HAYLEE MATECKO

Below are short reflections from various Professional Developments I've attended this year as a part of the Business Honors Program. I was unable to attend events in the Spring of 2017 because of my internship, so I have included the events I attended in the fall. For a reflection on my internship experience, click here.

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Judge Spillane: Aggie Agora Lecture Series, Fall 2016

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Today I had the opportunity to listen to Judge Edward Spillane at the Aggie Agora lecture, and he discussed why he doesn't usually send people to jail for a Class C Misdemeanor. It was really interesting to learn that many of the people who are in jail are stuck there because they are in a lower income area; this should be avoided with a simple income level test performed by the judge at the time of arrest, but most judges aren't following this rule. It's a cycle that is hard to escape, and I really appreciate the take that Judge Spillane had on the situation. He said his ultimate goal is to make sure someone doesn't come back to court, and I think that's a noble goal that he is accomplishing through alternative punishments, such as community service.

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Small Group Study Abroad Speaker, Fall 2016

I spoke to freshmen about the potential opportunities they have in a study abroad trip. I shared details about my experience with them, comparing my "field trip" type study abroad to other trips people had been on, such as a summer or semester long program. I was able to answer questions as well as share personal stories about the growth I experienced, and it was a wonderful way to share that information with the freshmen who may not have known about these opportunities otherwise. It also allowed me to reflect further on what I learned on my study abroad trip, and how I can apply that growth to my life every day.

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Lecture Series: What's Next? Hurricane Harvey, Fall 2017

The Bush School did a great job bringing in panelists with differing points of view on the road to recovery for Harvey. I never realized that there isn't actually anyone in charge of recovery - there is such a specific hierarchy of command during the emergency procedures, but often the recovery is a much longer, more time consuming process. There are so many legal and political issues surrounding the chain of command and the decisions made after a disaster, and hearing the panelists speak about some of these issues really opened my eyes to the complexity of recovery. I enjoyed hearing about the way policy affects the decisions made and how they are implemented as a result.

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Young Women in Business Panel, Fall 2017

After hearing what these young women in business had to say about their experiences in the workforce, I am definitely glad to know that some of my concerns were things they thought about in my shoes. It was interesting to see how each of their personal experiences has shaped them, and to understand that as an individual things might be different for me based on my experiences. Additionally, I think one thing that scared me about working was the fact that when asked if they had made any close work friends in the first 1-2 years at their jobs, they all made a "no" type face! It concerned me because I will be going into a city where I don't know most people, but hopefully I will be able to make friends outside of work. Overall, they helped me realize that my value is not just in my work life- life and work will be interconnected and not mutually exclusive, but they are also not synonymous.

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Lecture Series: Hidden Figures, Food Styling, Fall 2017

I really enjoyed hearing from Betsy Haley about food styling! It was really interesting the way that the Aggie Agora organization framed her talk to be about "hidden figures" in the media. It gave me a new lens/perspective to consider the way that while there is truth to the food advertising she does, there is also a lot of deception in the media. It's important to take things we learn with a grain of salt, as well as check multiple sources whenever utilizing the information to make important decisions. I also enjoyed hearing about her entrepreneurial efforts through her blog and food styling jobs, because as a MS Entrepreneurial Leadership major I could see where my class principles were being applied in a real, creative way.

 

Dreamland Book Club, Spring 2018

​The BH Bookclub over Dreamland was very insightful for my group on a number of topics. We talked not only about the drug/opiate epidemic, but also the way the drug issues in our country parallel so many other issues as well. The ultimate takeaway from the book for me was the fact that we do not know the fate of the man standing next to us - everyone has a story, a reason, why their life has taken the path that it has. If we simply look at the surface and treat the symptoms, the root problem is still taking hold of people. We must bring empathy, love, and compassion to people and try to attack the root of the problem, which may be slightly different for everyone.