Running Head: ANALYTIC REFLECTION 1

Analytic Reflection

Michelle Batty

Northern Illinois University

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Introduction

Stories “prompt us to reflect and understand different standpoints in the contexts of

life…Thus, in telling and listening to stories, we find meaning in our lives and invent our lives.”

After discussing this assignment in class and viewing sample digital stories from past years, I

was concerned I did not have a “story” to share. My college years were my most memorable, but

they did not consist of leaving my family behind to go to college in a different state or leaving

the country to study abroad. I was a white, middle class female who chose a university an hour

away from home so I could still be included in holidays and Sunday night family dinners. When

discussing the assignment with a classmate, she mentioned I had an easy task of portraying my

college years: playing basketball. It did not even occur to me the impact basketball had on my

college life until she said that. Completing the digital story assignment provided me a trip down

memory lane, regretting the days I wish I never would have played basketball in college.

Digital Story

My digital story begins of pictures when I was a child. Some are clearly staged, as my

mother could never get me to sit still for a long period of time. Other pictures show my

rambunctious behavior, always wanting to be the center of attention and overshadowing my

older sister, Marie, who kept to herself most of our childhood years. Listening to childhood

stories at family gatherings, it is no secret that I was a tough child to handle. At my mother’s

work’s Christmas party one year, I stole an heirloom off of her boss’s shelf in his living room

(0:05). It was an old guitar that was passed down by his ancestors. I ran around his house,

strumming the guitar while my mother chased after me begging me to carefully hand it over. In

another childhood story, I was the flower girl in my godfather’s wedding (0:09) and cried the
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whole time down the aisle, refusing to throw the flowers. However, at the reception my parents

could not get me off the dance floor. As the stories continue to pour out at family gatherings, I

cannot help but be embarrassed at how I acted growing up. Thankfully, those years are behind

me.

My digital story continues on as I address the importance basketball has played in my

life, having success on the court during my junior high and high school years which led me to

strive to play in collegiate basketball. When I told my dad I wanted to play basketball in college,

he kept reminding me how important it was to perform well in school, on the basketball court,

and in my personal life (0:36). Playing basketball benefitted me more internally than anything

else; it ultimately shaped me into a humble individual by taking a “back seat” instead of my

younger self wanting to always be the center of attention.

Theories in relation to Digital Story

Baxter Magolda’s Theory of Self-Authorship

Following Formulas.

Looking back on my college years, my experiences relate most to Baxter Magolda’s

theory of self-authorship. Identifying each of the four phases to a specific incident in college is

rather easy. I faced the first phase of Baxter Magolda’s theory at the end of my senior year of

high school by following formulas and deciding to play collegiate basketball at Benedictine

University after battling a string of injuries in a short amount of time and questioning whether to

give up on my dream of playing basketball in college (1:30). I also utilized my father’s guidance

by pursuing an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education. Having to make impacting

decisions on my future at such a young age, I viewed my father’s assistance as necessary.

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Crossroads.

Sophomore year of college was the toughest year of my life (2:21). I did not put the

effort needed into my school work and my grades began to suffer. In a domino effect fashion,

my effort on the basketball court was also lacking (2:27). I expressed concern to my father about

changing my major from Elementary Education and quitting the basketball team, hoping for a

sense of freedom without always having to follow a strict schedule (2:36). He reiterated the

importance of finishing my collegiate basketball career out (2:45), but was supportive of the

decision to switch my major to Exercise Science and Sports Studies, although believed I would

later regret that decision. It turned out to be a very irrational decision, but one I do not regret

(2:50). I was striving for some sort of change at this moment in my life and switching my major

was the change I needed to become satisfied internally and to grow individually.

Astin, Astin, and Lindholm’s Spiritual and Religious Measures

In the summer leading up to my junior year of college, I experienced three months in the

summer that allowed me to reflect on who I was and the type of person I wanted to become

(2:58). I have never lived a religious lifestyle, only occasionally attending church growing up

before I attended college. It was not my religiousness that shaped me into the person I am today,

but more of a growth in spirituality (3:06). The inner peace I found that summer related to Astin,

Astin, and Lindholm’s Spiritual and Religious Measures, specifically the first Measure of

Spirituality, Spiritual Quest. Spiritual Quest resides at the core of the student’s journey towards

spiritual development by allowing the individual to find answers for the questions “Who am I?”

and “What is my purpose in life?” (Patton et al., 2016). Spiritual exploration centers on finding

inner peace along with constructing a personal philosophy. Astin et al. noted students are more
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likely to experience spiritual quest in their junior or senior year of college compared to their first

year in college (Patton et al., 2016). In relation to my personal life, spiritual quest was the first

step in becoming the author of my own life.

Becoming the Author of One’s Life.

By the start of my junior year, I was a completely new person. I was enjoying my new

major, my teammates, and even basketball. The last two years of college flew by becoming my

own person, making my own decisions, and being in a place where I finally felt like myself.

However, I was faced with the question of “What is next?” Two weeks before graduating from

Benedictine University, I told my father I wanted to work in intercollegiate athletics (3:10). It all

happened so quickly, but one week later I interviewed for an internship position in Northern

Illinois University’s (NIU) compliance office (3:16) and a month later I started my internship

(3:35). Six short months later I began my position as a graduate assistant for NIU’s compliance

office (3:40) and began the Master of Science in Education in Adult and Higher Education

program that following August, never considering continuing my education after graduating

from Benedictine University. Although I never believed I would be in my position today, still

living in Illinois and at home with my father, I know this is exactly where I am supposed to be

(4:00).

Internal Foundations.

At twenty-three years old, I believe I am many years away from entering phase four of

the self-authorship theory. As I have a slight sense of who I am and what my beliefs are, I can

still be easily swayed by external influences, especially family members and mentors. I cannot

say for certain that I will be continuing a career in an intercollegiate athletic department,
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however wherever my next career move may take me, I imagine phase four of Baxter Magolda’s

self-authorship theory will come full circle.

Conclusion

In conclusion, creating a digital story and sharing a pivotal time in one’s life can be

extremely nerve-wrecking, but very beneficial to all. It allows each individual five or so minutes

to be completely vulnerable with our peers, while showing experiences that one otherwise may

not have ever known. Believe it or not, when viewing my classmates’ digital stories, I remember

feeling their same emotions when we shared similar experiences. The theories I have chosen to

reflect my digital story on are ones that make the most sense to that particular time in my life.

By researching these theories, I am better able to grasp why certain things occurred and played

out the way they did. Overall, the digital story project forced the class to share a meaningful

time that played a huge role in personal development and I do not believe anyone wished this

project was not assigned.

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References

Patton, L. D., Renn, K. A., Guido, F. M., Quaye, S. J., Evans, N. J., & Forney, D. S.
(2016). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice. John Wiley &
Sons.