Loraine Navales

My name is Loraine, and I am a returning student at Normandale Community College. I am currently enrolled studying with a part-time schedule. Although it’s been a while since I first stepped foot inside this campus, I’ve always felt regret not finishing college. Presently I’m employed as a full-time airline cabin crew for a U.S. carrier I’ve been employed with for nearly 14-years. I thoroughly enjoy my role as an airline crew, and someday hope to advance in my career. However, an undergraduate degree is required in leadership roles by my employer and that’s why I’ve decided to finish my education with plans to major in Communication.

Normandale College is a fantastic school, and the staff have made the process of my return convenient. An academic advisor suggested that one of the first classes I’m enrolled in should be Psychology Applied to Modern Life. Even though I’ve never taken a Psychology class before, the subject always fascinated me, so I was eager to learn more. I enrolled in the course and my professor is the talented and supportive, Dr. Korinne Cikanek. My impression before taking this class was of course a focus on studying human behavior, but I didn’t expect my focus would turn personal. Dr. Cikanek is often asking her class to take the lesson from our textbook and apply it to our own life. The knowledge I’ve gained from taking this course is thought-provoking because not only am I reflecting on my past decisions, but it often provides clarity about other people’s behavior that led me to that decision. This class has given me the tools to better understand why the dynamics I have between my personal and professional relationships are the way they are currently.

I’ve experienced some significant personal challenges in the past few weeks and the valuable message I’ve taken from this course has allowed me to identify qualities from my interpersonal relationships that has left me with hope. Also, it hasn’t been easy for me to tackle studying while traveling for work full-time, but this course shares significant advice on how to handle life’s challenges such as stress. Therefore, I am confident in the lessons I’ve learned from this course will allow me to perform well in my professional career since it has helped me in my personal life.

^{All info expressed here represent the student’s personal story and perspective.}