Reflection 1

Adolescence has only been recognized as its own stage of development recently. However, very few people actually understand what this stage really is, and I hope to learn how I can improve what people know about adolescents. In general, people know what to expect of children, and was it expected of them as adults. Adolescent, on the other hand, are always told that “they are no longer children” but at the same time they aren’t adults either. I hope that I will learn how to help people understand the best ways of helping define what it means to be an adolescent and what is expected of these individuals, so that they can benefit as much as possible in this transition period. Being in the Maternal & Child Health track has exposed me to many areas of child and adolescent health, and this course should help me promote what I learned in those courses. I am interested in working with youth who experience psychological problems such as anxiety or depression, and have previously worked with children in a hospital setting. Having a sister who is currently 14 also helps in giving me an idea of how adolescents act, which is very different than how my “generation” acted at that age, and I am only 23. Being able to learn how to communicate with this group will help greatly in promoting healthy practices which will benefit their lives in the future.

Vishal Gupta