Mindy Warguez

IPS 410-13
Instructor: Sarah Dunning
Capstone Reflection
CAPSTONE REFLECTION

As I reflect on the learning and development that has taken place on my journey through

the BIPS program, there are three key things that immediately stand out: The real world

applications of the BIPS courses, the connections that solidified my understanding of the BIPS

courses, and the self-awareness that has deepened throughout the process of earning my degree.

Essentially, in all areas, I have noticed a remarkable increase in my ability to think deeper and

through different lenses, communicate better on many levels and through different mediums, and

understand myself on levels that help me apply what I am learning to my future goals.

As I worked through my project on transitional coaching, I found myself surprised at how

committed I was to be applying the principals of the BIPS degree to the implementation of a

coaching business. The learning objectives from each of the core courses seemed to naturally fit

the real-world applications of starting a business in people development. Human centered design

prepared me to “hear” the emotions being communicated in a story. Systems thinking helped me

to apply those emotions to known archetypes and models and identify a leverage point for

effective coaching support. Mostly, I was proud that my degree had turned into something

beyond what I originally entered school for.

Two years ago, I had decided to finish my degree in order to check it off the bucket list

and tell my children that I did it (so they better do it too!). Instead, as I made my way through

the courses, earning my degree become something more for me. It morphed into a personal
manifestation of what I am capable of. As I began to understand the concepts and practices

through class projects, I was able to immediately apply these to my own experiences in the

workplace and see potential areas of positive impact these principals can have on the

surrounding community. Now that my project is doing exactly that, it is rewarding and a source

of pride that not only have I completed the BIPS program, but I am actually using the concepts to

implement a business that will allow my degree to really come to life.

I thought each course throughout the BIPS program was relevant and applicable to the

workplace today. I gained insight from every single one. Having some global experience

myself, I did find myself wanting more from the Intercultural Awareness Competency as it felt

like the real-world applications of intercultural knowledge were only lightly covered

(communication styles, interpersonal behaviors, non-judgmental/empathetic approaches to

disagreement or relations, etc.). That said, I know that the short time structure of these classes

makes deep development of any concept difficult.

In that light, I would like to shine light on the course that I found the most helpful, even

with the short duration. I would say, “IPS 405, Body of Work” was the class that made the

biggest difference for me. It allowed me the personal room and access to the instructor which

enabled me to connect and make sense of all the elements contained in the BIPS degree. This

helped immensely when it came time to create the Capstone Project. Using IPS 405 as a way to

further the self-awareness tools taught in IPS 306 and begin to manifest the learning and

development that had occurred personally over the course of the degree was invaluable. It

afforded me the time to really reflect and process how I have changed and what opportunities

might be available to me because of these changes. It was through this class that I was able to

recognize, reflect, and relate to the personality traits and experience I have in the field of training
and development. By the end of the class, and after a few conversations with the instructor and a

classmate, I had decided that opening a coaching business was a perfect post-graduation next

step.

Of course, the ability to use IPS 405 as a reflection tool stems from the seeds planted in

the self-awareness competency. Finding our personality types early on in IPS 306 allowed for

immediate exploration and “making sense” of different behaviors, tendencies, and attractions

that I knew about myself but had not really explored. Naming my values, strengths, and making

a personal manifesto allowed me to really dive deeper into areas of myself that needed attention.

Challenging the things I am spending too much time on (that don’t get me closer to my personal

goals or feed my values), as well as areas that I need to focus more on (not letting fear get in the

way of setting high goals) was a particular epiphany that happened during the class. Being able

to put my emotions to words, name them, write about them, get them out in the open, and then

set goals accordingly helped me to realize the full potential of not only myself, but of what I can

do with the concepts I am learning through the BIPS program. It opens a number of

opportunities going forward. For that, I am ultimately grateful and proud of my

accomplishments.

In summary, the BIPS program had originally started out as a way for me to finish my

degree with the flexibility of online classes– nothing more nothing less. By the end, it had not

only transformed my thinking patterns, but also my self-reflection, values, and goals. As I

reflect on what that means to me personally, I am filled with gratitude for the development I’ve

seen in myself and the potential that I’ve been given to impact the community in a positive way.

I am happy that I no longer think of this journey as just “getting a degree”, but instead have

renewed opportunities in ways that I am excited to apply to improve the community around me.
Additionally, I have developed a love for learning that will continue to serve me in the future and

I am proud of the changes I have seen in myself along the way.