Lidiana Fuente
Reflections Statement Business Letter
Ms. Phyllis Harris
April 6, 2010
Section 11
GEB3031
Spring 2010
Lidiana Fuente
3249 Alafaya Club Drive Apt. 204D
Orlando, FL 32817
(305)-766-9580
April 5th, 2010
Re: Reflections Statement
lidianafuente@gmail.com
Ms. Phyllis Harris
University of Central Florida
Attention: Ms. Phyllis Harris
Dear Ms. Harris:
REFLECTIONS STATEMENT
I would like to start out saying that this semester was truly a blessing. Yes, it was
difficult at times, but I believe that it has taught my teammates of 7 Stars and me many
lessons that we will be able to look back on throughout both our professional and
personal lives. Thanks to Dr. Cameron Ford and yourself, we have been able to learn
about teams, ourselves, and the people and organization we would be dedicating our time
to, Eastbrook Elementary.
Cornerstone Team
My team and I really clicked from Day 1. We found that we really valued the same
things and expected the same things from other people. We all wanted to deliver a
project that was more than the requirements, and we wanted to give the children at
Eastbrook Elementary an experience they would never forget. Even during our first
teambuilding activity, it seemed like we had known each other for a long time. We really
took advantage of the time to get to know each other and learn where we came from.
Soon we would realize that the task at hand was much more difficult than we expected.
The greatest obstacle we encountered was getting all seven team members together at the
same time. We all had different schedules, as far as work and school, and a couple lived
far away. Even though a large team was sometimes a problem, it also helped because
that meant that there were more helping hands, more people to help raise money, and
more people to teach the Junior Achievement classes at Eastbrook Elementary.
Some of the other opportunities my team faced were:
 Serving our community
 Networking with students and major companies
 Learning how to build contingency plans
 Benefits of having a diverse team
Some of the challenges my team had to overcome were:
 Having to work around distance and different schedules
 Having to come up with different ideas for fundraisers because many of them
were shot down by the school for various reasons
I learned so much about teams and teamwork this semester. One, everything needs to be
communicated. Communication is extremely important. This could be lost in translation
and misinterpreted. It’s also important because as a team, we could get things done much
quicker than we would if we were just doing it ourselves because we decided not to
communicate it. It’s also important to give your all. When people see you are motivated,
they become motivated as well. I also learned to appreciate different people from
different backgrounds and what they bring to the table. My favorite part about my team
was how diverse it was. My team really was special and unique in every way. As I
learned in our Cornerstone lecture, a diverse team has certain competitive advantages like
profitable innovation—for example, the team members all came up with great fundraising
ideas during our meetings that were creative and appealing. We also celebrated each
other’s differences, which in my opinion, only made each individual want to work harder
and commit more to the team. I also learned that teams are not perfect, and they do not
always get along nor agree all the time, but if you try to work past disagreements and
focus on the task given, you are sure to end up with a successful project.
My experience as a project manager was somewhat of an eye-opener. I thought I was a
natural-born leader. I had always been pretty good at delegating and knowing and
expressing what I expected from them. I learned that being a project manager is much
more than that. A project manager has the task of making sure things are done on time
and that resources are used effectively. A project manager delegates, but is completely
aware and in control of what is going on at all times. It is a much more difficult job than
I expected.
These are some of the opportunities I faced as a project manager:
 Got an idea of what project managing would be like in the future
 Took an active role in fundraising for Eastbrook Elementary
 Successfully managed a fundraiser while using resources effectively
Some of the challenges I encountered were:
 Staying on task and not procrastinating
 Motivating my team to do more and stay involved
 Making sure all the resources were available for Raffle
 Maintaining communication with the team about the raffle
 Selling tickets to students
In my opinion, I was a much better follower than project manager. I like knowing what
exactly is expected of me so then I can exceed expectations. As follower, I had no
problem being told what to do and doing my best to make it right. It was important to me
to be considered as an asset to the team. I did what I needed to do in a timely fashion. I
think it was important for all of us to see what we would be like followers and project
managers and what the individual team members would be like. This allowed us to
appreciate a good project manager and follower, and also learn how to work around
things when the project manager/follower were not performing as expected.
Reflections
I believe that my team’s use of the project management techniques were adequate for the
task at hand. We all brainstormed individually and contacted each other—usually by
email—when a great idea came up. We would also meet after class on Tuesdays for 15
to 30 minutes to inform each other of updates on fundraisers, sponsors, donations or lab
assignments. We would also meet on Wednesdays at 4:30 pm for about an hour to
brainstorm and talk about details regarding our project. I think that we were successful,
but at the same time, I feel that we could have met more and done more to come up with
more profitable ideas. I also believe that we should have started brainstorming and
fundraising sooner. To me, a successful team is one that starts as soon as possible, a team
that takes advantage of every week to raise money early. Procrastination just makes your
team try to rush through sometimes that, in reality, takes an entire semester to do,
resulting in a poorly executed project. There is no excuse for that.
Service learning is more than just going out and teaching some classes through Junior
Achievement. It is such a rewarding experience to see what something to little to you,
like 30 minutes of your time, can mean to someone else. It proves that we are called to
help our community so that, little by little, we can truly make a difference. I believe that
service learning is like being a part of a team. We work together in order to help our
community thrive and, in this case, help children strive for better opportunities and, in
turn, a better tomorrow. It’s so nice to know that we are giving the students at the
schools were Junior Achievement volunteers teach a chance to have another role model
other than a rapper or an actress. Their role model can be someone that cares about their
community and that influences them in a positive way.
Civic engagement is important because we have a responsibility to society. By taking
part in civic engagement we showcase to others the importance in taking an active role in
serving our community and giving back to the community that has given so much to us.
Just like when we show students the “How a Community Works” poster during out
Junior Achievement lessons, we show our community that it is a cycle, and we all need to
work together to help our businesses and community thrive and grow.
It is so easy to become engrossed in “College Life” where everything revolves around
you, but service learning makes us leave that world and realize that there is more to life
than papers, all-nighters and parties. It is my belief that UCF Business School graduates
are changed after taking part in civic engagement. The experiences lived during this
course is one that I am sure they will treasure for the rest of their lives. This course,
among others, provides the key to open doors that otherwise they would not have access
to. This experience gives them stories to tell during interviews about managing a project
as big as this one. The community perceives UCF Business School graduates differently
because they are making such a positive impact on their community. The UCF Business
School graduates are the leaders of tomorrow, and it is refreshing to think that they are
dedicated to making their community a better place for generations to come.
I know that although some days were difficult, I am truly grateful for the opportunity that
UCF and my professors have given me, and I know I will be a better professional and
individual because of it.
Sincerely,
Lidiana Fuente