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Undergraduate Studies ePortfolio

Dana MarkuPsychology, 2011

Personal Statement

Between the years of 2006 and 2008 I lost two friends due to their heroin addiction. As the saying states, “what doesn’t kill you can only make you stronger.” However, it was unfortunate that my two friends believed they were strong enough to not allow heroin to take their life. Prior to those deaths, I never knew which direction or degree I wanted to receive in college. I began to reassess my own life for the future and knew I would do whatever I had to in order to help juveniles and their chemical dependency addictions. As a person who has never been involved in substance abuse or addiction of any sort, I knew that experiences were my way into the brain of an addict and be able to understand what addiction really entailed and how to help others.

Personal Statement Continued…

During my college years it became obvious that courses would not be the only answer to obtaining insight on addiction. I began to attend AA and NA meetings to get first-hand comprehension from those who have now changed their life and decided to stay sober. I overheard through mutual friends that a friend of five years was slowly slipping back into addiction. I attempted to be the best thing he had besides sobriety and offered my assistance in attending meetings or transporting him at the least. I made a promise that once I was qualified to fully understand his addiction to numerous substances I would be the one to ensure he receives the proper help he needs. However, in October 2010, eight months before I graduated, he overdosed on heroin as well. I believe that my personal passion and willingness to succeed could not become stronger or greater than it was previously, but when I stood by his coffin and knew all of the life experiences his was now going to miss out on I wasn’t going to let myself, my family, or all my previous friends who lost their life to

addiction down.

Personal Statement Continued…

Working and attending school full-time allowed my mind to stay busy and keep my spirits and motivated high. I was able to receive my bachelors in only a three year time frame and a GPA that placed me on the Presidential honors list throughout those semesters. With the busy schedule that I hold it has contributed to personal growth and the greatest sense of achievement. I have acquired skills of showing leadership by providing feedback to my boss on decisions in how to make the children become more knowledgeable in their studies, as well as what areas the children need more one-on-one time with. Personal skills of being communicative and analytical were also able to grow from the personal achievement of playing the leadership role when needed.

Personal Statement Continued…

Based upon all the experiences I have endured throughout the past five years and the meetings and courses in which I have participated in allowed my decision of what to do after my undergraduate study is completed an easy task. Entering a graduate program right after graduation is the optimum decision. The graduate program that suits the knowledge I have gained and wish to acquire is receiving my Masters in Forensic Psychology. This will allow opportunities of working with juveniles who have already entered the criminal justice system for substance abuse related charges to receive the counseling and therapy that is so desperately needed so when adulthood is reached, the addiction has been overcome. I have no doubt that with the skills, abilities, experiences, motivation, and willingness to succeed I will succeed in my ultimate goal of saving lives of juveniles with addiction who still have a full life to be live. This would in turn become the ultimate satisfaction to know that even with three lives lost personally, chemical dependency addiction will not be able to overpower and take the life of every child.

Resume

Dana R. Marku

WORK Wrzeszcz Household Lake Barrington, IL

EXPERIENCE Private Nanny August 2010 – present

• Care for two children, one toddle and one elementary school age• Take children to and from extracurricular activities and school• Meet with parents on a daily basis to discuss the children’s day and any additional concerns or

issues• Prepare and serve lunch and dinner• Oversee playtime and schedule of the children• Provide emotional and physical needs of children• Efficiently handle inventions between children if disagreements arise• Provide additional education help for child and homework assigned from school• Work with toddler on speaking words, numbers, and distinguishing different shapes and colors• Tidy up toy room at the end of a work day• Properly discipline children in a timeout area when misbehavior is continuous

Resume Continued…

Dana R. Marku

WORK Safari Childcare Mount Prospect, IL

EXPERIENCE Assistant Teacher August 2007 – August 2010

• Conduct child assessments throughout the year to monitor child’s development, identify, and focus on additional development on an individual basis

• Hold parent teacher conferences with Lead Teacher twice a year to provide feedback to the parent about the child’s developmental progress

• Encourage children to reach and achieve developmental milestones• Involve activities and curriculum to develop gross/fine motor skills, social skills, and cognitive

learning skills• Introduce alphabet letters, and counting in both sign language and Spanish• Organize and created learning centers and bulletin boards• Provide an indoor and outdoor environment to create a positive and safe learning environment for

children• Communicate between other employees and parents about any concerns

Resume Continued…

Dana R. Marku

EDUCATION Argosy University – College of Psychology Schaumburg, IL

Bachelor of Psychology, concentration of Substance Abuse with honors August 2008- presentCumulative GPA /4.00 | Major GPA /4.00

PROFESSIONAL Juveniles in the criminal justice system

GOALS Specialization in Substance Abuse• Working with juveniles who have already entered into the criminal just system with substance abuse

related charges• Create a bond with juveniles to provide a sense of a safe and trusting environment• Work on skills and coping mechanisms to effectively prevent continuous substance abuse

OTHER Interests: Traveling, running, social networking, child development, and criminal justice

Reflection

Academic Tenure at Argosy• After attending the University for three years and receiving my Bachelors in

Psychology and concentration in substance abuse, it was with deepest contentment in deciding to continue to forward my education at the same location. After overcoming obstacles and being able to endure a new sense of accomplishment throughout those years, it became evident this decision was in my best interest

• The program in which I completed at Argosy University has prepared me well for the graduate education challenges that I now wish to pursue. Graduating a full school year early from the Bachelors program displays the high level of motivation and willingness to succeed in the masters program and in my future. In addition to, throughout those years, I have consecutively been apart of the

Deans Presidential Honors list with a 3.8 grade point average. • Having a strong desire to begin working in the field to work with juveniles, who

have entered the criminal justice system already, is a prime example of my consistent drive to succeed and pass on this motivation in order to help others succeed too. The masters program will enhance my strong leadership skills to make a difference for my future and the juveniles’ future that need to turn over a new leaf.

Table of Contents

1. Cognitive Abilities: Critical Thinking and Information Literacy

2. Research Skills3. Communication Skills: Oral and

Written4. Ethics and Diversity Awareness5. Foundations of Psychology6. Applied Psychology7. Interpersonal Effectiveness

Cognitive Abilities

Cognitive Abilities: Critical Thinking and Information

Literacy

ASP100/ASP100_MarkuM4A2.ppt

ASP100/ASP100_MarkuM5A2.ppt

PSY422/PSY422_M7A2_MarkuD.doc

Research Skills

Research Skills

PSY492/PSY492_M4A2_MArkuD.doc

SCI110_M5A2_MarkuD.doc

Communication Skills: Oral and Written

Communication Skills: Oral and Written

COM301/COM301_M3A2_MarkuD.doc

Random School/M6_A2_Marku_D_pamphlet.doc

Ethics and Diversity Awareness

Ethics and Diversity Awareness

SOC416_M3A2_MarkuD.doc

SOC416/SOC416_M5A2_MarkuD.doc

Foundations of Psychology

Foundations of Psychology

CJA105/CJA105M7_A2_MarkuD.doc

PSY415/PSY415_M4A2_MarkuD.doc

PSY415/PSY415_M6A2_MarkuD.doc

Applied Psychology

Applied Psychology

PSY250/PSY250_M4A2_MarkuD.doc

PSY415/PSY415_M3A2_MarkuD.doc

PSY422/PSY422_M5A2_MarkuD.doc

Interpersonal Effectiveness

Interpersonal Effectiveness

ASP100/ASP100_MarkuM8A2.doc

PSY180/PSY180_MarkuM7A2.doc

Critical Thinking

Even though critical thinking has been an area in which needs improvement, there has been many assignments and presentations which have been able to increase my critical skill capabilities…

CJA105/CJA105M7_A2_MarkuD.docCOM301/COM301_M3A2_MarkuD.docRandom School/M6_A2_Marku_D_pamphlet.docPSY415/PSY415_M6A2_MarkuD.docPSY415/PSY415_M3A2_MarkuD.docPSY415/PSY415_M6A2_MarkuD.doc

By continuing my education into a masters program, this will help to continue to increase my critical skill capabilities that need improvement.

My Future in Learning

Learning is a lifelong process. I envision my future as a lifelong learner consisting of many different endeavors.

• Continuing onto a masters program in Forensic Psychology to gain a large amount of information on the criminal justice system in correlation to the psychology field

• Working on my academic weaknesses: *Critical thinking given a psychological issue, *Oral communication skills when effectively presenting psychological concepts as appropriate to the audience, and *Knowledge of psychology in terms of recognizing the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, applications, and historical trends in psychology

• Acquiring as much knowledge on methods and processes in which one can use in order to help and improve the lives of juveniles who have entered the criminal justice system

Contact Me

Thank you for viewing my ePortfolio.

For further information, please contact me at the e-

mail address below. Danamarku@hotmail.com