Final Reflection

Final Capstone Reflection

When I first entered the Bachelor of Integrated Professional Studies program, I came with a practical goal: finish my degree and open doors to more stable, meaningful work. What I did not anticipate was how fully the program would reshape how I think, how I lead, and how I define impact. BIPS taught me to hold complexity without flinching, to build solutions that are human-centered and data-grounded, and to see my personal story not as a detour but as a strategic asset. The capstone project, designing a mobile CPR and First Aid instruction model, became the canvas where those shifts took form.

How I Think Differently

Before BIPS, I tended to approach problems linearly: identify a gap, apply a fix, move on. The program trained me to pause and ask better questions: Whose needs are centered? What assumptions am I carrying? Where are the leverage points in the system? I learned to hold opposing ideas in tension long enough to discover a third, better option. That integrative stance now shows up everywhere, in how I plan projects, communicate with stakeholders, and evaluate trade-offs between quality, access, and sustainability.

Courses That Changed Me

Design Thinking catalyzed my shift from solution-first to empathy-first. Conducting interviews, synthesizing patterns, and prototyping quickly taught me that accessibility problems are rarely just about logistics; they’re also about confidence, culture, and trust. This course gave me the toolkit to design with, not just for, the people I serve.

Systems Thinking expanded my lens. Mapping relationships among schools, EMS, employers, and community centers revealed how CPR training is tied to broader health-equity dynamics. I learned to look for feedback loops, bottlenecks, and incentives, which helped me structure the mobile program for durability, recurring partnerships, shared resources, and clear accountability.

Understanding Data grounded my decisions. I built simple tracking mechanisms for participation, confidence gains, and satisfaction, and practiced turning raw numbers into visual stories that inform choices. Data stopped being a compliance task and became a living feedback system to iterate the model.

Contemporary Media Literacies sharpened the communication layer, how to make complex information clear, inclusive, and credible across formats. From infographics to micro-explainers, I gained a language for persuasion that respects audience diversity and attention.

Self-Awareness helped me see my values, service, equity, reliability, not as nice-to-haves but as design constraints. It also surfaced strengths (organization, empathy, follow-through) and growth edges (delegation, boundary-setting) that now inform how I lead collaborations.

Global Awareness & Intercultural Competence reminded me that outreach is ethical work. The way we schedule, price, phrase, and illustrate training either lowers barriers or reinforces them. This course pushed me to embed cultural responsiveness into the program’s operations, not just its marketing.

Beyond the core, electives and general education courses added essential threads: professional writing improved my proposals and grant language; technology-focused coursework made me comfortable with hybrid learning tools and simple dashboards; and leadership content gave me pragmatic strategies for change management.

What Changed in Me

Across the program, my goals matured from “complete a degree” to “build a mission-aligned, operationally sound service.” I now see myself as a connector, translating between clinical standards, community needs, and organizational realities. I also think more long-term. Instead of aiming for a single pilot, I plan for sustainability: recurring contracts, train-the trainer pathways, and quality assurance that scales. Perhaps most importantly, I trust my voice. The program affirmed that lived experience, disciplined inquiry, and careful design can coexist and that combination is precisely my value.

How Coursework Changed My Path

The capstone is the clearest example of coursework shaping direction. Empathy research from Design Thinking reframed my audience and delivery model. Systems maps informed partnership strategy and logistics. Data literacy guided metrics and evaluation. Media literacies helped me craft recruitment and instructional materials. Self-Awareness and Global Awareness ensured that the model honors both dignity and difference. The result is an offering that is not just possible but responsible.

Implementation and Evidence of Growth

As I move from plan to action, I’m applying BIPS habits in sequence:

Define & Empathize: Begin with stakeholder interviews and a needs scan.
Map & Align: Use systems maps to select sites with the greatest leverage.
Prototype & Pilot: Run small, time-boxed sessions; collect baseline and post-training confidence.
Measure & Iterate: Visualize participation, satisfaction ((≥4.5/5), and confidence change (target (≥80% post-training).
Sustaining & Scale: Secure 2-3 recurring partnerships for annual recertification; reinvest revenue in equipment and outreach.

This disciplined cadence reflects how my thinking evolved, evidence-led, people-first, and operationally grounded.

Where I Go From Here

In the near future, I will launch two micro-pilots (weekday and weekend), finalize a blended curriculum, and formalize partnerships with schools and local employers. Longer term, I aim to develop a regional training network with a light franchise or affiliate model, maintain rigorous quality standards, and publish results so others can replicate what works. I also plan to keep refining my skills, data visualization, grant writing, and digital learning design, to strengthen both impact and sustainability.

Closing Reflection

The BIPS program gave me more than credits; it gave me a way of seeing. I leave with a clarified purpose, a tested toolkit, and a project that mirrors my values; accessible, credible, and community-centered. I am proud of the work I’ve completed, but even more grateful for the mindset I’ve gained, one that will continue to shape how I serve, collaborate, and build.

Where I go next is simple: forward, with empathy in one hand and evidence in the other, committed to turning preparation into possibility for the communities I love.