Name: Claire Achen

Year: Junior
Field: Dance
Second Language: Spanish

My personal learning plan for the 2016-2017 academic year includes the following goals and
activities.

1. Leadership
I will develop my leadership skills by participating in the Honors class, Growing the
Leader in You in the fall. I plan on learning more about myself as a leader in the
course and reflecting on how I can apply this information to my work in the Honors
Program and in life.
o Demonstration of acquisition of skill: I will write a reflective essay on how
this class will apply to future leadership endeavors and the discoveries I made

about myself as a leader.

I will be a part of the mentor/mentee program, organized by the Student Dance
Coalition. I will serve as a mentor throughout the year to an incoming freshman. My
job will be to warmly welcome them into the dance program and provide them with
academic and social support throughout the year.
o Demonstration of acquisition of skill: I will compile a list of activities and
events that I did with my mentee, along with including a short reflections from
myself and my mentee on what we learned from each other about leadership

and the connection we shared with each other over the year.
2. Global Citizenship
I will take part in a trip to France over spring break with students from the dance and
art departments. I plan on learning some basic French in order to communicate with
French citizens and feel even more connected to the new culture I will be surrounded
by.
o Demonstration of acquisition of skill: I will create a PowerPoint presentation
that highlights some of the sites I saw and different experiences I had on the

trip. In the presentation, I will also include examples of the French I learned

and how I was able to utilize this newly acquired language during the trip.
I will attend a cultural night or lecture on campus that provides me with new insight
on a culture that I am not familiar with.
o Demonstration of acquisition of skill: I will write a short reflection on what I
learned about the culture and the topics covered. I will also reflect on how my
view of this culture has been altered and some of the interesting and impactful

information I learned.
3. Research
I will conduct research on a topic relating to dance history. I will either generate a
creative project or write a paper on a specific topic and submit a thesis to the
Undergraduate Research Symposium.
o Demonstration of acquisition of skill: I will submit a video of myself

presenting my research.
I will complete further research on a location, event, dance form, or piece of art that
intrigued me from my trip to Paris.
o Demonstration of acquisition of skill: I will provide a brief research paper that
provides me further knowledge on a chosen topic from the trip. This paper
will give me the opportunity to practice and utilize my information literacy
skills.