Public Achievment

My name is Lindsey Garnett (Go Celtics) and I took part in a PA class through MCTC as part of my EDU major. My experience with PA was a lot different than I thought it was going to be. I didn't have a clue as to what this class would entail. I thought we'd be doing public work like tutoring because that's what I have to do for service hours and such for all of my other classes. This was by far the best educational experience I've had since junior high when I had a teacher that instilled in me the power of PMA (positive mental attitude). PA was lead by a strong instructor. We had great coaches and a small and intimate class setting where we developed solid public relationships with one another. I liked the way this course made me think with a newer, brighter, more energy efficient bulb. Power is something we all possess and it's amazing how often we overlook this great tool that sits at the top of the tool box. It's a tool that too many people abuse, which is why the word used to rub me the wrong way. I like how this course showed me how I could use this tool towards my advantage. Learning PA sometimes hurts because of all of the thinking that occurs, but I like how it interrupted some of my old thinking patterns and opened so many doors.

My PA team developed a summer program for 11-14 year olds and will launch in a few weeks in St. Paul at a community center. We decided to use power as one of our themes while designing the curriculum. We're going to focus in on building a sense of community, leadership skills, confidence, and power development. It's got lots of potential to be fun and serious, educational and entertaining. I'm excited. The whole process of getting from A to Z was all new to me. It's now an invaluable part of my life.

Some of the more difficult things I encountered throughout this project were communication and accountability with my teammates as well as overcoming (sort of) my phobia of the word public and taking part in a public action group. I was initially really bothered by the lack of time we had to throw down on this project, but we somehow managed to fit it all in.

The good experiences were GREAT, but I learned most from the difficult situations that occurred within my group and within in my own head. All this critical thinking and new thinking hurts I tell you. Luckily I'm an athlete and have a sickness for loving the pain of a good work out, even when it's the brain muscle being targeted. Public Achievement...Just Do It!