My group interviewed Doctor Edward J. Latessa, Professor and Director of the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati. In reviewing Doctor Latessa's biography, it was crystal clear that he specialized in the field of recidivism, a topic prevalent in the criminal justice system. Doctor Latessa's expertise in corrections lead to a discussion about the obstacles prisoners face upon release back into the real world, focusing mainly on the risk factors of their environments. In specific, Doctor Latessa classified prisoners into groups of high-risk and low-risk in terms of continual incarceration, stating the importance of directing attention toward those who are more likely to repeat their actions due to toxic surroundings. Doctor Latessa believes in the model of cognitive behavioral reconstruction as the most effective approach to reducing recidivism rates, highlighting the processes of changing thoughts toward illegal activities and teaching skills to prevent old habits. Doctor Latessa encourages students to participate in mentor and volunteer programs with prisoners in order to shine a light on the world outside of crime, such as education and literacy. Moreover, Doctor Latessa targeted the profession of nursing, creating an indirect connection between the two unrelated areas in the nurses' abilities to identify adults with substance addictions and children who have been abused.
In reflection of this interview, I linked nursing to the criminal justice system in ways previously foreign to my mindset. Doctor Latessa identified violence as the biggest problem and most concerning issue facing the criminal justice system. Nursing equips students with the knowledge and nerve to treat the effects of violence on humankind. Therefore, there is a continuum of positive medical treatment in the hospital atmosphere and negative unlawful repercussions in the courthouse, both ends of the spectrum dependent on the situation. The nurses are instructed to dismiss their opinions, whereas judges are required to analyze and conclude their verdict. On the other hand, nurses and judges must initially understand the situations of violence in order to provide the appropriate responses, both medically and politically. I learned the significance of relating to patients at a vulnerable level, opening the door to a new friend for the victim or perpetrator. This extended hand and warm welcome into relaxation can allow the person to be more comfortable in discussing what happened and what is to come, crucial information for treatment and their court date. Despite their seemingly opposite qualities, both divisions encounter violence on a daily basis and rely on each other in order to succeed against its force.
I am driven by my passionate beliefs in creativity, knowledge, and passion. I pursue these passions by utilizing my core strengths of focus, analytical, and relator. I plan to live out these values through opportunities where I am organizing and collaborating to achieve connection and leadership that impacts medical settings and college students.To do so, I seek opportunities to use scenario planning and research best practices. When I face challenges or obstacles along the way, I will remember to stay flexible and take care of myself.
Experiential learning in the world outside of academia translates to following your dreams and chasing your opportunities. As a Global Citizen Scholar at the University of Cincinnati, the Honors Program channeled its energy into transforming my mindset. A lifestyle of limit blossomed into untapped potential. Throughout the first few weeks of school, brainstorming for Honors Experiences left me grappling at any source of stimulus for an idea or concept. The strict semester schemas of Nursing chopped my possibilities in half, and the remaining options failed to light a spark within my interests in the medical field. The square footage and nature of the areas in which I roamed in search of my answer radiated conventionality. Basic internships and co-ops with local hospitals summed up my research. The missing puzzle piece of creativity lacked presence, and the passion toward the process fled the scene. Plans of pursuing a distant degree in Anesthesia seemed of no importance to my current undergraduate situation as an unqualified student. Week after week, class after class, the thoughts bore weight and claimed the front-seat of my thinking. Networking and communication of my strengths with faculty, friends, and family landed me a summer internship in the Emergency Room at Akron Children’s Hospital, which further extended into weekly lunch meetings and conferences involving the Anesthesia Department. The extra step added purpose, as it utilized an opportunity to seize a dream. Collaborating with research professors in a medical setting at a young age seemed impossible with limits, yet became possible with potential.