wherein I explained the nature of the senior project, what interested me in regards to the subject, and what would be required of her before she agreed to be my mentor.

2. Research question: What has been your most important article you have read so far and why?

 

       To date, the most important article I have read has been the article "Career Success Implications of Political Skill" as it directly relates to application. It's conclusion, that networking ranks as the highest indicator of individual success in a company structure ranks true given my own observations and logical conclusions. Acting in a genuinely appealing way to others and making connections to draw upon is a trait that has success in any field warranting interpersonal interaction. This is the kind of evidence that I feel is helpful to my overall project as this is the type of information that can be applied by people who listen to my presentation in a capacity beyond my subject alone. Genuinely useful info such as this illustrates the importance of my subject and hopefully allows it to remain in the minds of those I intend to teach moreso than other information would have.

Monthly August Extra Post

As the month of August comes to a close, the first step towards the completion of senior project has ended, and events have proceeded swimmingly. Thanks to the guidance of my teachers and mentors, I feel that my senior project has a stable foundation to build upon as we proceed into the future. A brief summary of what has been accomplished this month.

• Established Blog 
• Created Working Bibliography
•  Began Research on Sources
• Got into Contact with Former I-poly Alumni Angel Diaz
• Arranged Meeting With Mentor and Councilwoman Victoria Martinez on September 9th
• Arranged Volunteer Work After School assisting Mrs. Martinez
• New Research Source at Cal Poly Library
• Completed Blog Entries 1-4 (Established Topic, Established Interview Questions, and Detailed Summer Mentorship)

Objectives going into the future

• Continue Research and Compiling Sources
• Edit Blog for Maximum Visual Appeal
•  Meet with Mentor Victoria Martinez on September 9th.
• Continue Correspondence with Mentor and Former Alumni Angel Diaz
• Continue Looking for Mentors to ensure a variety of Sources and Perspectives on Topic

Blog 4

Blog 4

For my mentorship interview, I intend to query former I-Poly Alumni Angel Diaz on his experience during the senior project and if he has any particular insights to grant related to the field of politics. My reasoning for this decision lies in his experience aiding in the campaign of a city council member for Covina and the similarities between his senior project subject and my own. In addition to the standard 5 question set up we are required to use, I intend to inquire about his suggestions as to the best way to conduct a project like this, how best to be an asset to a political campaign, and the most effective way to make political connections.

As Insurance in the event that he is unable to attend a meeting on Monday, I can also arrange a meeting with El Puente City Council Member Victoria Martinez in order to conduct an interview. Were I to interview her instead, my questions would be more oriented towards her inspiration for entering politics and her origins in regards to moving up the political ladder.

List of Questions
1. I'm interested in studying how to enter politics,. What can you tell me about it?
2. From your perspective, what could I study that would be sigificant?
3. Who else would you recommend I talk to?
4. What kinds of places or activiites do you recommend I do for the mentorship component?
5. What books should I read in this field?

Additional Questions
(For Angel)
1. What made you choose this subject as your senior project?
2. What were the greatest difficulties in the course of your senior project?
3. What would be the greatest recommendation you have for pursuing this subject?
4. What do you think helped you the most when networking (a term for the deliberate fostering of connections)?

(For Mrs.Martinez)
1. What was your biggest inspiration for starting your career?
2. What would you recommend for people entering this profession?
3. What were your greatest assets in entering this field?

Blog 3: Topic Choice and Working EQ

1. Topic: Entering Politics

2. Write a Question that will focus your research this month.

   What is the optimal way to begin a career in politics in the State of California?

Blog Post #2: Summer Mentorship

     This summer, I mentored with Mrs. Janis Rice, head of the local Parks and Rec department, by working at several fundraising events with the Upland Volunteens who are a volunteer group based in my city sponsored by the Parks and Rec department. Unfortunately, my college courses meant that I was only able to hit just above the bare minimum of hours for my volunteering which left me with several lingering questions. It is for this reason that I intend to diversify my contacts in the coming year by writing to several different public officials to acquire a more varied range of contacts to base my upcoming senior project around. This summer also allowed me to better envision what my senior project will be structured around and the actual layout of it.

1. (K1. (Know) Using google doc (drive) link a log of specific hours and a description of your dutie.

    Included below is  my list of volunteer hours over the course of the summer. Link:
     Mentorship 

2. What is the contact name & number of where you volunteered?    

I have volunteered since prior to Freshman year with the Upland Volunteens, headed by Upland Parks and Rec Director Janis Rice, who can be reached by contacting the number below.

Mentor Name: Janis Rice

Local Office Number: (909) 931-4281

3. (Need to know) What questions were raised because of the 10 hours of experience?  List them.     

    As an unfortunate result of the limited amount of time that I put towards volunteering this summer, I was left with several questions regarding the larger process of beginning a career in politics.

• My mentor was primarily focused upon maintaining her own subdepartment, and I wonder if local political skills are transmissible towards my federal hopes.
• The influence of money and Uplands lack of it were significant factors which I noticed during my brief time working, are these limiting factors prominent elsewhere?
• As a small institution, the parks and rec department holds little sway, and but is that shared
• Although political networking skills are invaluable, how does one develop those skills? 
  My mentor's decision to apply for their job was rooted in viewing it as a job, but I wonder if that is a shared notion among higher echelons of government.  

Interpretive

4. What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?

The single most valuable piece of information that I gathered from the experience was the influence of networking in establishing working relationships and the importance of presentation and favor towards garnering support.. Expanding on that, a major recurring lesson I learned was the importance of maintaining positive ties in the hopes that such endeavors will garner positive attention in the future.This seems a positive trait, and the selective process of choosing who to favor in hopes of winning their mutual support is an aspect of politics with which I am personally unfamiliar.  Seeing the efforts taken to placate sponsors was a learning experience for me as to the day to day procession of local politics.

Applied

5. What is your senior project topic going to be?  How did what you did help you choose a topic?  Please explain.

    I have decided that my senior project will focus on the question, “What is the best way to enter state politics?” (Working question) as it seems a balanced intermediary between low level local politics  and the Federal Government. This topic seems a decent choice for crafting a senior project around as it has the potential to involve a variety of excellent sources which can help me beyond just the school system. In addition, I can easily envision a hypothetical presentation that can be crafted around this topic that would include an activity. One reason that I selected an emphasis upon a state level position (Governor or District Representative) is that it works as an intermediate step between the low level bureaucracy which I am familiar with and the Federal government system which I want to join. In particular, from my dialogues with my mentor, I learned of the importance which money held on a local level, and I think it would make a fascinating subject of study to learn of the experience that higher levels of government have on this subject. Ultimately, my projected project will attempt to be a comprehensive analysis of the various methods and starts which people have used to enter the political realm, the feasibility of paths with which a concerned citizen may plausibly undertake to accomplish that, and a projected analysis of current political trends which may influence a candidates viability or an applicants hope to get a job in government.