While Summer Xie was earning a degree in Human Ecology's family studies stream, she was so wary of interacting with children she actually claims, "I didn't like kids."
Yet completing a practicum that was a condition of graduating turned her around so completely she is now searching for a career that definitely involves them.
"I was afraid of taking responsibilities (with children)," said the international student from China, who graduated at the end of 2015. "I didn't think I could always give them the right directions and always have the right plan to deal with their mistakes."
After working for 200 hours with the Family Futures Resource Network, facilitating early childhood programs, and also independently creating a project to educate young mothers about their children's brain development, her confidence soared.
Now living in China again, Xie is interviewing for positions in childhood education or in counselling families.
Her about-face even surprised Kathryn Chandler, the co-ordinator in Human Ecology who for the past 20 years has found practicum situations for students and also teaches the mandatory practicum preparatory course in the curriculum.
"I wanted her to be at a place where she could get a broad range of experiences," said Chandler. "But when I went on my site visit, I couldn't believe how good she was at connecting with kids. She's such a natural."
Discovering their untapped strengths is but one value students receive from the Human Ecology practicum, which takes the place of the capstone project all ALES graduates must complete.
By working in a business or organization alongside salaried employees, they also get hands-on experience with the full spectrum of workplace dynamics, said Chandler.
"Relationship building, professionalism, how to take feedback, conflict management -ethics is also a big one," she said. "It develops awareness of who they are as a person and a professional and how that translates into the work they want to do."
It also provides an opportunity to not only test-drive a career direction but to change it.
Selena Arcovio, who assisted a social benefits advocate at the Edmonton Community Legal Centre and helped with client intake, now sees that her interest in family ecology and community diversity might lead to a career as a lawyer, a profession she previously believed was only about "big bucks."
Before Marina Eckert's practicum, the clothing, textiles and material culture major wanted to be a fashion buyer and wasn't really sold on a practicum with the Edmonton agency Mode Models. But after helping stage two fashion shows for noted local designers Malorie Urbanovitch and Daniel Snow, she realized that fashion buying would mean moving to a distant city, while several jobs closer to home are equally intriguing.
"I learned that I really do have a strong interest in Edmonton's small businesses and the culture around them," she said.
In addition to working at myriad tasks for their practicum sponsor, each student must also complete an independent project on the job. Arcovio developed and facilitated a lunch-and-learn session on how to be inclusive of transgender clients. Although her colleagues grasped legal issues, her insights filled a need.
"A lot of the folks didn't really understand how to address those clients, how to use the proper pronouns, or what the experience of coming out looks like for all the LGBT acronyms."
Which underscores that the practicum benefits run two ways, said Chandler: "Besides giving students practical experience, it plays a huge role in connecting us with the community, showcasing what a Human Ecology student can do."
Yet completing a practicum that was a condition of graduating turned her around so completely she is now searching for a career that definitely involves them.
"I was afraid of taking responsibilities (with children)," said the international student from China, who graduated at the end of 2015. "I didn't think I could always give them the right directions and always have the right plan to deal with their mistakes."
After working for 200 hours with the Family Futures Resource Network, facilitating early childhood programs, and also independently creating a project to educate young mothers about their children's brain development, her confidence soared.
Now living in China again, Xie is interviewing for positions in childhood education or in counselling families.
Her about-face even surprised Kathryn Chandler, the co-ordinator in Human Ecology who for the past 20 years has found practicum situations for students and also teaches the mandatory practicum preparatory course in the curriculum.
"I wanted her to be at a place where she could get a broad range of experiences," said Chandler. "But when I went on my site visit, I couldn't believe how good she was at connecting with kids. She's such a natural."
Discovering their untapped strengths is but one value students receive from the Human Ecology practicum, which takes the place of the capstone project all ALES graduates must complete.
By working in a business or organization alongside salaried employees, they also get hands-on experience with the full spectrum of workplace dynamics, said Chandler.
"Relationship building, professionalism, how to take feedback, conflict management -ethics is also a big one," she said. "It develops awareness of who they are as a person and a professional and how that translates into the work they want to do."
It also provides an opportunity to not only test-drive a career direction but to change it.
Selena Arcovio, who assisted a social benefits advocate at the Edmonton Community Legal Centre and helped with client intake, now sees that her interest in family ecology and community diversity might lead to a career as a lawyer, a profession she previously believed was only about "big bucks."
Before Marina Eckert's practicum, the clothing, textiles and material culture major wanted to be a fashion buyer and wasn't really sold on a practicum with the Edmonton agency Mode Models. But after helping stage two fashion shows for noted local designers Malorie Urbanovitch and Daniel Snow, she realized that fashion buying would mean moving to a distant city, while several jobs closer to home are equally intriguing.
"I learned that I really do have a strong interest in Edmonton's small businesses and the culture around them," she said.
In addition to working at myriad tasks for their practicum sponsor, each student must also complete an independent project on the job. Arcovio developed and facilitated a lunch-and-learn session on how to be inclusive of transgender clients. Although her colleagues grasped legal issues, her insights filled a need.
"A lot of the folks didn't really understand how to address those clients, how to use the proper pronouns, or what the experience of coming out looks like for all the LGBT acronyms."
Which underscores that the practicum benefits run two ways, said Chandler: "Besides giving students practical experience, it plays a huge role in connecting us with the community, showcasing what a Human Ecology student can do."