Fluent Essays

I uploaded sample answers C.A.R.B. Stories Describe a Challenge you faced, the Action you took, the Result of that action, and what the Benefit was to individuals/the organization. Example of C.A.R.B. stories are attached. The goal is for you to incorporate such a story in a resume, cover letter, or even job interview! Challenge Action Result Benefit 1. For personal reasons, I was unable to file the Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) when making the transfer from high school to post-secondary education. Unfortunately, this barrier meant that I would not be able to receive federal financial assistance or various private scholarships that required my estimated family contribution (derived from the FAFSA). Moreover, I did not have an established credit history, so I was unable to apply for private student loans. After I was unable to work with financial advisors to address the problem, I decided to finance my education out-of-pocket. I financed 3 semesters at a local liberal arts college by working 2 full-time jobs during the school year, and 3 during the summer. Unfortunately, my attendence and academic performance sufferred, and I was physically unable to sustain this level of activity. I withdrew from the university and began looking for an alternative approach. I was unable to attend school for 2 years, during which time I replenished my personal savings, researched loopholes that would allow me to apply for the FAFSA, and moved to Arizona for a university with more opportunities and financial assistance. Through these adjustments, I have been able to work fewer hours and focus on my degree program. I have received Dean's List recognition every semester of enrollment at Arizona State University, am an officer in my honors society, have received awards for community service, and am set to graduate with honors in May. The struggles I faced during the onset of my post-secondary education have proven to be invaluable lessons. That was the first time I had ever encountered a situation through which I couldn't simply persevere. In addition to humility, this experience taught me to acknowledge my own limits, to efficiently manage my time and resources, and the value of taking the time to research and strategically plan my course of action prior to embarking upon it. I have been able to apply these lessons to my continued pursuit of higher education, as well as to my professional and personal endeavors outside of the university. 2. In high school, I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in a youth diversion program called Teen Court. There are variations of this program across the nation, but students in this program were able to act as jurors, attorneys, and judges in misdemeanor cases under the supervision of school administrators and a local magistrate. The program gave students exposure to evidentiary laws and procedures, court protocols, elements of statutes, and legal rights through sentencing trials. Defendents were sent to the program by schools or municipal and county courts, and they particpated in the program in exchange for the deferral of charges upon successful completion of their sentences. Despite the multiple avenues through which a teen could become a defendant in the program, eligibility was predicated on the case being the youth's first-offense. Unfortunately, a performance review of the diversion programs in the area concluded that defendents were able to have multiple charges deferred because there were too many independently operating programs. Local officials feared that this oversight could lead to moral hazard in the community, and comissioned a diversion council to address these problems. It became apparent early-on that we needed to route all youth diversion cases through a single organization in order to prevent exploitation of the system. Unfortunately, the organization that was elected for this task did not see the value in sending defendents from the municipal and county courts to the Teen Court program. This loss had a drastic impact on the funding we were able to secure for the program, and left us without enough cases to employ our volunteers. The Teen Court program was no longer viable in the new political landscape, but we didn't want students to lose the opportunities it provided. I worked closely with the Teen Court Coordinator and school officials to create an alternative program that would exclusively deal with school disciplinary hearings. Since we had a disproportionately large number of student volunteers who wanted to gain exposure and experience, we decided that the new program would take the form of a tribunal rather than a trial. We included as many elements from the original program as we could, especially regarding evidentiary laws and procedures, so that students would receive similar benefits as their predecessors. It took us most of the school year to draft the scripts, training materials, protocols, and rules of evidence for the tribunal, but we were able to successfully implement the new program before summer break. While although I wish that we had been able to secure the Teen Court program for future students, this experience helped me to cultivate a number of invaluable skills. The dissolution of the program afforded me the opportunity to participate in the creation of a new program. I was exposed to the administrative and executive functions of organizations, most of which are amenable to other organizations. This enabled me to better understand the big picture in both my business studies and employment. Additionally, I had to collaborate with a diverse group of people, and this experience taught me to balance competing interests, develop my communication skills, and improve my overall ability to work in a team setting. The research that was necessary for the proposal and development of the different materials and procedures allowed me to increase my own resourcefulness and analytical skills. Finally, the experience implementing a new program and procedures made me aware of gaps between theory and practice, and the flexibility required to adjust as necessary. CARB Storys C.A.R.B. Stories Describe a Challenge you faced, the Action you took, the Result of that action, and what the Benefit was to individuals/the organization. Example of C.A.R.B. stories can be found on Blackboard. The goal is for you to incorporate such a story in a resume, cover letter, or even job interview! “Get in the basement, quickly!” The F5 tornado was tenacious and aimed straight towards us. After it blew over, we arose from the basement to examine the damage. The neighborhood was now desolate. I immediately ran, rubble to rubble, looking for trapped persons who might still be alive. Thirty minutes later, and no sign of anyone. Just keep looking, I thought. I coordinated with others to systematically spread out; I knew there had to be somebody, and I was going to find them. We finally found an injured woman and assisted her to safety. Like the tornado, I am tenacious: not readily relinquishing, principled, and having course of action. I will also be a determined student. I first felt the benefits of being determined when I was on stage with my band. The crowd had their hands in the air singing my song. Lights were flashing with the rhythms of the music and my guitar. My drummer and I caught each other’s eye and we knew, “Finally, we made it.” After 7 years of playing music, my band was finally performing in the biggest venue in Arizona. My mind flashed back to the time I watched the Journey in concert DVD with friends. Don’t Stop Believing became my mantra when friends said, “Even if you learn guitar, it’s hard to find a gig anywhere.” The flashback relinquished and I continued to harmonize with the rest of my band. I will be the type of lawyer, that I am a musician. Being a musician can be arduous. It takes zest, collaboration and analytical intelligence. Musicians and lawyers alike, analyze notes and tempo that best fit the puzzle-like compositions. They perform the puzzles for their audience in a pure manner to convey the meaning of their songs. CARB Stories My first CARB story would have to be my current employment at University House, the apartment complex across the street from the Sun Devil Stadium. I am a leasing consultant there, but far more goes into student housing than selling leases. Working with international students has always been a challenge for me, but going to a university with a huge international student population I had no choice but to adapt. The hardest part is understanding cultural differences. When there is a language and social barrier, it was hard not to get frustrated with the international residents and potential clients. Slowly, I was able to grasp bits and pieces of the little English they knew and would be able to form together their wants and questions. I also did my research on language barriers and discovered an app where you can speak to each other in said language. But, the main skill that I developed would be patience. With time and practice, I am now able to work with not only international students, but have also enhanced my communication skills with any type of person dealt to me. I think it also important to reflect on my high school career. Throughout high school tennis, I struggled with, of course, tennis elbow (tendonitis). By sophomore year I was sitting out in unimportant matches to save my arm for those that mattered. By junior year, I at sometimes would not be able to hold a racket for more than 30 minutes, leaving me to only play ¼ of my season. I was heartbroken by the fact I could not see what the rest of the season had in store for me. I was projected to make it to state. I had gone to physical therapy the year before, but never took it seriously. But, I knew my senior year had to be different. I rejoined ATI physical therapy and went in full force. I worked out five days a week with the exercises given to me and came back my senior year in the best shape of my life. I came out as 2nd in conference, 3rd in sectionals, and finally made my high school goal of making it to state. Once I realized that truly setting your mind to something creates great achievements, I also worked harder in school, raising my grade point average by .35 points by senior year.