MSLD 500_Activity 3.4_Kemp,Elijah

The Hunt Library has been a lifeline for me in my studies with ERAU, and the more I use it the more I realize how refreshing it is compared to typical search engines and informational databases. Traditional search engines offer researchers information from various sources, no matter how credible it is, but the Hunt Library offers sound information from credible sources that could have been reviewed by other students and faculty. For example, I typed the word “leadership” into the Hunt Library and it returned over 6 million results. Various content types like scholarly articles, peer reviewed articles, newspaper articles, and book reviews to name a few, were all generated and easily accessible for the student to use. When I typed the word “leadership” into Google it returned 81 million results, but the content that was returned was nowhere near as detailed as the Hunt Library, or as organized. Google generated everything from definitions to newspaper articles to businesses that offer leadership training.

In my opinion, the Hunt Library is tailored more to students than traditional search engines are. The content is much more detailed, easily accessible and simple to navigate, and the articles and content in general seem to be much more credible. The Hunt Library is student-friendly and serves as a great resource for any course that ERAU offers.

The Hunt Library was a great tool for me in my undergraduate studies, but it will be an even greater tool for me in my graduate studies. As mentioned earlier, the library is very easy to navigate around and has content readily available for almost any topic imaginable, especially leadership. Scholarly and peer reviewed articles are very convenient to use for term papers, and the newspaper articles are extremely beneficial for general discussions and questions throughout each course. It also makes it easy to cite because every piece of material in the library has a page showing the necessary information to give cite your work properly. The library is essentially a one-stop-shop for information, and with an 80-page paper on the horizon, the library is truly inviting.

ERAU has invested a generous amount of time and resources to ensure that students are being taken care of, and the Hunt Library is proof of that. 

MSLD 500_Activity 2.3_Kemp,Elijah

There are two areas in which I hold myself to very high standards: being a good husband and father, and also setting goals for myself.

I pride myself on dedicating almost all of my free time and energy to my family, whether it is helping them with something, cooking a meal, or having fun and enjoying a movie or sports game. Feeling loved and appreciated is perhaps the biggest benefit of being a “family man”, but there are several more. Being a good role model, setting a good example, and being a good provider are all added benefits of setting high standards as a father and a husband. I got married when I was 19, and I immediately had the responsibility of providing for my wife and my step-daughter. Because I had so much responsibility when I was young, I was forced to mature and grow up fast. My wife helped to develop my parenting skills, along with my confidence to live up to the high standards that her and I set for myself. Just as she holds herself to high standards as a mother and wife, I do the same in a father and husband capacity. Over the years I’ve fine-tuned my skills and abilities to overcome change and difficulties in my marriage while maintaining a good relationship with my wife. My maturity has increased every year with the help of my wife, through hard work and dedication. My priorities seem to have changed as well. My family now takes priority over every other person or function in my life, where they may not have in my early years of marriage.

I also hold myself to the standard of setting both short-term and long-term goals for myself. When I do not have goals in my future, I feel as if I am less accomplished, almost as if I have nothing to feel motivated about or to look forward to. My wife consistently empowers me to set goals for myself, both personally and professionally. My first goals included starting college courses and getting home from Iraq alive, and my current goals include finishing my master’s degree, obtaining a promotion at work, and spending more quality time with my family. I feel that over the years my goals have become more difficult to obtain. I enjoy achieving smaller goals that require less time and energy, but long term goals are typically harder to obtain and require much more effort, time, and resources. I think that as time goes by, I will become even more goal oriented. I also feel that this standard I hold myself to will have a positive impact on my first standard, which was being a good husband and father.

No goal is unattainable when you have the right people behind you.

MSLD 500 - Activity 1.6 - Kemp, Elijah

The foundation for critical thinking defines intellectual perseverance as having a consciousness of the need to use intellectual insights and truths in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or frustrations; firm adherence to rational principles despite the irrational opposition of others (http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/valuable-intellectual-traits/528).

In various careers today, especially those in leadership and managerial roles, intellectual perseverance is something that is visited on a daily basis. In my short professional career and in my time as an undergraduate student, I have had numerous opportunities to use my intellectual perseverance to overcome an obstacle, solve a problem, or succeed in a certain position. Being able to make the right decision at the right moment could mean the difference between success and failure, and as I progress in my educational and professional career, this term has never been more pronounced. Intellectual perseverance requires certain traits from an individual that come with experience and those that don’t. Courage, patience, and understanding are three very powerful words that come to mind when I think of this term. Having the courage to make decisions, talk through them, and deal with the consequences is enormous when pursuing a graduate degree, or facing a challenging situation at work. The same can be said for being patient with the process of succeeding, as success does not come easy in most tasks, and also for understanding the situation and views of others well enough to make informed decisions. Intellectual perseverance requires a higher degree of thinking that can be achieved through higher studies, so being able to develop as a critical thinker is pertinent to my success as a student and as a leader.

While I pursue my graduate degree with Embry-Riddle, I will draw from my past experiences as a leader to be successful. To me, intellectual perseverance and good leadership go hand-in-hand. Characteristics of a good leader include relating well to others, having the courage to make decisions, and understanding all view points before making the decision. Different strengths of different leaders can be leveraged to achieve different goals, and ultimately good leaders are respected, admired, and liked by their peers and followers. Building relationships with my peers in class and drawing from their knowledge, skills, and abilities is one way to help me maximize my learning potential as a graduate student. Also, understanding their viewpoints and taking them into consideration during discussions is essential to my development. I want to be able to actively engage the class and offer viewpoints that will help with their development as well.

I never thought I would be enrolled into a graduate degree program, nor did I think I would be a leader in my field, but the opportunity for me to prove myself as an effective and efficient leader has presented itself, both in my academic and professional careers. I have the opportunity to influence others who share the same desire to graduate with a degree in leadership, an opportunity to use my intellectual perseverance to complete challenging assignments and strenuous timelines. Just as I have made difficult decisions, removed obstacles for my team, and built relationships to accomplish tasks in my professional career, I will do the same in my educational endeavors. Some say good leaders are born, not made. In my opinion, good leaders can be made if they possess intellectual perseverance.