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Dependable Strengths
Class At Northwest Nazarene University
Dianna Gunderson, Career Center Director
at Northwest Nazarene University (NNU), wrote about a recent
successful Career Class focusing on Dependable Strengths:
The Dependable Strengths program has been a key part of the
upper division Career Class, offered by the Career Center
at NNU for the past three years. It has been very successful
and comments from some of the students who went through the
Dependable Strengths program are:
“…I learned how to sound confident
in interviews and how to talk about myself and not feel
like I was boasting…I am still the same person, but
my lens is now in focus and I can see more clearly than
before…not only did it help me with my confidence
but also I breezed through my first interview. I received
the job over one hundred other applicants and it was a very
big accomplishment for me…”
Last year there was a request from the administration at
NNU to develop a class that would help freshmen in their search
for direction, connectedness to others, awareness of strengths,
and confidence in choosing a major. The Career Class was modified
to focus on Dependable Strengths, values, goal setting, and
networking - the Dependable Strengths Class was born.
Allen Boivin-Brown was a guest at NNU for two days in June,
2004 to train nine faculty and administrative personnel from
a variety of departments to assist with the Dependable Strengths
class. He guided us through the training and was pleased with
how well people from departments such as technology, speech,
academic advising, library, residence hall, academic support,
admissions, counseling, academic support and the career center
were able to bond and focus on how we can assist students
as they are part of the new Dependable Strengths class.
Some of the comments from the Dependable Strengths Team
at NNU about the training process and the possibilities
for Dependable Strengths at NNU include:
“…I gained deeper friendships
as I shared openly and safely about who I am, and as I listened
to others share about themselves…I gained understanding
of myself and the knowledge of a new and exciting way to
communicate hope to students who need to figure out where
they are going in the future…This program will be
a great boon to the campus as we use it to help students
who are struggling with their futures and their self-image…Dependable
Strengths will help our students find out in a deeper way
who they are, what they want, and what is their place in
this world. It will build community as they share who they
are and feel supported and encouraged…”
As the Dependable Strengths class is beginning, I am very
excited about the positive impact this program is going to
have on the NNU campus. Seven members of the Dependable Strengths
Team planned and performed a skit during Faculty/Staff Fellowship
promoting the new class and encouraged everyone to talk to
students about the class. It was a huge hit, and I have received
calls expressing interest and wanting more information about
the class.
Members of the Dependable Strengths Team are: Brooke Adamson,
Sharon Bull, Kathy Burns, Ed Castledine, Dianna Gibney, Lon
Gilbert, Dianna Gunderson, Barbara Howard, Ron Luthman, and
Nancy Pitts.
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(From left to right: Lou Gilbert, Dianna Gibney, Barbara Howard,
Dianna Gunderson, Brooke Adamson, and Ron Luthman) |
(For more information about this
article, contact Dianna Gunderson: dvgunderson@nnu.edu)
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