As I start to draw my senior capstone project to a close it is bittersweet to think back on all of the experiences I have had within my last four years of my undergraduate degree. My life has sent me in many different directions that I would never have guessed. The career path that I am so passionate about pursuing wasn’t even on my radar when I initially entered college. I have learned so much about what it means to be a hard working student, employee, and future physician. I have grown not only just academically but professionally and personally as well. 

 

Conducting an ePortfolio capstone project allows me to tell my story as a student as working in a place of employment simultaneously that is setting up my future career endeavors. It is definitely hard work juggling both and I have found myself falling behind sometimes to keep up. However, the experience, education, and connections I have made while simultaneously doing both has allowed me to apply my undergraduate academic knowledge into real world scenarios that will impact my future career. This ePortfolio has allowed me to showcase how my journey at IUPUI has been impacted with my experience working at an optometrist’s office. It also allows me to emphasize the goals I have placed for myself for my future career and relate research to topics that I will be dealing with hands on as a pediatric optometrist. 

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Reflecting on my capstone experience, I am honestly proud to realize how much I have learned and juggled during my time at IUPUI. I think that the work-school balance has taught me so many valuable lessons of the meanings of priorities and how to manage time. Time management is definitely the number one challenge I had when finishing this project alongside other classes and working full time. I am thankful for everything thai ePortfolio has taught me and I am specifically thankful for the time it has given me to work alongside Dr. Levack at work. I am looking forward to learning more about the field of optometry in my next step of my academic career.