One of the primary points of focus in the Capstone Seminar was the writing of a capstone paper. I elected to expand on previous work I had done on the student subpopulation of incarcerated students. Writing this paper was transformational in that it allowed me to synthesize the theories and principles explored in previous semesters and it sparked a passion for working with incarcerated students, which I hope to pursue as a career path.
In this course, I also considered elements of my professional identity and considered my ethics and values. Through discussing plagiarism, research ethics, negotiation styles, and other topics, I thought critically about who I am as a professional and what matters to me, both academically and in my workplace. This was a great way to tie up my graduate program and consider future career opportunities that I will pursue with my degree.