Motivation

I took the drive survey and found my motivation type to be Type X. This type of motivation is one with behavior that is fueled more by extrinsic desires than intrinsic ones and that concerns itself less with the inherent satisfaction of an activity and more with the external rewards to which that activity leads. I often try to see the overall purpose that a challenge will serve. I am very motivated to do well in school, work, and sports, and I see the good outcomes and rewards they will lead to. I understand why I need to be motivated in school and that the reward will come later on in life when I am able to get a good job and make money. I am motivated in soccer and cross country to receive awards and recognition. I do enjoy activities based on intrinsic desires, however, the extrinsic desires fuel my motivation more. This shows how I have type X behavior, which is concerned less with the inherent satisfaction of an activity and more with the external rewards of that activity. I don't always take on activities strictly for the learning experience. I work to make money, rather than to challenge myself by taking on new challenges. However, I am able to learn a lot along the way and receive experience, knowledge, confidence, and more as a result of my Type X motivation. The type of motivation I see most often by the workers at my mentorship is Type X. They chose a job they have a strong interest in, however, it was also chosen with a good salary in mind. I have also seen a bit of Type I motivation, as the engineers are often looking to learn new things everyday to become more knowledgeable.

My sentence is "She strives to take on every situation with positive attitude and to not be afraid of challenges."

Long before my sophomore cross country season started, I set a goal to finish in the top 10 at the state meet. Just the thought of being up on the podium with elite runners from around the state made me so motivated. I knew that I had the potential to reach my goal, and focused on that end reward more than anything. Although I enjoy running so much for the exercise and time alone with my thoughts, when cross country season hits, I'm only thinking about that end reward. I was driven by my Type X motivation throughout the pre-season training and also throughout the season. I pushed through the challenge of getting back into shape and running in the scorching Georgia heat during summer. I was focused with the thought of my goal every time I stepped onto the trails or track to do my workouts. In the end, my strong motivation led to great results, and I found my way onto the podium. It wasn't easy, and I faced injuries and obstacles along the way, but I ended up with a huge sense of accomplishment. I use this experience to fuel my motivation for running, soccer, and also school. I learned that if you have a strong desire and focus, with a specific goal, you can accomplish anything you wish to.

Mentorship

My mentorship has provided me with so many neat experiences from day 1. I never expected to be putting computers together from scratch, or building my own cables. On the very first day I walked into mentorship, I was told that I would be building a computer. I was excited, but a little nervous to take on this challenge, since I had never even seen the inside of a computer before. My mentor was very helpful and encouraging, as he led me through every step. I was glad to have some guidance the first day. However, I have put together two computers since then for actual clients, without any help from my mentor. Hands-activities such as this really help me remember certain parts of a computer and what they are used for. My mentorship felt like a success from Day 1. From there, I also learned to put my own cables together, and got to keep one for whenever I need it around my house. It was fun to make cables and then test them to see if I had made them successfully. Sometimes it involves trial and error, but overall everything I've done hands-on has been a great learning experience. I never realized how many little things are included in an IT job. It is amazing to me how much access computer engineers have to any of their clients' servers, firewalls, various settings, etc. With all this ability to access private information, it is important for them to change passwords to maintain good security. I've learned the importance of documenting several times, due to problems my mentor ran into while doing some projects. I have learned so much already, and I'm excited to see what the next few weeks working with my mentor have in store for me.

Research Based Blog

My Research Based Blog is about computer hacking. Although many people automatically assume computer hacking is a derogatory term, it may actually be used for good or bad. Morals and ethics often come into play regarding this topic. The original term "computer hacking" is someone who is a computer enthusiast that enjoys computer programming, problem-solving with computers, trying to expand a computer's capabilities, learning all the details of a particular software, etc. However, this term can be applied to someone who gains unauthorized access to computer systems, with some malicious intent (1). Unfortunately, this is often the case, and is something that puts innocent people around the world at risk.

The concept of computer hacking, though, when not used to harm others, is a very interesting concept. Computer hacking is both an art and science. It is an art because it involves creativity which is equivalent to the painting of a beautiful landscape, and science because of its technical aspects. Some people who indulge in computer hacking develop an interest in computer hacking out of simple intellectual curiosity. This can be a very educational and interesting experience. A common trait among all hackers is that they possess technological savvy, are willing to take the risks and are passionate about various programming languages. "In reality, most hackers are ordinary people with a great deal of curiosity, above-average skills with a computer, a good understanding of human nature, and plenty of time to kill." (5). A white hat hacker is the term for one who breaks security for non-malicious purposes. These purposes may range from testing the security system, to finding the major loopholes in the network. Such people normally follow the legitimate ways and work within the precincts of cyber laws. These individuals use their skills to find flaws in the company’s security system, and to prevent them from getting discovered by unethical hackers. In most cases, ethical hacking helps to prevent identity theft and other serious computer-related crimes.(2) I feel that white hat hackers are doing nothing wrong. What they do can be used for immoral things, however they are just using their knowledge to learn and sometimes help others.

On the other hand, computer hackers can often be harmful and unethical. Black hat hackers are those who generally subvert computer security without authorization, with the help of viruses and various other hacking tools. These hackers use technology for vandalism, credit card fraud, or identity theft. (2) People practicing unethical hacking, generally tend to steal personal information, change a corporation’s financial data, break security codes to gain unauthorized network access, or conduct other destructive activities. According to the Georgia Computer Systems Protection Act HB 822 (4) "any person who uses a computer or computer network with the intention of examining any employment, medical, salary, credit, or any other financial or personal data relating to any other person with knowledge that such examination is without authority shall be guilty of the crime of computer invasion of privacy." (3) Black hat hackers are immoral and doing illegal things to harm others. This is a disadvantage to people being very educated about computer programming.

Computer hacking, while considered an art and science, can be beneficial as well as harmful. Those who are ethical will use computer hacking for personal interest, exploration, and expansion of knowledge. Anyone who uses their skills to steal identities, break into personal information, or cause harm are being unethical.

(1) "Computer Hacking." Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. 2000. Web. 14 Mar. 2010. .

(2) Srivastava, Swapnil. "What Is Computer Hacking." Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. Web. 14 Mar. 2010. .

(3) "Legal and Ethical Aspects of Computer Hacking." Internetwork Security Georgia Institute of Technology. Ed. Kiran Tajani. Georgia Tech. Web. 14 Mar. 2010. .

(4) Georgia Institute of Technology - Georgia Tech Information Security. Web. 14 Mar. 2010. .

(5) "Why Hackers Do The Things They Do? -- Causal Argument." ECheat. 3 July 2005. Web. 15 Mar. 2010. .

bright yellow sun and cool green grass

At our last HMP meeting, we had a speaker come to talk to us about personality traits and how to deal with our strengths and weaknesses. We did an activity to figure out our temperament, which was very interesting. Out of the four main personality types, (sanguine, choleric, melancholy, and phlegmatic), I found out that I have a mostly sanguine personality. Although I had the most sanguine characteristics, I had a high number of phlegmatic characteristics too. i would consider my temperament a mix of the two. Some of my sanguine characteristics were: playful, spontaneous, optimistic, cheerful, and mixes easily. Some phlegmatic characteristics were: reserved, friendly, tolerant, listener, and contented. The choleric personality matched many of my strengths too, however, I did not have many of the choleric weaknesses.

The weaknesses I had were mainly of the sanguine and phlegmatic personality types also. I am unpredictable, haphazard, permissive, naive, inconsistent, restless, and changeable. I can also be indecisive, a worrier, timid, very doubtful, and lazy. This activity helped me to realize what weaknesses I need to work on. Although I am not perfect, and I do make mistakes, I can at least try to make some changes. However, the strengths along with the many weaknesses make me who I am today. This is ME. My personality type will most likely stay the same throughout life, so I can learn to accept who I am and why I handle things the way I do.

Blog #1

Hey, my name is Kelsey. I'm so happy to be in a program called Honors Mentorship (HMP). It has provided me with an amazing opportunity to further explore the career field I am interested in before going off to college. I am working with a mentor who specializes in information technology. I am hoping to gain much knowledge in this career pathway, and have an overall very positive experience. I would like to learn things that I can apply to my own life right now, such as fixing my own computer problems, rather than relying on the help of IT supporters. I also hope to get a head start on this pathway, so I can be more knowledgeable and experienced when I go to college and apply for jobs.

A quote I would use to sum up my outlook on life is "Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you're riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts; put your vision to reality. Wake Up and Live!" -Bob Marley

As a team-building activity for HMP, we had a Lapdog retreat. Although we weren't 40 feet off the ground on a ropes course, the activities we took part in had key lessons. I learned that sometimes it is better to let others lead, and to give everyone a chance. This is a benefit because being a team player is a very important attribute in life. It is important to be able to work with others well, and the lapdog activities helped me realize the benefits this will provide me with now and in the future. Learning to have patience and cooperation were also benefits of the lapdog experience. We had an activity where all members of a 7 person group were blindfolded except for one leader. Communication played a large role in being able to complete the task. Patience was a benefit I got out of the activity. Working with a group while being blindfolded was stressful and frustrating at times, but in the end, it was all worth it. It helped me to see that waiting things out and having a positive attitude can lead to great results. I learned to trust my leader, and cooperate with my group members. Things go smoothly when everyone cooperates. Overall, Lapdog was filled with many life lessons that will especially help as I finish school and start my career.

Synergy is the working together of two things to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects. An example of synergy I saw at the retreat was during the puzzle-solving activity. By working together, we were more successful as a whole. Some people noticed things that others did not notice. Rather than working on the puzzles as individuals, we were able to use our individual strengths to help others, and complete the puzzle quicker and more effectively.