What I decided to do as my final project for DGST101!
How I created my final project and covered everything we learned in class.
Firstly, I would like to say that I’ve learned so incredibly much from this class, and I can’t thank my professor, Mr. Berge, enough for teaching me so much throughout this semester that I will undoubtedly take with me beyond this course.
Now, as far as my final project is concerned, I decided to build out my main domain as a way to market myself as well as my digital identity and abilities for future employers, internships, coworkers, etc. I decided on this because I felt it was extremely important (as noted by UMW’s Digital Knowledge Center) to always be aware of what pops up when searching your name. This is important because it’s common for employers to Google and look through their possible employee prospects on social media as well. I’ve actually seen the Director at my current job do this with potential employees. You would be incredibly surprised how much your presence on the internet sways your position in getting a job or not! Therefore, I decided to take control of this by creating my website in a professional and welcoming light.
The inspiration for the palette of my website came from a wonderful photographer, Heather Kincaid. I really liked how her website was moody but sophisticated at the same time. I loved the color scheme, and I wanted my website’s aesthetic to match these ideas. You can view Heather’s website, Kincaidphotoco.com, here.
Additionally, I would also like to note that the layout of my website may change slightly depending on if you’re viewing it on a laptop or desktop computer. I unfortunately didn’t think to check the difference in how my design would look on a desktop computer versus my laptop that I had been editing on until today, (12/11). Therefore, I highly recommend viewing my website on a laptop if you’re able!
Accessibility on My Website
How I addressed accessibility on my main domain
After learning the importance of accessibility, I wanted to make sure that it was one of my top priorities when creating my main domain’s website. I was able to do this by adding ALT text and captions to all of my images throughout my website – this includes all of my photo galleries and digital editing projects as well. Additionally, I made sure to make use of all correct heading structure (H1 & H2 specifically) on each of my different main menu pages. These main menu pages consist of my home/landing page, the “about me” page and the “contact me” page.
Additionally, when mentioning where any of my photos/images came from, I made sure to make a link accessible to the original website. This is shown when I addressed what platforms I used to edit my photos, digital editing projects and my audio/video works. I also made use of this when I showed where I got many of my images from – mostly all of them came from the copy-right free site, Pixabay.com.
I also found high color contrast to be important. It was a bit trickier to make sure I had high color contrast with the “moody” color scheme I chose. Therefore, I decided to make all of my text black – to ensure there wouldn’t be difficulty when reading the content of my website.
Lastly, the video and audio projects that I added onto my website under “video and audio works” both have accessible transcripts and closed captioning.
My Project Site is Complete and Polished!
How I ensured my website had a “put together” appearance.
I did a lot of my own research on how to make my website look as professional as possible. I found a YouTube video entitled, “How To Make A STUNNING Portfolio Website with WordPress”. This video had step-by-step instructions (along with help from the Digital Knowledge Center) on how to use Plugins on my website. Therefore, I used the Plugin, “Elementor” to create many of the visual appearances on my website. Elementor was very user-friendly, and I love the way it made my website turn out!
I replaced all of the default headers, images, pages and posts with new ones. I did not add a header image (as Mr. Berge said it was okay in our Zoom meeting) because I wanted to go with a very simplistic look – and I felt a header image would crowd and overwhelm the website with the specific ideal I had in mind for my main domain. However, I did create a new favicon for my main domain. I made this favicon with Adobe Illustrator and I used my previous favicon from dgst101.summersthoughts.com as a basis for my new design. I wanted to recreate this favicon in a more mature and simplistic light. Therefore, I got rid of the thought bubbles, and turned the bright yellow into a more neutral and moody beige color that would match the aesthetic of my main domain. Additionally, I changed the font of the “S.T.” for Summer’s Thoughts into another font that would match the main fonts of my website. Lastly, I made the favicon with a transparent background instead of a white background, and I love that look!
I also made sure to give appropriate credit to my DGST101 and my ARTS104 professors, Mr. Berge and Mr. Robinson for giving me the skills and projects to be able to have content for my main domain! I also included a section with my video and audio page about UMW’s Digital Knowledge Center for being so helpful and having my audio project on their website! I would also like to note that I didn’t use any AI on my website, so I did not credit that anywhere. Speaking of credit, I also have my copyright statement located in the footer of my website. I chose the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 statement for my main domain. I chose this particular one due to the fact that I wanted to ensure that ALL of my projects if displayed elsewhere or used in any capacity would give credit back to myself. This is important to me because since this is located on my portfolio website/main domain, I would appreciate anyone who sees my work to be able to trace it back to me and contact me if necessary. Of course, I wanted to allow others to still build upon my work, because if I wasn’t able to do so, a lot of my content wouldn’t exist! Therefore, I wanted to allow the same accessibility for other’s creativity. I found this copyright statement from the copyright-chooser.
After many drafts and moving content around, I believe I made my website in the capacity that it can hold all of my images, videos, and audio projects in a way that allows them to be displayed in a manner of high-quality content. However, I would like to note – some of my personal photos may appear a bit grainy due to the way the photos were edited by the photographer – and has nothing to do with being uploaded improperly.
Thank you all again for a wonderful semester and I can’t wait to see what my fellow DGST101 peers have come up with! Here is the link to my main domain, summersthoughts.com – I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed developing it!
I created a new subdomain for my final project. I made a field hockey website. I posted tutorials of different skills and I incorporated links for those to explore more about the sport and different teams. This website is not just about field hockey, but it is about young girls finding a new passion. I discovered the sport at such an old age, I want to inspire people that it is never too late to try something new. I created a more pink and cute appearing website, rather than a sport focused, to appeal to all people. Not just athletes, but all people looking to discover something new.
Accessibility
I provided alt text for each image on my website. There were only two images, however I made sure to incorporate it. I also used heading structure for my posts and pages to ensure it was clear as to what was being introduced and what ideas meshed together. I provided descriptive link text for each of my links so my audience knows what they are clicking on. I also ensured each video and picture were high in quality, with proper lighting and clear visibility. For each of my tutorials, I wrote subtitles so those who cannot listen, can read!
Media, Source Credit, Copyright
All of the work provided was my own work, except for one youtube video I provided of the UNC and Northwestern field hockey teams. I created my own copyright located at the footer of the website. I acknowledged my ownership of the work as of the year 2024. By providing “All Rights Reserved,” I am asserting full rights over the content as others cannot use, reproduce, or distribute this material without permission. I chose my copyright license to look like this because I want to ensure if these videos are used for any purpose, that I am given credit for the hard work I put into them. I also attributed credit to the NCAA for the film of the field hockey game. I embedded videos I posted through Youtube to ensure proper visibility and accessibility.
Information Accuracy
The information provided is all accurate. I can attribute my knowledge to five years of the game and many lessons on each of these skills. The websites and links I embedded were all used at least once in my life, as I know the information to go with them are correct and useful.
AI
I only used AI for one thing: my script for the introduction of my video. To engage my audience and create a fun beginning, I used AI to form my script. Other than that, AI was not used.
My Process
I went through UMW domains to build another domain. I went through the same process as when I created my subdomain under this class, however I based it around field hockey. I installed WordPress as I feel it is visually pleasing and organized. I am also comfortable with it. After then installation, I created my header, site icon, and favicon to personalize it and differentiate it from my other site, even though they give off similar ideas. By creating a pink and positive background, it can appeal to everybody, even those who do not play sports. I then, cleaned up my site by removing the sample pages, the random information, and the access pages I did not need. After that, I created my footer with my homepage and my About me page. Finally, I created the tutorials and created many blog posts along with including links in my “links” page. I used Imovie to create and edit these videos and posted them to YouTube in order to share them.
To make my site accessible I used colors that have high contrast to make it easier to see. All the images have alt text, and I used descriptive links. I used headings on my pages so that a screen reader can differentiate between the different sections.
Media/Source Credit
All of the pictures on my site were taken by me, so on the copyright page I say that and specify that anything not owned by me is credited. The group project that I was in gives credit to the other group members.
Information Accuracy
All the information about me is correct, as I am talking about myself. The other information on my site has the sources where I got my information included or it is easy to fact check online.
Copyright
I chose to copyright my site with all right reserved. I chose this because I am putting information about myself out on the internet, so I want to stay mine.
AI
I did not get any help from an AI to create my main site.
Process
I first started working on the site when we had to make our site for this class. I them went to a DKC event that was about building websites. At that event I created the pages for my site and decided on the colors. After meeting to discuss the final project contract I started working on the individual pages. I copied my resume into the resume page and uploaded a copy. Then I filled in the about me page and added the projects I wanted to post on this page. I then made the posts about each project and added the post list to the portfolio page. I used Canva to make the site graphic that you see on the tab.
For my final project, I decided to make a portfolio with my writing projects. I created three different projects pages; one for poetry, one for long essays, and one for recordings of poetry readings. Building this portfolio is so important as a writer because it acts as a collection of my work accessible for future employers and publishers. I was also hoping the multi-media and multi-medium aspects of the website would make it more accessible and enjoyable for website visitors.
Accessibility
To make this project more accessible, I added subtitles to the recording of the reading, created headers to make screen reading easier, and added alt text to the pictures.
Media Credit
While most of the pictures were taken by me or a friend of mine at an event, I gave credit to Reshot in accordance with their copyright restrictions, which was to attribute them to their images with otherwise no restrictions on the image’s use. The rest of the media was attributed to me. The site favicon and header were both created by me using templates found in Canva.
Information Accuracy
Since the content I posted for the website was creative and advertised as creative, I made sure the information was accurate by editing the creative works and only using my original work.
Copyright Licensing
I chose to use the same copyright licensing for this website and the work published on this website as I did for this website because it gives people the opportunity to creatively use and distribute the content posted while still attributing my original work to me.
AI Use
AI was not used to create this project at any point.
For my final project I followed all accessibility guidelines which includes Alt text for images, Heading structure for posts/pages, Descriptive link text for all links, High color contrast for images and text and an audio transcript for all podcasts. For my media and source credit I have listed it on all podcast post, here is the list of credits: For audio editing I used the website VEED.io . Photo credit: J-Slo Photo (UMW media day photographer). For audio transcript I used Descript.com.
Information Accuracy and copyright license
For this project I used all my own personal information. I used my own and other lacrosse players personal experience to create fun and entertaining podcasts. I used all copyright free sites to edit my audios. I also used not help from AI.
Being accessible when designing a website is “the right thing to do.” If my website is the most user-friendly, then everyone in the world can enjoy it! When picking color schemes for my website I had to make several changes. I had the text over the header a lighter yellow, but it did not have enough contrast, so I had to make it a darker yellow. When I designed the favicon, I had a transparent background from the podcast cover that I created, but it also did not have enough contrast to be able to notice what it was well. Because of this, I made it black, so it has a contrast to the header photo as a site logo as well as the icon on the website tab. I was able to develop a transcript for all episodes of my podcast to make it more accessible to disabled persons that have the inability to hear it. I used alternative text for all images on my site and in my blog posts for the accessibility of visually impaired persons. Headers were used in all of my blog posts to allow readers to effectively find information and also allows listeners using screen reader to acknowledge that a different topic is being presented.
Media & Source Credit
I gave credit to my media and sources within my blog posts.
In the “Welcome to the Home of the Journey to Self-Discovery Podcast!” blog post the image provided is created by me using Canva. In the “About The Podcast Host,” blog post the image provided was one that a school photographer took of me at an awards ceremony. In the “Episode 1,” blog post the image is by Rosy / Bad Homburg / Germany from Pixabay. The intro and outro music were by Dana Music from Pixabay. The recorded sound was a clip from a motivational speech by Lisa Nichols published on YouTube by Flow Arcade. I also added two sources: How to Begin Your Self-Discovery Journey and Exploring self-discovery in the college years, to provide my listeners with articles relating to beginning their journeys especially through the college years. In the “Episode 2,” blog post the image was taken by my friend at an awards ceremony. The intro/outro and background music were by Dana Music from Pixabay. In the “Episode 3,” blog post the image is by Waldryano from Pixabay. The intro/outro and background music were by Dana Music from Pixabay. The quotes from Lisa Nichols’s speech are from the video Lisa Nichols Left The Audience Speechless video published on YouTube by Flow Arcade.
I used Microsoft Co-pilot for ideas on a website tagline. Below is my conversation with Co-Pilot.
Me: Can you give me a webiste tagline for my journey to self-discovery podcast website
Co-Pilot: Absolutely! Here are a few tagline ideas for your self-discovery podcast website:
1. **"Unlock Your True Potential"** 2. **"Journey Within, Discover Beyond"** 3. **"Empower Your Inner Self"** 4. **"Explore, Evolve, Empower"** 5. **"Your Path to Personal Growth"**
Do any of these resonate with you? If you have a specific theme or focus for your podcast, I can tailor the tagline even more!
Me: the podcast is telling my story of journey to self-discovery
Co-Pilot: That sounds like a powerful and personal podcast! Here are a few tagline ideas that reflect your journey to self-discovery:
1. **"My Path to Self-Discovery"** 2. **"Unveiling My True Self"** 3. **"A Personal Journey Within"** 4. **"Finding Myself, One Episode at a Time"** 5. **"My Story of Growth and Transformation"**
Do any of these capture the essence of your podcast? If you have any specific elements or themes you'd like to highlight, let me know and I can refine the taglines further!
Information Accuracy
Most of the information provided is from my personal life experiences. I felt I was equipped to speak on the topic of self-discovery because I have been on my journey for as long as I have since I graduated high school in 2019 and struggled to find my way. The sources I used to add some detailed information on starting a self-discovery helps really lay out the process and the benefits to the listeners and readers. I wanted my podcast to come from the heart. This is something I am really passionate about inspiring others to do that I knew words would just start to flow as I spoke in each episode. The information is true to me, and I wanted to introduce my authentic self to the world in hopes my story will inspire others.
Copyright License
I chose the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license because I did not want anyone taking my ideas and changing them in any way. This is my life story to share, and I wouldn’t want any of it misconstrued. I also would not want anyone using it for commercial purposes to make money. If they would like to share it, I would love that! However, if it is shared, I picked this license because I want anyone doing so to put a direct link to my website, so that the viewer knows exactly where it came from and can explore my site.
Website Construction Process
I created a subdomain called “journey to self discovery podcast” and installed WordPress on it.
I chose the Miniva theme for my site because I liked the simplicity of the example website from my contract.
I then designed a podcast cover using Canva that I used in my welcome blog post and as the header background on the site.
I then designed a site logo and favicon using Canva.
Next, I created my site Categories to include a Home page, About page, and Episodes page with links to each episode.
I played around with the color of the header text to add more contrast to it for the viewer to see better and changed the color of link/accents.
I added a footer widget to include my copyright license.
Finally, I designed and created my Welcome blog post and published it under the Home category.
I then created my About me blog post and published it under the About category.
Lastly, I recorded, edited, and embedded all 3 episodes of my podcast into blog posts and published them under the Episodes category each with their own tab.
The equipment that I used for the podcasts was a lapel mic. The podcasts were recorded via voice memo on an iPhone. I used Soundtrap to edit the audio.
The reason I did this project is because I wanted to showcase the importance of investing time into cultivating happiness, rather than allowing yourself to be conditioned into thinking happiness comes from people or material objects. Although those things can bring temporary happiness, it won’t be long lasting. By using the S.P.I.R.E. model as a base for my questions, I hope to show how keeping a “check-list” for your well-being can help to maintain steady levels of happiness for longer periods of time. The cultivation of happiness is a necessary step for maintaining a healthy well-being.
What is the S.P.I.R.E Model and Who Created It?
The S.P.I.R.E. model is a philosophy that teachers one how to cultivate happiness by tending the five parts of your well-being. The five equally important parts of your well-being are Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Relational, and Emotional (by clicking on the different types of well-being, you can read some helpful articles about each type of well-being and how to improve them for yourself). This model was created by Tal Ben-Shahar. Ben-Shahar is the author of the book titled Happier No Matter What: Cultivating Hope, Resilience, and Purpose in Hard Times, the book from which I drew my inspiration for this study.
What is the Thought and Creative Process?
When I first thought about this project, I asked myself “How are people cultivating their happiness,” and “Are people keeping their well-being, well-rounded?” Inspired by this thought, I created a series of 18 questions in total (15 of which were based on the S.P.I.R.E. method and three to have the person reflect on their current state). The participants answers were then used to show where they fall short of total well-being and how close they are to feeling authentically happy.
I decided to use the S.P.I.R.E. method because it uses all aspects of well-being. By following this method, one can highlight in which category he or she is weakest or strongest. Once the weakness has been pinpointed, it is up to the person to correct it in order to maximize their happiness. This is not meant to be a medical analysis in any way. It is just a way to do a self-check-in. It is a way to be more self-aware of your well-being and to see whether one is doing all they can to cultivate authentic happiness, or if they might be supplementing that happiness in another way.
How is the Message of Happiness and Well-being Conveyed?
Happiness is seen as illusive, when really it can be cultivated by anyone at any time. The message of happiness and well-being is conveyed by bringing to light how obtainable it is to the average person. By using the S.P.I.R.E. method, one can ‘monitor’ what category of their wellness is lacking and make the necessary adjustments to strengthen it for overall improved well-being. Happiness is obtainable and my goal is to share that realization with others.
So, Let’s Get Down to the Good Part.
So, this study was done by creating 18 questions (15 questions based on the S.P.I.R.E. model and three miscellaneous to get people to realize whether they feel happy or not). The participants answers were then used to show where they fall short of total well-being and how close they are to feeling authentically happy. Once the answers are written, the participants can then make the choice to use their answers as a guide for self-improvement or to maintain their current state.
I interviewed four participants from the University of Mary Washington (UMW). One is a student, one is a professor, one is a psychologist working in the Talley Center and one is the Dean of Students. I chose these four people because for one, they represent different aspects of life. A student will see mental health differently than a mental healthcare professional. The second reason is these answers show the different mindsets at different stages of life (someone who has recently come into their own as an individual in society vs. people who are established in life). So, check out the interviews below and I hope you enjoy!
Emma – Student
Emma is a second-year student at UMW. She also works as a Peer Mentor for an FSEM (Freshman Seminar) class on campus. Let’s see how she maintains her wellness and how she views happiness in her life:
Spiritual
1. What do you do to practice daily mindfulness? How do these practices differ from the ones you implement during times of stress?
A: On the daily, I like to set aside a period of the day that is just for me. It is usually a different time each day – whenever I find time or need it most. Recently, this has taken the form of watching a movie, scrolling on my phone, playing board games with friends, or just sleeping. I try to do something similar in times of stress but (especially if I’m under the pressure of a deadline) try to keep it to a smaller amount of time.
2. Do you find meaning or purpose in your job? If so, why (what is it about my job that makes it meaningful)?
A: I have a couple of jobs, and I find meaning in each of them in different ways. In my work as a peer mentor to first-years I think I find the most meaning. I love making connections with new people and guiding these students through the beginning of this new journey for them. The peer mentor I got assigned as a first-year did not do this for me or my classmates so I’m happy to be able to give others the supportive experience I did not have.
3. Do you every take time out to disconnect from society and be one with our Creator? What are some ways that you like to do so?
A: I am not a religious person so I wouldn’t say I take time praying but I do like to take time to disconnect in general to just think or connect with other things that are important to me. Recently, I have been trying to find ways to manage my anxiety. One of these ways is through swimming, which is something I haven’t really had the time to do much since I was on a team. Swimming gives me the time to think, relax, and ease any mental tension I may have.
Physical
1. What do you do to take care of yourself physically?
A: I try to walk as much as I can every day, and I swim at least once a week.
2. Do you take the time to rest and recover your body?
A: Yes! I have a chronic illness called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) so taking the time to rest and recover is not an option for me. Even just going through my day exhausts me physically so I have to take the time to recover from that as well.
3. Name three ways you deal with stress.
A: Poorly – procrastinating. Positively – breaking up my work, rewarding myself with breaks
Intellectual
1. Do you engage in deep learning as a hobby? What are some of the things you like to do to expand your intellectual well-being?
A: No, I do not. To expand my intellectual well-being, I try to read as much as I can and take the extra step in research when I find something interesting. I am also learning a second language at the moment.
2. Do you take failure as a learning experience? How so?
A: Yes! Especially if I am aware of what I did wrong. In the future, I can remember what to fix and apply that to similar situations.
3. When pursuing a passion, do you focus more on the process or the outcome? Why?
A: Definitely the outcome. I am a perfectionist, so I always try to figure out the best way to represent something. I have also noticed when I am doing a project or writing a paper that I think about how I want the end result to look first, then figure out how to accomplish that.
Relational
1.What do you do in your daily life to take care of yourself?
A: Spend time with/talk to loved ones and make sure to take time for myself.
2. Are you a giver? If so, what does giving do for your well-being?
A: I believe so. I like doing things for others because it provides some ease to their day and some amount of joy. I think giving is definitely a good thing for my well-being but at the same time, I know I need to focus on myself more often.
3. If you have a disagreement with a loved one, what do you do to resolve the issue? How does this help your relationship to grow?
A: I usually like to talk about the situation and discuss what went wrong and why one of us (or both) is upset. But, I also try to take note of if the other person needs some space as well. Respecting each other’s boundaries as well as pinpointing the issue really improves my relationships after the disagreement. I have noticed in the past that if the issue is not discussed, then the same argument continues to repeat itself.
Emotional
1. How do you embrace painful emotions?
A: I have to remind myself that the emotion is temporary, and I can get through whatever I am feeling in the moment.
2. What do you do to keep yourself appreciative in your life?
A: I just try to embrace every moment I can.
3. How do you convince yourself to see your emotions as temporary?
A: Sometimes I have to just repeat it to myself out loud so it doesn’t feel like everything is in my head.
Miscellaneous
1. What does happiness mean to you?
A: A general satisfaction with a situation or life. It means I have a strong support system and am surrounded with people who love and care about me.
2. At what age do you think we should teach ‘Happiness’ (about overall wellbeing) in schools? Why?
A: As early as possible! Learning to recognize and discuss emotions as well as how to take care of yourself mentally is sooooo important. We begin teaching physical wellness very young (even with simple stuff like band aids) so why not teach mental health as well? It doesn’t have to be complicated, but just introducing the idea into ‘health’ would be so beneficial.
3. Overall, do you consider yourself to be happy?
A: Yes!
Dr. Kristin Marsh – Professor
Next, we have the thoughts of Professor Marsh. Professor Marsh works under the Department of Sociology. Since she is someone who studies society, I wondered how she sees herself as an individual. If you’re interested in picking her brain, read below.
Spiritual
1. What do you do to practice daily mindfulness? How do these practices differ from the ones you implement during times of stress?
A: Not much, actually; I’m a self-reflective person (rethink things I’ve said in conversations, or embarrassing moments, for example) and it doesn’t help at all; I don’t meditate; I do try to remind myself that I’m enough.
2. Do you find meaning or purpose in your job? If so, why (what is it about my job that makes it meaningful)?
A: I find connecting with students to be the most meaningful part of my job. Over time, this is the only thing that has really held up.
3. Do you every take time out to disconnect from society and be one with our Creator? What are some ways that you like to do so?
A: I am not on social media; I take walks with my dog; I enjoy my family, the outdoors when it’s warm, and my garden. My garden is my happy place.
Physical
1. What do you do to take care of yourself physically?
A: Try to get enough sleep (I’m best with 8 hours) and try to get to the gym regularly. I keep doctor’s appointments and specific checks (mammograms; colonoscopies; dental check-ups)
2. Do you take the time to rest and recover your body?
A: Sure (getting enough sleep)
3. Name three ways you deal with stress.
A: I drink (ha ha, but true); I occasionally vent to friends; I exercise.
Intellectual
1. Do you engage in deep learning as a hobby? What are some of the things you like to do to expand your intellectual well-being?
A: I have to read a lot for work; it’s been hard to spend much time on extra-curricular reading.
2. Do you take failure as a learning experience? How so?
A: I take failure very hard and very personally; Do I learn from it? I guess so, but it would be hard to pinpoint exactly how.
3. When pursuing a passion, do you focus more on the process or the outcome? Why?
A: Both; time is limited, and I like to see results; but I also like to do things well. I rarely finish a project within allotted time.
Relational
1.What do you do in your daily life to take care of yourself?
A: I think you’ve already asked this, so not sure what I can add. I take showers. I eat meals.
2. Are you a giver? If so, what does giving do for your well-being?
A: Yes. Absolutely. I don’t know what it does for my well-being; I just enjoy it.
3. If you have a disagreement with a loved one, what do you do to resolve the issue? How does this help your relationship to grow?
A: I’m terrible with conflict and get defensive when I think I’m not communicating effectively; I have been practicing leaving the situation if an argument gets circular.
Emotional
1. How do you embrace painful emotions?
A: I don’t.
2. What do you do to keep yourself appreciative in your life?
A: I verbalize appreciation and enjoyment.
3. How do you convince yourself to see your emotions as temporary?
A: I try to acknowledge them and then put them aside and move on.
Miscellaneous
1. What does happiness mean to you?
A: It’s a triggering word to me; my mother always said “I just want you to be happy” which was a lot of pressure.
2. At what age do you think we should teach ‘Happiness’ (about overall wellbeing) in schools? Why?
A: I don’t think we should teach happiness; I think we should teach practices of mindfulness and acceptance always; never too young.
3. Overall, do you consider yourself to be happy?
A: Not particularly. I’m grateful and appreciative of my relationships. I find happiness in moments, in activities, in friendships. I’m not—as a whole—a happy person. I’m not unhappy, though. My life satisfaction is pretty good, overall.
Dr. Amira Niori – Staff Psychologist
Dr. Niori is a staff psychologist at the Talley Center on campus. As a mental healthcare professional, she has first-hand insight on the effects of either neglecting or prioritizing one’s wellness and what effect it has on your overall happiness. This made me interested in seeing how a mental health professional prioritizes their well-being and happiness. Dr. Niori’s interview is posted below.
Spiritual
1. What do you do to practice daily mindfulness? How do these practices differ from the ones you implement during times of stress?
A: I check in with myself daily about how I am feeling, and I am very intentional about happiness. Thus, I make sure that I note the good things that occurred in my day. During times of stress because things tend to feel bigger than they really are I simply keep things in perspective by reminding myself that this shall pass, and this is temporary. I also validate whatever it is that I am feeling and allow myself to feel it.
2. Do you find meaning or purpose in your job? If so, why (what is it about my job that makes it meaningful)?
A: Yes. As a psychologist I find it meaningful and fulfilling to help others.
3. Do you every take time out to disconnect from society and be one with our Creator? What are some ways that you like to do so?
A: Yes, I pray and ask for guidance when needed.
Physical
1. What do you do to take care of yourself physically?
A: I take care of my mental health as mental health impacts physical health. I also meet my basic needs (e.g., eat, drink water, physical activity, take care of illness).
2. Do you take the time to rest and recover your body?
A: Absolutly and on a daily basis by listening to my body and utilizing daily self-care.
3. Name three ways you deal with stress.
A: Normalize it, because it is not always a bad thing. Prioritize my responsibilities; while keeping things in perspective (e.g., I may not have the capacity to finish all my chores or cook dinner every night this week). I have learned to meet myself where I am at to avoid things like burnout.
Intellectual
1. Do you engage in deep learning as a hobby? What are some of the things you like to do to expand your intellectual well-being?
A: As a psychologist, ethically I must continue to learn as the field and research is always changing. Thus, I attend conferences every year and obtain my Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) from various training courses of interest each year. No, I do not tend to engage in deep learning as a hobby.
2. Do you take failure as a learning experience? How so?
A: Yes, because we do learn from a failed experience. We learn what we could have done better or spent more time or did things differently.
3. When pursuing a passion, do you focus more on the process or the outcome? Why?
A: The process because thats where all of the learning happens.
Relational
1.What do you do in your daily life to take care of yourself?
A: Engage in daily self-care and operate within my boundaries.
2. Are you a giver? If so, what does giving do for your well-being?
A: Yes, naturally. It goes along with the helper in me. It is fulfilling, however, with good use of boundaries.
3. If you have a disagreement with a loved one, what do you do to resolve the issue? How does this help your relationship to grow?
A: We talk about things until we both feel good about the resolution or compromise. This approach helps the relationship to grow and thrive because we both feel heard, validated, and comfortable in the choices or decisions that we have made together.
Emotional
1. How do you embrace painful emotions?
A: I allow myself to feel them.
2. What do you do to keep yourself appreciative in your life?
A: Oh, I take nothing for granted. I know that I am on borrowed time and so I live for each day especially when it comes to my partner and kids.
3. How do you convince yourself to see your emotions as temporary?
A: They are. The proof is in the pudding. However, sometimes, even when I know that eventually the emotion will change, maybe because the situation will change, I can regulate (move on from) my distressing emotions so that they do not linger which consequently causes the emotion to be temporary.
Miscellaneous
1. What does happiness mean to you?
A: It means going after and being intentional about it.
2. At what age do you think we should teach ‘Happiness’ (about overall wellbeing) in schools? Why?
A: I believe happiness/ emotions in general should be taught at home before a child goes to school. I have discussed emotions with my children since infancy, which has helped them to better communicate and express themselves and what is bothering them. As a result, they can ask for what they need and soothe themselves.
3. Overall, do you consider yourself to be happy?
A: Yes, typically. However, as a human being I experience an array of emotions.
Dean Melissa Jones – Dean of Students/Associate Vice President of Student Affairs
Dean Jones oversees Student Life at UMW and serves as the Chair of the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT). With a background in psychology, she was an unexpected attachment to the mental health field. Her role at UMW is an integral part of helping students meet expected University behavioral standards in order to succeed socially, personally, and academically. I was able to record a sit-down one-on-one interview with her. Click on the three-part interview below.
It seems for the most part, the people I interview have a grasp on their well-being. Although some admitted to not being happy all the time, it is okay. Happiness is like the ebb and flow of the sea. There is no constant with happiness. No one will ever be happy 24/7. That is an impossible goal to attain.
However, they do all see the importance of their well-being. The four participants all seem to have a strong sense of self, and maybe that contributes to their strong well-being practices. Even when they do not think they have a strong enough plan for their physical well-being, the consistency they show in their routines show otherwise. Even if they are not consciously aware, their subconscious is doing all it can to keep their well-being in check.
When it comes to painful emotions, the interviewees allow themselves to feel them. Although it is not an ideal feeling, they are aware that they have to acknowledge them. But spiritual had multiple answers. They might not all be religious/spiritual, but they all find ways to recenter themselves and take in their surroundings. However, they all have a giving nature that comes from within. This shows the compassion they have for others and the ability to see beyond themselves for the sake of helping others prosper.
Overall, I feel these interviews showed how important it is to be well-rounded in your well-being. Just because one part is not as stacked as the others, does not mean that happiness is achievable. Just like anything in life, you will have your strengths and weaknesses. It seems like keeping something in that category is key (do not let an area run dry or else it could cause everything else to unravel).
For my final project, I expanded my main domain and included some of the work that best reflects my online identity and career aspirations. I included my video and storytelling assignment from this Digital Studies class, as well as four other projects. The common themes for the included work are literacy, advocacy, and neurodiversity.
Accessibility
The media on my site includes accessibility features where appropriate. For example, the neurodiversity video includes closed captions and the literacy Storymap includes alternative text with the images. There is also alternative text on the three images on the Home Page. Also, I used a dyslexia-friendly font on my Gold Award website, which I completed before this class but included on the Literacy page.
All information presented on my site is accurate and cited where appropriate. Factual information was obtained from reliable or scholarly sources.
Copyright Licence
I added the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Creative Commons copyright license to my website because it is the most restrictive. Although others can share my work if they give me credit, they can not edit or use it commercially.
I chose this copyright because I support the sharing of information and ideas, but also believe that creators should be fairly acknowledged, protected, and compensated.
Artificial Intelligence
I used Microsoft Copilot to create the three images on the Home Page.
Process of Building My Website and Media
Building the Main Site
To build my main site, I decided to use a different theme than I used in my subdomain. I had already downloaded WordPress, so I was able to immediately begin customizing my site.
I like the favicon and header image I used in my subdomain, so I decided to reuse these. I used Canva (Digital Image Creation) to create both the favicon and header image. I chose this software because I have some experience with it, and also because it is a vector-based editor.
After deciding on my three categories, I added Pages and created a Menu. Next, I used Microsoft Copilot to create three images for the Home Page, representing my three categories. My goal was to create a set of cohesive, attention-grabbing images. Since this was a new theme and the first time I created pages in WordPress, I spent a lot of time learning how to arrange the images and include the links. Once my Home Page was completed, I began to add content to each page.
Creating the Video
To create my video, I took photos using my iPhone and my iKross tripod. I also recorded a lot of screen images and videos on my laptop, since my topic is about technology. I created intro and outro slides in Canva. I uploaded this, my audio, and all of my images to iMovie and chose to stream the video on YouTube.
Creating the StoryMap
I created the ArcGIS StoryMap using a free public account on my MacBook. I followed instructions to embed the StoryMap into my WordPress site. I also used Excel to create a few of the charts, using data from The Nation’s Report Card. Some of the data that I wanted was not downloadable. In these cases, I used existing charts and gave attribution to the author.
Including Existing Projects
I also decided to include two additional research papers, an infographic, and information about my Girl Scout Gold Award on my website. I chose these projects because they present additional examples of my interest in literacy, advocacy, and neurodiversity and in the case of my Gold Award, exemplify the work I have done in these fields.
To embed these projects on my site, I had to research the correct HTML code to use. Since I am not a coder, this was challenging but I am happy with how it turned out.
For my final project I utilized all forms of accessibility necessary. I included alt text for all images posted on my site, I created transcripts for all audio/ podcast recordings, I utilized high contrast colors on my site, I used headers to organize content on my website, and I included descriptive link text for all links on my website.
Media/ Source Credit
At the end of each of my posts, I included a credit and attribution section where I listed who created and edited the podcast (me!), where my intro and outro music came from, any sources I may have used, where I got my images, and who created the TV series that I discuss within my podcast. I also provided a link to each to ensure full credit is given. Also, I included captions underneath images that state what website the image was taken from.
Information Accuracy
My podcast was mostly based on my opinion, but I did utilize some blog and fandom sites that helped to organize my thoughts and ensure that I was accurately relaying information from the show.
Copyright License
I chose CC BY-ND 4.0 for my license. This is the same license I chose for my course subdomain. This license states that anyone can redistribute my work, so long as it is unchanged and I am given full credit. I chose this because I think it’s important to allow individuals to have access to digital work, but I wanted to ensure that credit was given where credit is due and my name is associated with my thoughts and my thoughts only.
AI Help
I did not use AI for anything in this project.
Media Making Process
For this project, I used Vectr and the Cricut app to create my favicon and header for my website. I struggled with finding the right shape on Vectr, so I utilized the free shapes on Cricut to make my header and then inputted it into Vectr to alter the size for my header and favicon. I knew ahead of time what I wanted my favicon and header to be so this process was pretty quick and easy. The longest part of the process was creating my site. It was a lot of trial and error to ensure my site looked how I wanted it to. Once I had the site complete, I created my podcast using the voice memo app on Iphone and wired Apple headphones. I then downloaded the audio on my laptop and edited it using Soundtrap. I found the intro/outro music on Envato, which took a long time to find something I liked and that matched the vibe of my podcast.
For my final project I decided to build out my main domain. My main domain was designed to act as a portfolio or resume site. Since I am a political science major I decided to fill the site with my research papers, such as those covering political philosophy and Middle Eastern politics. I also added some of the podcasts I have created, such as the one for the DGST 101 course and my drug politics course. I have also included the video essay project from the DGST 101 course.
Developing the Site:
In developing the site, I utilized the skills I learned to use WordPress to create the site, using the Signify theme. The biggest help I received was attending a workshop from the Mary Washington Digital Knowledge Center (DKC). I used the basic format they showed us how to develop and modified it to suit my needs. In addition, I needed to ensure that the site was accessible, so as I did on this site I incorporated headings and subheadings. I also used alt text on the few images used on the website. The only media uploaded on the site is that which I created and all credit for content such as music was credited. Images created using AI were credited as such. I did use Microsoft CoPilot to create the site favicon. In my essays and podcasts/video sources are credited to ensure information accuracy. I chose to make the site “all rights reserved” as that is the same copyright license I used for this site. I also do not want my work shared or posted without my permission as it contains political content.
