Analysis Of “Here’s Herbie” Essay

This short story by Mike Feder, is about his own life as a discouraged teen in the 70’s society. When Mike was a young boy he was in a constant state of teenage depression, and one of the major reasons why, was his mother’s both mental and physical illness. This sickness of hers, made him sick as well, and it didn’t become any easier when his mother constantly reminded him, that he wasn’t wanted and that she wished she had never had children (p.62). This was just one of the many obstacles, that Mike had to face during his teenage years. Especially this factor is very clear to see in the story, since the narrator Mike, describes himself as a boy who was â€Å"possessed of great many psychosomatic complaints† (p. 62) We know in forehand that this is a true story, but when a narrator is writing about himself, it is very hard to determine if he is reliable or not, and to be honest I do not want to draw any conclusions since there could be solid argumentations for both parts. This story could easily be an exaggerated version of a childhood memory, but could also be an actual event. Some elements could indicate, that we have an unreliable author as for instance the long gab between the year he wrote the story and his age in the story, which we know by looking at the many passages of the story which reveals it as: â€Å"When I was a kid† or â€Å"When I was about fifteen† (both on p. 62) As a little wimp boy, Mike had a lot of fears, but on the top of the list was the long and adventurous trip to his allergist in Manhattan. He lived at the edge of the city, which meant, that there was a long way to his destination. The trip held a lot of terrors for Mike and he had â€Å"a department full of fears to play with† (p. 63). First of all he was quit afraid due to the violence in the train, but also other things as the powerful machines and the darkness of the underground frightened him. The funny thing is; as much as he hated the whole experience, he felt this kind of crazy excitement as soon as the train came rumbling and roaring into the station. Every single time he felt this adrenalin rush, which he love very much, and that made him forget about all his other fears. This could indicate that the theme in â€Å"Here’s Herbie† had something to do with the initiation of adulthood, since he is so passionate about this, that he forgets some of his childish  anxieties. This is obviously just one of the themes, where the main theme is growing up which in this case also contains being different. Mike liked to sit in the front of the train, because of two things, firstly because he felt â€Å"some sort of identification with the surge of power in the front† and then also because he could peek out of the front window. He wanted to stand up and look out of the window, but he could never seem to find any courage to do so. He speculated too much about what the others passengers might think of him, and the attention that position would draw. So he had to live with just glancing out of the window, from the corner of his eyes, every now and then. But this whole thing changed one day, because of one specific man named Herbie. Herbie was slump shouldered and had a nutty lopsided look on his face. He looked funny with his dim eyes and big hairy ears, but seemed careless anyways. This man just walked to the centre and started shouting: â€Å"Here’s Herbie! Here’s Herbie!† with absolutely no care in the world, and it was this kind of confidence Mike wanted to possess. Herbie then walked straight up to the front window of the train, with a plastic steering wheel and started â€Å"steering† the train, as if it was nothing. The one thing that Mike thought about doing every single time, Herbie did so abruptly. So despite Herbie’s shaggy appearance he actually achieved that one dream, that the narrator was embarrassed to fulfill. I think this was the point where Mike realized that he could never reach any of his own goals if he kept being afraid of what others might think of him. Experiencing Herbie just shouting into the void and pursuing his dream really got to him and changed him. (p. 67) This is a very simple goal, and is nowhere near something impossible, but no matter what the dream is or how big or small it is, the same rules apply. Nothing should stop you from pursuing your dreams, even if it’s just to look out of a train-window. This is why the message of this short story is so simple, yet so deep. It really applies to so many different occasions and almost everyone can relate to it. No matter if you want to be a president, or an artist or if your biggest dream is to try an awesome rollercoaster or climb Mount Everest, I really believe that nothing should keep you from doing what you want. Because at last Mike was so inspired by this odd man Herbie that he decided to look out  window, without thinking about the other passengers, and this really changed him. He might have gotten some pitiful stares or judgemental comments, but this was the first time in his life that he felt he was in command of it. So a lesson we can learn from this short story could be: Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Counseling Psychology Essays

Counseling Psychology Essays Counseling Psychology Paper Counseling Psychology Paper Richard is a 44 year old man who has been refereed to our agency for counseling by his doctor. Richard’s doctor believes he has a major drinking problem. Counseling sessions with Richard will be conducted in separate categories of psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural paradigms. The case study will help Richard and his counselors develop specific prevention, intervention, and treatment resources. Psychodynamic Paradigm Psychodynamics is defined as, â€Å"the mental and emotional process underlying human behavior and its motivation, esp. as developed unconsciously in response to environmental influences† (Webster’s 1982, p. 1147). In other words, psychodynamics is predominately concerned with unconscious conflict, until Erik Erikson came along. Erikson, a Neo-Freudian, came up with his own theory of development in psychodynamics called â€Å"psychosocial† (Funder 1997, p. 270). Erikson’s theory of psychosocial stages expands on Freud’s psychosexual stages as the basis of unconscious conflicts. Moreover, Erikson believes that â€Å"the ego does not just mediate between id impulses and superego demands. It is also a positive force in development. At each stage, it acquires attitudes and skills that make the individual an active, contributing member of society† (Berk 2001, 17). Thus, Ericson postulates the not all differences occur in the unconscious area of the mind- many conflicts are conscious. Richard has many identifiable unconscious and conscious conflicts going on in his mind. When a doctor announces that you have a drinking problem, the accused usually does not agree with the diagnosis. But when a professional mental health worker illustrates a number of specific factors that identify alcohol as a disease, the drinker begins to believe their problem is real. If you want to convince an alcoholic that they have a problem, you must get passed their denial. In addition, if the worker wants to treat the alcoholic, a problem has to be acknowledged by the drinker. My first step is to conduct an open-ended interview with Richard’s father. The premise for this interview is to gather as much information on Richard as possible to gauge the truthfulness of his story and to see if there is any family history of drinking problems. Richard’s father agrees that he may be to blame for the abandonment of Richard at the age of ten, but accepts no responsibility for Richard’s drinking problem or interpersonal relationship failures. Next, I got Richard’s previous medical records sent to me so I could go over his past case history. I ordered medical tests and an MRI to see if Richards liver, kidneys, or brain function has been damaged by the drinking. Finally, I sat down with Richard for his interview. During the interview I notice Richard is trying to project his problems on others instead of taking responsibility for his actions. Richard denies he has a drinking problem and blames his inconsistent behavior on depression. I allowed Richard to â€Å"free associate† the rest of his story to me. The prodromal stages leading up to the numerous disruptions in Richard’s personal and business life lead to the conclusion that Richard is in a mild for form of delusion as well. According to statistics in the United States on alcoholism and drinking: â€Å"14% of men are heavy drinkers† and â€Å"about one-third of these are alcoholics† (Berk 2001, p. 433). Berk goes on to point out that, â€Å"Alcohol acts as a depressant, impairing the ability of the brain to control thought and action. In heavy drinkers, it relieves guilt and anxiety. † John Higgins supports Berk’s analogy in his journal publication Psychodynamics in the excessive drinking of alcohol. Higgin’s concurs that â€Å"excessive drinking functions as a defense mechanism against anxiety† (p. 713). In other words, denial, Richard’s defense mechanism in his case, is leading to his delusion that depression is the cause of his problems with anxiety when in reality it is his alcoholism. Erikson uses his psychosocial stages of psychodynamics to explain Richard’s inconsistent behavior throughout his life. At the age of 9-11 years old Richard will go through Erikson’s theory of industry versus inferiority (Berk 2001, p. 320). The origins of Richard’s problems started in late childhood when his mother died and his father sent him away to boarding school. According to Sandra Hutchison she, â€Å"applies Erikson’s psychosocial stages of ego development to the understanding of children’s reactions to traumatic incidents† (2005, p. 174). The risk at this age is to gravitate towards an inferior and pessimistic outlook towards responsibility and moral obligations. It does appear that Richard did get affected by the traumatic events of his mother dying and his father abandoning him to acquire separation anxiety that led him to become an adult alcoholic. Richard’s problems carried through to middle adulthood. Alcoholism tends to run in families, is biological and psychological, and influenced by social factors and relationships (Oltmanns, Emerey, Taylor 2002, p. 382-383). Erikson labeled this stage of his theory generativity versus stagnation. In this stage of Erikson’s theory the middle aged adult decides to mix inner desires with cultural demands to prepare for the next generation. In Richard’s situation, there seems to be little self interest in external community welfare. For the time being Richard is completely focused on his self interests and over indulgence in alcoholism. According to Charles Slater there are seven psychosocial conflicts that give breadth to the central crisis in This stage of Erikson’s theory that include: 1. Inclusivity vs exclusivity. 2. Pride vs embarrassment. 3. Responsibility vs ambivalence. 4. Career productivity vs inadequacy. 5. Parenthood vs self-absorption. 6. Being needed vs alienation. 7. Honesty vs denial (2003, p. 53). As you can see from the description of Richard’s case story, he is in the negative field of all these identified categories of Slater. In other words, Richard is in Erikson’s stagnant part of the stage. Connecting Erikson’s late childhood theory to his middle adulthood theory sheds some light on the situation Richard faces. Richard will need an extensive and intense treatment plan to overcome his deep rooted alcoholic problems. How will Richard’s treatment structure proceed? First, Richard will be required to attend a 30 day alcohol treatment center. Second, Richard will require continued counseling sessions upon completion of his 30 treatment stay. A pilot study done by Daniel Coleman, that integrates psychodynamic theory with cognitive behavioural theory, will be used in conjunction with contemporary psychodynamic therapy to monitor Richard on a weekly basis (2005, p. 206). Third, with the recent empirical hypothesis confirmation of â€Å"unconscious mental processes and phenomenon such as repression and transference† (Funder 1997, p. 280), Richard would benefit from psychoanalytic therapy based on theories of childhood attachment to adult patterns of inter-relations of dysfunctional romances. My prognosis for Richard is deferred for the moment; however, his situation does look good if he is open to the treatment suggestions and lifestyle changes recommended in this case study. It will be a long road of recovery for Richard. Cognitive Behavioral Perspective Cognitive Behavioral Paradigm is defined as, â€Å"behavioral processes that underlie learning† (Oltmanns, Emery and Taylor 2002, p. 39). Oltmanns et el goes on to list the influences of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as originating on the introspection of William Wundt and influenced by Ivan Pavlov (classical conditioning), B. F. Skinner (operant conditioning), and John B. Watson ( behaviorism). However, social learning theories such as J. B. Rotter and Albert Bandura’s, brought CBT into the current research era. Today’s psychologists and counselors may define the complex paradigm cognitive psychology as, â€Å"patterns of individual differences in behavior and the psychological processes behind them,† (Funder 1997, p. 409), as an accurate description of current CBT. Since its early influence the importance of cognitive processes in learning has been identified and â€Å"behavioral† has been modified to â€Å"cognitive. † Today CBT is â€Å"the scientific study of mental process† that â€Å"account for human behavior† (Hunt, Ellis 1999, p. 32). Richard has many obvious problems that can be categorized as â€Å"learned† and â€Å"cognitive. † When Richard was abandoned by his father after his mother’s death, he learned how to cognitively detach his feelings from loved ones. CBT would suggest that people like Richard who suffer mood swings are affecting their encoding, retrieval, and schema network of memory and facilitating a cognitive break from their emotional state. In other words, Richard is his own worst enemy. The mental processing of Richard’s mind also affects his perception. Thus, his cognitive melt down of three failed marriages, abusive nature, and excessive job firings and demotions, are all comorbid with Richard’s main disorder of alcoholism. Three areas of the memory and one area of information processing have been identified in cognitive psychology: Short term, working, and long term memory along with the sensory/perception (where veridical information is processed) buffer. Some of the possible etiological causes are rather complex in Richard’s past memories. The tragic incident of his mother’s death encountered as a developing young child is obviously the start of Richard’s deep rooted processing problems. First, I believe that the core cognitive problem for Richard is PTSD from the mother’s death. Second, the complex nature behind PTSD makes the disorder cyclical. Is it the traumatic event which caused Richard to become a cognitive processing mess and an alcoholic; or, is it Richard’s premorbid personality characteristics that caused the alcoholism? Third, in my opinion because Richard shows no previous history of psychological problems before his mother’s death, and due to the fact that all his problems seem to generate from that one incident, I see his alcoholic disorder, and the cognitive processing failures of his memory influence on current decisions, being a direct relation to his tragic memory of his mother’s death, and future abandonment by his father, to be the motive and underlying reasons to the pathology behind his alcoholism. Richard’s mental processing of events seems to be mixed with faulty memory dispensation, PTSD, and poor judgment. Treatment will need to function from a new set of developed strategies for Richard in CBT. The recommended treatment plan for Richard will begin with short term motivational therapy (STMT). Because Richard was ten years old when the tragic event occurred, and no Critical Incident Stress Debriefing took place at the time, Richard will need STMT to recognize the severity of his problem(s). Next, Richard will undergo a new PTSD screening test developed by Rachael Kimerling et el called the Validation of a brief screen for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder with substance use disorder patients (2006, p. 2074). Following the STMT Richard will require intense coping skills training and relapse prevention techniques therapy. Richard should also be put in Aversion Therapy (Oltmanns, Emery, Taylor 2002, p. 85), so his alcoholism can be associated with the unpleasant consequences of his behavior where his sight, smell, and taste of alcohol are paired with the nausea. Furthermore, I would like to see Richard join an alcoholic’s anonymous group. I believe that once the PTSD is dealt with, as Sudie Back et el confirmed in their study Symptom Improvement in Co-Occurring PTSD and Alcohol Dependence, that the alcoholism will be reduced to an after affect of the larger problem. Moreover, Back et el backs up my diagnosis by stating, â€Å"PTSD had a greater impact on improvement in alcohol dependence symptoms than the reciprocal relationship† (2006, p. 690). If the alcoholism remains as the excuse for Richard’s destructive behavior after the PTSD has been immobilized, I will recommend future treatments. Richard went a long time without help; however, the good news is that the treatment for PTSD clients has a high outcome of success (Oltmanns, Emery, Taylor 2002, p. 245) once a resolution and strategic treatment plan for the symptoms is put into motion. I expect Richard to make a noticeable recovery in his cognitive processing activities a year from now. At that point I will reassess Richard’s treatment. Analytical Comparison On the one hand, psychodynamics does not originate from empirical evidence; cognitive theories do. Psychodynamics postulates that sexuality is the basis for unconscious conflicts; cognitive psychology disagrees. Psychodynamics relies on human interpretation of dream analysis and other psychoanalytic treatments; cognitive psychology is backed with experimental qualitative and quantitative data. On the other hand, psychodynamics raises some questions that border on genius; while cognitive therapy (the most popular in psychology today) is deluged with redundant questions and experiments bordering over-kill. Psychodynamics is beginning to empirically test and answer some of the questions it raises; cognitive theory seems to be raising more questions than it can answer. In the end, each theory has its positive and negative points; the disorder, and the person, will have to decide which therapy to choose. References Back, S et el 2006, ‘Symptom Improvement in Co-Occurring PTSD and Alcohol Dependence’, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease’, Vol 194 (9), pp. 690-696. Berk, L 2001, Development Through the Lifespan, 2nd edn, Allyn Bacon, Boston. Coleman, D 2005, ‘Psychodynamic and cognitive mechanisms of change in adult therapy: A pilot study’, Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, Vol 69 (3), pp. 209-219.

Leadership within the organization effective learning processes

Leadership within the organization effective learning processes Introduction The decisions made by leaders determine the success of an organization; they have the role of mentoring and creating a learning environment to enhance the performance of their teams.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Leadership within the organization: effective learning processes specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The main difference between a leader and a manager is that leaders lead people while managers manage tasks; with this role, leaders must develop appropriate mechanisms of enhancing learning and staff participation in an organization Muller, J., (Maclean and Biggs, 2009). This paper discusses the most critical areas for leadership within the organization to concentrate on in developing effective learning processes. Creating a positive Organizational culture To have an environment favorable for learning, leaders must create a positive organizational culture that rewards success and efforts of a n employee. When employees have invented or innovated something, the management should recognize them; this will motivate them learn more and innovate others. Within teams, it is area that employees learn a lot amongst and from each other, leaders have the role of developing an orchestrate team that embraces team spirit. This will enhance knowledge and experience sharing that leads to learning of new traits and tactics by employees. The leader should be delegating duties and power effectively to create an urge in his team members to learn and improve their skills. Toyota Motor Corporation has a culture that facilitates learning, the company even has a training institute where its employees can enroll for sponsored course, and this facilitates learning in the organization. Enhancing appropriate human resources practice Organizations with a well-structured human resources management enhance a learning experience, employees in such organizations are highly motivated and they have the w ill to develop themselves through learning process. Human resources has the role of creating numerous training programs as demanded by the organization; team leaders has the role of advising the human resources on the trainings they will facilitate, this will enhance the growth of learning spirit in the organization.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Zappos shoe company has been successful in the business because of its effectively managed human resources; the internal customers enjoy some benefits which include are free medical care and lunches, free vending-machines, fully equipped-free library and a nap room; the policies aims at developing team spirit that facilitates learning of new tricks and tactics (Zappos Official Website, 2011). Involvement of team members in decision-making An efficient leader should involve his team in decision-making. Leaders have t he role of implementing strategies, entrepreneurial and mandated with the role of creating a winning team. Different situations and organization calls for different leadership styles, thus management should ensure that they understand the kind of style that can be implemented in their organization. When team members are involved in decision-making, they get a chance to learn from each other as well as from the leadership (Hornsby Warkeoczeski, 2000). The success of Apple Inc has been attributed to a robust team that is willing to learn and in the process, it has developed numerous inventions and innovations. How organizations should account for the societal aspects affecting organizational learning and knowledge Organizations need to recognize that external factors/forces affect learning and knowledge development in the organization. To ensure that the effect is not negative, an organization needs to have good relationship with the external environment. To create good environment, a company need to be ethical in its processes and adopt corporate social responsibility activities; this will enhance the relationship that the company have with the external environment. Culture within the environment of operation has an effect on an organizational learning and knowledge development, a company should develop culture intelligence programs to reduce the risk of contradicting the culture of internal and external customer, when this is done it will enhance learning within the organization (Meinolf, Ariane, John and Ikujiro, 2003) References Hornsby, T. and Warkeoczeski, L. ,2000. New roles for leaders: A step-by-step guide to competitive advantage. Franklin: Hillsboro Press. Meinolf, D., Ariane, A., John, C. and Ikujiro, N.,2003. Handbook of Organisational Learning and Knowledge. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Leadership within the organization: effective learning processes specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Muller, J., Maclean, R. and Biggs, H., 2009. The impact of a supportive leadership program in a policing organization from the participants perspective. Work, 32(1),Pp. 69-79. Zappos Official Website, 2011. Zappos.com.

Write Daily or Not

Write Daily or Not Stephen King (On Writing) and Julia Cameron (The Artists Way) believe strongly in writing daily. A few others, however, argue that writing daily isnt necessary. So whats a new or struggling writer to decide is the best for them? My take on writing daily is this: DO IT EVERY DAY. Until you find a voice, until you know your direction, until you are a hard-core writer and not a hob Unfortunately when you stop writing for a period, or skip weeks between poems or chapters, you lose ground. You backslide. Its like building a house for a week then letting the weather erode it for a couple months, then you go back to it and have to spend several days fixing whats deteriorated due to neglect. And thinking about writing doesnt work. It doesnt count. While it feels good, and you might consider new ideas to write about, its not writing. Nothing is a substitute for putting words down for a conclusion. Now there may come a day when you have so much on your plate, that you feel discombobulated. Too many deadlines, too confused where to take a scene, uncertain whether a character is needed. At that point, take a day off. Maybe even a weekend but only after youve been writing so steadily that you are honed to scribble each day. My light day is Saturday after a busy Friday putting out newsletters, when Im most likely to have family drop in. There have been times when Ive been at conferences and missed three days, but Im itching to get back to business Youll build your writing in layers. Your talent doesnt embed itself into your brain unless its repeated on a steady basis. If you put weeks and months between your chapters, be prepared to have to do a lot of starting over. Like going to college, taking Spanish 1 this year, and Spanish 2 three years from now a lot is going to be lost in the interim. Yes, you might have been writing for years. But how many years would it really be if you tallied only those days you actually wrote? Write daily. Youll be flabbergasted at your rate of improvement.

Planning & Property Development- Development Appraisal Essay

Planning & Property Development- Development Appraisal - Essay Example Projects are also underway to develop high speed train links between London and Europe to the midland and northern cities of England. There is a rich and diverse presence of flora and fauna around but there are currently no tree preservation orders at the site. The site has also been used for cement works (currently), tourism (currently), agricultural purposes (1800s), canal warehouses (1935s), and canals and railways (1840s). There site also the boasts the presence of historical sites (museums and galleries), entertainment and leisure facilities, a shopping complex and hotels. All these amenities are within close proximity to one another and also in the city centre where the main attractions are located. The site is in a flood warning area and therefore due caution must be taken when putting up structures on the site. It is however, very accessible through the excellent public transport links which include bus, train and even cycling routes. The highest traffic volume is recorded by commercial vans and lorries. There is also a short supply of off-street parking as evidenced by fully parked spots at both sides in the surrounding roads. The site also enjoys legal access to the nearby warehouse, Fazeley street properties and also into the cement works. The site also enjoys the public right of way on the canal towpath. The objective is to use the site as a yardstick for the development options it provides. After this, those options will also be appraised financially by using appropriate financial methods. The financial appraisal method selected for this exercise is the traditional residue site value (RSV) budget (Guy 2002, pg. 43). Although financial data has not been provided, this wil l not be a hindrance to a recommendation on which development option is the best for Mr. Brown’s estate. Financial appraisal will be based on factors like finance charges, design period, rental fees, yield, plot ratio, letting

Conclusions and recommendations Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Conclusions and recommendations - Dissertation Example The researcher also adopted the use of interview as a research instrument to sample views from workers of the company. The research instrument was used on five out of six members of the company, which represents 83.3% of the staff strength of the company. The data that was collected was well presented and analysed. With information from these primary and secondary data collected, the researcher has drawn the following conclusions about the recruitment and selection process at B&M Company and other pertinent organisational issues that relate to the company. Efficiency and Effectiveness of Recruitment Method Because of the size of the company’s staff, it employs external recruitment method. Pillar (2011), ‘External recruitment is when organizations looks to fill the vacancy from any suitable applicant outside organizations.’ To attract applicants for vacant positions, the company advertises in local community newspaper. The company restricts itself to the local comm unity newspaper in order to minimise the number of prospective applicants because of the size of the company. It was also said that the company did not have enough funds to embark on mass publicity. This mode of advertisement however affected the effectiveness of the recruitment process. This is because it did not expose the company to reaching a large human resource base. The company should have known that the wider the range of jobseekers, the wider the range of human resource with abilities and knowledge they would have attracted. ‘Promotion and advertisement are directly linked to marketing because the promotional campaigns tend to have a huge effect on the reception of the product. Good marketing is something that helps your business grow bigger.’ (McCollister, 2007) The company however had a very detailed job description and job specification. Job description is a written statement showing job title, tasks, duties and responsibilities involved in a job. It also pr escribes the working conditions, hazards, stress and relationship with other jobs. Job specifications, also known as man or employee specifications, is prepared on the basis of job specification. It specifies the qualities required in a job incumbent for the effective performance of the job (Prasad, 2007). Because the job description and job specifications were very detailed, prospective employees had a very good idea of what the company was looking for. This approach, in no uncertain terms reduced the chances of the company having to waste resources and time interviewing people who did not have what the company was looking for. Efficiency was therefore recorded here. Efficiency and Effectiveness in Recruitment Processes The major recruitment processes involved giving feedback on candidates who were shortlisted and the interview itself. The feedback process was very effective. Most workers interviewed said they had feedback on their application was well communicated to them and they were made aware of all that to expect in the interview. It was also confirmed that the feedback was very prompt. When interviewees receive prompt feedback on their candidature to attend interviews and the interview requirements are well communicated to them, it enhances efficiency during the interview itself because it reduces the incidence of time wastage because the interviewees come well prepared. It also ensures efficiency of man power as interviewers do not do a lot of talking, explaining the interview routine

Educational Program of the Graduate School of Computer and Information Essay

Educational Program of the Graduate School of Computer and Information Science at Nova Southeastern University - Essay Example Respectfully, the following paragraphs are the stories of my open -book life as I knock on my New Alma Mater's door with hope and understanding.My life has been focused on two major goals. First, my long-term goal in obtaining this degree will be to increase the intensity of my continuing contributions to the field of Information Technology (Mcginn, 2008). To this end, I will light that midnight oil as I engross myself in the exchange of intelligence information among my classmates and mentors as a graduate student at Nova Southeastern University. But, my ultimate goal is to inspire innovation and passion for Computer Science in the lives of my future students. For, I firmly believe that someday many will continue the fire burning in me to touch the lives people in all walks of life through the use of information technology. Definitely, both goals can be achieved faster because I have found the missing link.And, I learned that the unique educational program of the Graduate School of Computer and Information Science at Nova Southeastern University is one of the many features why many students study and research here. For, one of the main reasons for my selection of Nova Southeastern University is its Cluster classroom format. Since I am a firm believer in the concept of teamwork, I believe the cluster meetings will be beneficial for me as I network and team with others in my field with the guidance and wisdom of my instructors.