Running head: EDU 220 PEPSI Screening 1

EDU 220 PEPSI Screening

Francisco Perez

College of Southern Nevada

February 14, 2019

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The individual for this PEPSI screening is named Jessie Devilla Gugliuzza. Jessie is a

female senior at Nevada State High School. She is currently 18 years old. The high school she is

going to allows her to do college coursework for high school credit. She will likely have an

associate’s degree or be very close to one by the time she graduates. I met her through a friend

from work and have known her for about two years now. She also works for the same company

that I work for. She is a very driven individual who comes from humble beginnings. Jessie is

from a middle-class family. Her father is white from Italian descent while her mother is Asian so

she is a mixed Asian-American. She lives with her two younger brothers and parents. She is

currently a hostess at the same restaurant I work for but at a different location. Jessie is also

originally from Reno, Nevada but moved to Las Vegas when she turned 14 and has been

enjoying her new life here. She plans on going back to Reno for university once she graduates

from high school so that she can pursue her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice but she has

also expressed to me before that she has been thinking about joining the military before going to

university. She did two years of an ROTC program that was offered at her previous high school

and thought a career in the military could be a rewarding experience even if she only does it for a

few years. Her love for criminal justice stems from her father who was previously a police

officer. She has always done very well in school and she is extremely hard working. I can see her

being very successful in whatever career path she ends up choosing. In her free time, she enjoys

playing guitar, reading, playing soccer for a local team and watching shows on Netflix. She

never settles for anything and pursues her aspirations actively which I admire greatly about her. I

choose her for the screening because she is a good friend of mine, has an extremely kind

personality, and I believe that she has a very bright future ahead of her.
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As mentioned previously, Jessie is 18 years old, meaning she has already physically

matured. She has very little body fat and is very physically active. According to a study done by

the CDC, children from ages 12-19 has an obesity prevalence rate of 20.6%. These rates only go

up the older you get. Jessie has always been physically active which has prevented her from

becoming overweight but many other students around her age are struggling with their weight

which in turn has an impact on other aspects of their health. Most people are concerned with

their physical appearance in high school. Especially due to the fact that this is when students start

dating seriously. Acne is a common health concern among students. Approximately 80% of

people between the ages of 11 to 30 have an acne outbreak (Sutton, 2010, p.253). Jessie

struggled with this when I first met her but has since gotten rid of all of her acne. I currently still

struggle with mild acne and have asked her how she got rid of hers. She explained that she went

to the doctor and got medication for it. She also washed her face regularly and was cautious

about which cosmetics products she was using. One journal study suggests that as females grow

older they have a poorer self-perception and have a reduction in physical enjoyment and

motivation ​(Bertollo, Bortoli, Bucci, 2013). Jessie has been very actively involved with her

soccer team and I believe she has not been experiencing this sort of behavior that the study

suggests. She is a very confident person. She has expressed to me that her self-perception has

been getting better as she works on herself and her confidence. However, this study does bring

forth a valid point. Many young adults experience issues with their self-perception as they get

older. This is due to many different factors such as the media which has many effects on youth.

According to a video by the academy of pediatrics, teens should have access to media limited.

The academy of pediatrics recommends no more than two hours of screen time a day.
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When it comes to Jessie’s emotional development I believe she is very strong

emotionally. She is always very empathetic towards others and does what she can to console

people when they are upset or frustrated. I have seen her get mad a few times but for the most

part, when she is mad she seems to just stay quiet. She has a very well-developed emotional

strength. It is not easy to make her mad or frustrated. ​According to the textbook, “ many

psychiatric disorders either appear or become prominent during adolescence. Included among

these are eating disorders, substance abuse, schizophrenia, depression, and suicide (Snowman &

McCown, 2015, p.104).​”​ Many students experience emotional stress during their adolescence

and Jessie is not different. I have seen her get stressed out a few times. She tries to keep excellent

grades in school and this seems to stress her out sometimes. She has also told me that she has

mild depression which is seemingly becoming more common. The coronavirus pandemic has

also impacted her mental health quite a bit. She explained, “I went to school for twelve years to

get to this point and this pandemic has put everything on hold.” While she does realize this has

impacted everyone she admits it has caused her anxiousness and distress. Many adolescents are

likely experiencing emotional distress due to the current pandemic especially seniors in high

school who waited such a long time to get to that point in their lives, like Jessie, are now unable

to attend the events they looked forward to. Jessie is specifically worried that she will not be able

to have a graduation ceremony if the pandemic continues for an extended period. She is also

worried about her grandparents who the disease would likely be fatal to. A study mentioned in

the textbook reported that 35.8 percent of high school females have reported feeling so sad and

hopeless almost every day for two or more weeks in a row that they ceased to engage in some of

their usual activity (Snowman & McCown, 2015, p.104). Jessie is typically a seemingly happy
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individual but current events have affected her emotional stability. She is still the same happy

person but she has changed slightly. Students like Jessie should be able to receive more

emotional support from the school. Early childhood experiences can improve an adult’s future

well-being ​(Hayakawa & Reynolds). Jessie grew up in a very supportive household. Her parents

are extremely kind people who have pushed her to become such a successful student and

kind-hearted individual. Her parents have explained to me that her childhood with her two

younger brothers was always very fun and they tried to raise her well. I believe this has improved

her emotional state and her supportive parents will positively affect her emotional health!

Jessie has a very positive outlook on life, her philosophical development is healthy. She

always strives to do the best in everything she does and tries to find the positives in negative

situations. For example, although she expressed her concern over the pandemic and how it has

affected her she has also looked at it as an opportunity. She has been cleaning, learning to bake,

and spending more time with her family. In a study done by Joseph Adelson, about 450

adolescents were interviewed about their political philosophies. According to him, intelligence

and social class greatly influences political opinions. That being said, Jessie is a very bright

person who comes from a middle-class family. This has made her lean towards more liberal

philosophies in life. She believes in things like universal healthcare and free college. Most

people in her age group are liberal. According to the J’Anne Ellsworth site, “there is a

developmental process that occurs with respect to gaining moral reasoning or a philosophical

perspective about life.” Being that Jessie is already 18 she has already formulated most of her

philosophical beliefs. She was not raised in a religious family so she is not religious and

probably will not be in the future even though philosophical beliefs can be changed over time.
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Jessie’s moral reasoning is fully developed. She is a very caring individual who has sympathy for

others who are not as fortunate. She has gotten me to volunteer at a food bank with her in the

past. She is very selfless. When I asked her about her philosophy on life, in general, she

explained to me that we are all here to live and people need to make the most of the time we

have because anything could happen at any moment. She also expressed the importance of

helping those less fortunate and being grateful for what you have. She admits that she can be

ungrateful sometimes but we need to try our best to be the best we can be. According to our

textbook, Larry Nucci notes that individuals respond differently depending on the context of

each situation. Every situation is different. Jessie explains that she has her own beliefs but

different situations require different responses.

Jessie’s social development is probably her weakest aspect of development. She is social

but does struggle to make friends. She has always had a small group of friends which is enough

for her. She insists that having a small group of good friends is better than having many “friends”

that you do not know very well. She does not like public speaking. I have heard her express her

anxiousness about speaking in front of the class for presentations. The school she is going to has

helped her a bit with her shyness. Her school requires her to participate in social events with her

classmates. Although her social ability has improved, she is still very shy in a lot of situations.

Many students experiencing the transition from high school to college form new interests and

friendships (Oswald & Clark, 2003). I expect that Jessie will be having a hard time making new

friends in college because she is very shy. The transition from high school to college is an

important time for students and it is important that they have the social skills necessary to make

new friends. Although I think she will have a hard time at first I am sure she will eventually
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make new friends. According to our textbook, “girls are more likely than boys to experience

anxiety about friendships (Snowman & McCown, 2015, p.103)” I believe that this statement is

true in the case of Jessie. She does not trust others very easily. It took a while for me and her to

become friends because of this. She seems to be anxious about making more friends but has

trouble going out of her way to talk to people. I believe most people struggle with this. She

would rather avoid awkward situations. In 2010, 16 percent of students aged sixteen to eighteen

worked after school (Snowman & McCown, 2015, p.103). Jessie works a part-time job as a

hostess. I believe this has helped her social development slightly from when I first met her

because her job requires her to be social with customers. She gets along well with customers at

work but she explains for some reason it is different talking to people at work as opposed to

talking to socializing at school that she could not quite explain.

I would consider Jessie’s strongest development in her intellectual ability. She is one of

the smartest people that I know. I could ask her about any topic and she seems to have at least a

little bit of knowledge on any given subject. She is also very good at logic and reasoning. She

has a way of figuring things out very quickly especially when others are struggling with a certain

concept. According to Jean Piaget, “Growing out of a child’s cognitive developmental history,

formal operations become established at about the age of 12–15 years” Being that Jessie 18 she

has already established most of her cognitive abilities. Her ability to reason and think logically is

very advanced. She has always been very good at problem-solving and critical thinking.

According to the textbook, the social class from which a student comes plays an influential role

in behavior. Coming from a middle-class family has had a positive effect on Jessie. This has

given her the aspirations to do better and get a job that can make her financially stable and let her
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take care of her family members. Being from the middle class has also ensured that her parents

have the funds to supply her with the things she needs in school. Students from impoverished

homes are put at a disadvantage because they cannot afford some of the necessities for school

and are more likely to exposed to a negative environment. According to the U.S. National of

Library of Medicine, “​Intelligence is strongly influenced by the environment. Factors related to a

child’s home environment and parenting, education, and availability of learning resources, and

nutrition, among others, all contribute to intelligence.” Jessie grew up in a positive environment

which has attributed to her academics success. Many students are put into unfortunate

circumstances that make it hard to succeed in school considering these variables that affect their

intelligence. She has been very fortunate and this has helped her to have a brighter future.

According to Harden and Tucker-Drob (2012), Genetic influences are often found to account for

upward of 50% of individual differences in general cognitive ability and academic achievement.

Both of Jessie’s parents have received degrees from different universities. Intelligence is not

completely determined by genes but it does play a role in it. They are very smart individuals and

I believe this has also attributed to Jessie’s intellectual abilities but other factors such as her hard

work have and environment at home led her to have strong cognitive abilities. She seems to have

her life figured out for the most part. Most people, including myself, are uncertain about the

future and what they want to do as a career but she is completely set on becoming a detective in

the future. She also has a genuine curiosity about life and other people. She has expressed that

she wanted to explore the world and travel as much as possible.

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Jessie is a great person and a high-achieving student! Physically, she has developed as

much as she is probably going to. She is active in soccer which has kept her in shape. She has

improved her self-image through getting rid of her acne and has a lot of confidence. Her physical

development has been very positive. Emotionally, Jessie is usually emotionally sound but the

current pandemic has had an impact on her emotional health. Many people are being affected by

this virus and the uncertain has hurt the emotional health of people all over the world. Many

people are feeling anxious because the virus is having an enormous impact all over the world.

Prior to the pandemic, Jessie was always very emotionally stable and usually in a good mood.

She had a very positive childhood which has helped her to be have more positive emotions.

When it comes to Jessie’s philosophical development she is very positive. She looks at life in a

very positive way. Her policital philsophies are liberal and she has many strong beliefs when it

comes to the political system. She struggles in her social development but she has been working

on that through her work. She nay have some difficulty meeting new friends when she gets to

college but will eventually be able to make friends as she has before even if it may take some

time. This is probably where she has developed the least but she has done a good job working on

it by working in an environment that requires her to form relationships with the customers. She

realizes that she is shy and has been working on it which displays her self-awareness and

resilience. I would just recommend she tries to translate her social skills from work to her school

life. Lastly, he intellectual development is stellar. She has been succeeding in school and has

aspirations for the future. Many students her age face uncertainty but she has resolve and knows

what she wants. Her hardwork and environment at home have positively affected her intelligence

and have worked in her favor. All in all, has developed well in all of the aspects of the PEPSI
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screening. She only needs to work on her social development but has been doing well in working

on that already!
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References

Adelson, J. (1971). The Political Imagination of the Young Adolescent. ​Daedalus,​ ​100​(4),

1013-1050. Retrieved March 23, 2020, from ​www.jstor.org/stable/20024045

Bertollo, M., Bortoli, L., Bucci, I., Labbrozzi, D., Robazza, C., (2013).Pubertal development,

physical self-perception, and motivation toward physical activity in girls. Journal

of Adolescents. Elsevier Ltd.

Childhood Obesity Facts. (2019, June 24). Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html

Ellsworth, J. A.​ (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jde7/ese504/class/essentials/reading1-1-1.html

Is intelligence determined by genetics? - Genetics Home Reference - NIH. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/traits/intelligence

Medias effect on youth: American Academy of Pediatrics: Reaching teens​ [Video file]. (2014).

Retrieved March 22, 2020, from

https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=97822&xtid=114557

Oswald, D. L., & Clark, E. M. (2003). Best friends forever?: High school best friendships and

the transition to college. ​Personal Relationships​, ​10​(2), 187–196.

https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.csn.edu/10.1111/1475-6811.00045

Piaget, J. (2008). Intellectual evolution from adolescence to adulthood.​ Human Development,

51​(1), 40-47. Retrieved from

http://ezproxy.library.csn.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.libra

ry.csn.edu/docview/224016422?accountid=27953
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Reynolds, A. J., Ou, S., Mondi, C. F., & Hayakawa, M. (2017). Processes of Early Childhood

Interventions to Adult Well-Being. ​Child Development,​ ​88(​ 2), 378–387.

https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.csn.edu/10.1111/cdev.12733

Snowman, J., & McCown, R. R. (2015). ​Psychology applied to teaching​. Australia: Cengage

Learning.

Sutton, A. L. (2010). ​Adolescent Health Sourcebook : Basic Consumer Health Information About

Adolescent Growth and Development, Puberty, Sexuality, Reproductive Health,

and Physical, Emotional, Social, and Mental Health Concerns of Teens and Their

Parents, Including Facts About Nutrition, Physical Activity,: Vol. 3rd ed.​

Omnigraphics, Inc​.

Tucker-Drob, E. M., & Harden, K. P. (2012). Intellectual Interest Mediates Gene