If you missed it, read this introduction by Vicki Pitstick, the Program Manager for the Second Year Transformational Experience Program (STEP).
The first two STEP students we’re featuring are DaVonti’ Haynes and Matthew Fry. Watch their stories on education and travel abroad, and then read some of their thoughts about STEP and digital storytelling below!
What do you want people to know about your story?
DaVonti’: I would like for people to gain a better understanding of just how complex inner-city and Appalachian school districts are.
Matt: The thing I want people to take from my story is how great traveling is. Many can perceive it as scary or unnecessary, but it can really make a huge difference. By taking a trip I was able to learn so much more about another part of the world and understand how people of a different culture live. I was also able to learn a lot about myself, which might be the most important part of the trip.
Why did you choose to report out in this way?
DaVonti’: I was inspired to report back this way because I knew that my experience was an on-going experience (outside of STEP) and I wanted to do something that I could continue to update and potentially add to a portfolio.
Matt: I chose to report back this way because I knew it was the easiest way to share my experience with the rest of the STEP community. My advisor had brought up the idea of us all making videos last year and I really like the idea. When the idea of a digital story was brought up I jumped on board because I knew that I could tell so many more people with a short video than a poster presentation.
What was the most challenging part of the workshop? Or the most rewarding to get through?
DaVonti’: I think the most challenging part of the workshop is deciding which parts of your experience to include in your story; because you have so many things you want to add, it’s hard to decide what to delete.
Matt: I think the most challenging part of the process was putting it all together at the end. It was a long process writing and editing the script for the story, but once I had that the task of putting it together proved to be harder. Finding the right music and pictures for the story was a very delicate process, and it didn’t help that I’m not the most tech savvy person. It was definitely worth it though. Seeing the finished process and receiving praise from my peers made me glad that I had decided to do the workshop.
What would you say to students about digital storytelling who are still deciding on how to report out their STEP experience?
DaVonti’: I would highly recommend every STEP student to report back via digital storytelling because it is a fun and easy way to reflect back on your experience, especially if your experience is on-going; as you could continue to add to it.
Matt: Digital storytelling, in my opinion, is the best way to report back about your experience. Instead of presenting at poster forum where there is only one chance for someone to learn about what you did, you now have a short video you can show anytime. You can keep it on your phone and show anyone with questions about what you did, plus it can be posted online so anyone can learn about your experience from the convenience of a computer or phone.
DaVonti’ is a 3rd year student in Public Affairs and hails from Cleveland, OH.
Matt is a 3rd year pre-med studying Microbiology, and he is originally from Springboro, OH.
I am terribly impressed with the Digital Storytelling projects of the STEP students. It’s fascinating to see the different ways in which the program affects them – contributing to their career goals, broadening their horizons, personal growth, etc. The digital story format captures a moment (okay, 3 1/2 minutes!) of the students’ introspection. I think this is an invaluable archive for current and future STEP participants to guide and encourage them in their own pursuit of a fulfilling proposal, and a concrete, long-lasting testament for university administrators and parents of the worth of this program.