Diane Ocaranza

Professor Franklin
Course HD 497
26 September 2015
Self-introduction
My name is Diane Ocaranza, and I am working on my last semester at Pacific
Oaks College. I am juggling between being a single mother of a wonderful, active, and
intuitive three-year-old, while also working at a full-time (sometimes overtime) position
at a company called NASA services. Coming to school to complete my bachelors in
Human Development with a focus in Social Change is not only a self-discovery journey,
but a cathartic experience as well. Nevertheless, having to come to school for extensive
hours, and completing readings along with written assignments can post as a tremendous
sacrifice for my child and my self as well. Especially because when having a full-time job
and being that I am a single mother without a partners support can cut time from the ittybitty time my daughter and I have together.
Being aware of the sacrifices both my daughter and I are making, those same
sacrifices push my will to continue furthering my education, and getting up every
morning to be able to provide her with a quality style of life for both now and tomorrow.
Further, besides my daughter and I being one of the many reasons why I chose to pursue
higher education with a focus on Human Development, one specific reason is mainly that
I am genuinely intrigued by the human race. All the dimensions that encompass a human
being really fascinate me. I cannot reiterate enough how I feel learning about human
intricacies.

I literally view each individual as an art form; I consider individuals to be a

phenomenal masterpiece, one that cannot be duplicated or degraded regardless of
societys nature to convert beauty into monstrosity on one of its whimsical moods.
People have always been my interest. Human interaction, human language, human
culture, human capabilities, human biology, and without mentioning more but not
neglecting the most evident miraculous human ability described as human reproduction,
which in my eyes is the most supernatural yet a magnificent experience humans are able
to unconsciously create.
Everything about humans is a jaw-opener because not only does life enable us to
build beautiful beings, but it has also given us the tools to create mind-blowing
representational work of art, such as architecture and statutes to creating vehicles and
airplanes; technology and science to philosophy and language. Moreover, my emphasis
on human development is to implement an anti-bias attitude across everything I do. I
especially want to adhere to this anti-bias mind-set and allow it to become a
representation of who I am, while simultaneously allowing this non-critical mentality
speak for me as I interact with others.
Developing an anti-bias mentality will allow me to be welcoming of others who
are different than I am yet being okay with it. This in large part is why I chose to major in
Human Development and what I would like to promote within my Pacific Oaks Colleges
academic portfolio. I want my portfolio to convey my learning throughout the interim of
courses taken at Pacific Oaks, and how I have either struggled or managed to implement
my learning into different daily living experiences.

My academic portfolio will demonstrate the nuances in my transformation from a

structured unquestionable linear curricula student, to a now anti-bias curricula mentee,
and as an overall individual as well. I will take from each HD course the best work I have
completed that will portray, in my opinion, how well I have established the courses
concepts, theories, and methods.
Personally speaking, my experience with other schools do not compare to the
short-lived journey at Pacific Oaks; however, leaving me with long-lasting new found
knowledge on enhancing my perceptions of society and its many components through the
eyes of non-judgment, social awareness, and communal collaboration. I want to show
through the academic portfolio that the work I have created for each class at Pacific Oaks
has been undoubtedly done with insightful input from the courses readings, the class
discussions, and most importantly from the teacher to student interaction.