1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.
My STEP signature project was traveling to Bozeman, Montana in order to participate in a wilderness safety and first aid course. This covered the basics of how to respond when someone is injured, and help cannot reach them quickly.
2. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.
One of the most transforming aspects of my STEP projects was having to acknowledge that there are quite a few places that are very different from what I am used to and do not have easy access to a hospital. It was also important to realize that there are constraints on what medical tools can be packed or are accessible to people in the wilderness. Having to consider so many constraints and the possibility of having to improvise first aid has made me realize that there are times and places that do not have all of the same luxuries that are present in a developed city.
Another thing that I learned to do was take charge in important situations so that it is possible to effectively coordinate a response and provide care to someone who is injured. Without being able to take charge I realized that things tend to take longer to finish.
3. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.
One of the most influential experiences that I had while doing this STEP project was based on the way that the wilderness first aid course was set up. Due to the size of the class, the instructors split the students into 3 groups which rotated between the first responder in charge, someone who attacks as an untrained helper to flip the patient as needed, and a patient with a specific complaint. The structure of hands-on practice made everyone be aware of everything they could and could not do to help a patient based on the resources and training that they had on hand. By having to improvise a stop-gap solution for different kinds of situations, I became aware of what I was able to do and what I would need if I was worried about certain health events occurring.
Additionally, the structure of the practice with someone who had to take charge and someone who followed their lead led me to practice leadership in different scenarios. Since the other person was supposed to follow my lead, I had to learn how to quickly communicate what I was thinking and planning concisely to another person while also not alarming the injured person. The last part of my project that inspired change in my outlook on life was when I had to follow someone else’s directions.
When communicating, I have also not had to be aware of a third party as part of the audience. This class made me think about how information could be communicated on the severity of the issue without alarming someone else. Having to anticipate the needs of multiple groups reacting to one piece of information was difficult at first as trying to explain to someone that they would need to be evacuated from the wilderness without concerning them too much.
4. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.
I think that having some experience in learning to care for a patient where I would have to be proactive and direct a response led me to learn how to gain more experience in coordinating a response and taking decisive actions. I think this will benefit me by allowing me to use some of these skills in any other context. For example, realizing that there will always be constraints on what supplies are available is important in all aspects of life. Additionally practicing taking decisive actions and making leadership decisions will give me more confidence to act or take charge when it is necessary for the future.
