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Individualized Professional Development Plan

Ivan Ross
Butler University Class of 2020
Major: History and Political Science
Minor: Education

Index:
Background Information: 2-3
Future and Professional Goals: 4
Individual Professional Development Plan Template: 5-7
Individual Professional Development Plan Activity Log: 8-9
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Background Information

Why are you pursuing this degree?

● I have always had a passion for history and developed a love for government and politics in my years of high school. When

given the opportunity to come to Butler I wanted to expand my love of said topics and decided to major in a combination of the

two. The undergrad major I chose was also influenced by my desire to go to law school, and the knowledge and skills gained

from both History and Political Science translate into law-related studies well. That being said, I no longer possess the desire to

go to law school, but the degree is versatile nonetheless and opens a career path into the actual work I want to do.

What do you want the outcome to be? Is this outcome directly related to your “why?”

● As stated above, I wanted to attend law school post-Butler, and I chose a major that would serve as a good platform to pursue

such studies. As time has passed, and I have changed, I realized this is not the path meant for me. I find myself drawn to

helping people in some facet; something I know want to pursue by working in a non-profit. My major grants me many

potential aspirational avenues to navigate, and I’m eager to see which road life takes me down. As of the moment, grad school

is still in my head as I could get a MSW, M. Ed, MBA, MS in Wildlife Conservation, or even a PHD. Additionally, I am

chasing an Education Minor to explore teaching- for I may want to pursue an alternative certification route and become a high-

school history and government teacher. My studies, more than anything, have helped illuminate what I genuinely am
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passionate about and have gave me the motivation and means to seize my future. I want to be able to use these passions

discussed in the why in order to make an impact on the world I will be living in.

How are you going to work toward making that outcome possible?

● I have begun to gain experience in working for non-profits in my internship I am currently fulfilling at Thrive Nonprofit

Solutions in Indianapolis. From here, I have also gained more experience in research in two research-paper oriented classes I

am undertaking this semester. I also have experience working with children and people of very diverse backgrounds as a camp

counselor. It is also worth noting that I have gained extensive leadership experience as a Resident Assistant in the Fairview

House at Butler. In short, I am gaining experience applicable to any career path I may choose by being involved with a variety

of opportunities both on and off campus. My professional experiences have helped, in part, understand the future role/ career I

may fulfill in the upcoming years of my life- a useful analysis for I am still any many ways deciding the route I may want to

take.

Future Personal and Professional Goals
TIMEFRAME Personal goals:
Next Semester ● Keep focused on work and studies
● Work to find a job that is more career focused
● Quit working at the Butler Bookstore to free
up time for more future-oriented jobs
● Work a paid internship during the schoolyear
● Maintain a healthy relationship with my close
friends as we venture into living together
Next year ● Graduate
● Maintain a high GPA
● Apply to be in the Peace Corps
● Apply to be in The AmeriCorps
● Apply for the Fulbright
● Apply for the Orr Fellowship
● Pay rent and utilities on time in my house
● Enjoy my last year of college while also being
studious
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Professional goals
● Complete my PO 201 research paper and present
it at an academic conference
● Maintain relationships and build new ones with
professors of diverse fields.
● Use internship experience to land another
internship that may lead to a meaningful career
● Bolster my LinkedIn profile to better attract
potential employers
● Decide if I want to go to grad school after my
time at Butler is spent
● Have a job lined up after I graduate
● Have a focused internship that could translate
into a career
● Apply for appropriate after-undergrad
experiences and opportunities
● Investigate teacher certification programs
● Have focused discussions about MAT and other
programs
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Individual Professional Development Plan Template

Assets and Provocations
Planned Activities Objective of Alignment to Vision, How activity impacts
Development Activity Mission, Core Values, student learning
Major, or Minor
Required ● Meet with ● Layout a way to ● Fulfilling these ● Having a set end
knowledge/skills ICS again and ensure I am on tasks will allow goal in mind is a
discus future the right path to me to better good way to stay
Consider:
plans. getting where I understand my motivated in my
● required ● Research want to be. future and plan work.
competencies: like which ● Answer the for what I want ● Learning is more
COE Core Value graduate question of to accomplish. than books, it is also
Proficiencies, programs I whether or not ● Researching and a self-realization
Professional am most grad school is reading will also process that can
Standards for your interested in. the best option allow a better reveal what is most
content or ● Read blogs/ for me. chance to self- important to myself-
licensure,
journals ● Gain reflect if what I which these tasks
written by understanding think I want is certainly would.
people who from current actually aligned ● Alignment of future
have jobs like professionals if I with where I am. and present to
I may want in want to pursue a ● Integration of create a better
the future. career in a what I am narrative of my life.
● Attend similar field, studying into ● Become a more
University they are in. what I want to understanding and
Events that ● See how my own do in my time as knowledgeable
are rooted in views differ from a professional. person overall.
distinct others and
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disciplines understand why

and opinions. that is the case.

Assets/Strengths ● Meet with my ● Become a better ● My core value to ● Becoming a better

boss at Thrive intern so Thrive use every performer at work
Consider:
to better can better benefit possible can help motivate
● your views evaluate my from my opportunity to myself to become a
● recent assessments performance employment improve upon better student.
● other people’s to see where I there. myself would be ● Looking at grades
views can improve. ● Show initiative more in place if I will allow me to
● Watch videos around my work am able to listen allocate my time to
and read to demonstrate and proactively appropriate classes
blogs that how motivated get better in and structure my
allow myself and focused I am regard to school workload to best
to have a at the tasks I may and work. benefit my studies.
comprehensiv fulfill. ● I value diversity, ● Understanding a
e view on a ● Learn more so watching and variety of
variety of about topics so reading sources viewpoints will only
topics I am my opinions are on various ideas better myself as a
passionate more informed and principles Political Science
about. and valid. will allow me to major for we
● Listen when ● Make active gain a holistic discuss many
people give everyday small view of society. current issues in
me feedback improvements to ● Maintaining a class.
and not take myself as to good grade point ● Listening to others
constructive become a better average is very will allow me to
criticism to all-around self-validating as understand not only
heart. it helps reflect expectations, but
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● Look at my student and the hard work I also ways of

Midterm person. put into school. increasing my own
grades to see ● Motivate myself academic
which classes to finish the undertakings.
I need to step semester
up my work strongly and
in. hopefully make
the Dean’s List.
Provocations/Growth ● Continue to ● Gain on the job ● Exploring ● The activity allows
work in my work experience different routes me to continue
Consider:
present that can translate can allow me the learning outside of
● gaps in internship. into more vision to see if I the classroom in
knowledge/skills ● Submit more employability actually cherish career-attached
● opportunities on the applications ● Hone skills work in a non- opportunities that
horizon for future associated with profit while are of great interest
● what specific opportunities. being placing my core to me.
actions will help ● Apply for a professional and values in my ● Working in a non-
you to progress in summer RA networking actions. profit can also help
your role? position to ● Explore and see ● Many non- improve my own
save more if current desires profits involve literacy and writing
money while align with actual educational capacities.
working experiences outreach, so my
minor will be put
into work.
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Individual Professional Development Plan Activity Log

Description of professional Timeframe Connection to your stated objective
development activity completed
Internships and Career Services Meeting ● January 29th, 2019 ● Learned more about how my studies may be
● Conversed over future plans. ● 11am-12pm applicable to a wide variety of careers in the
● Helped align what I want in the future and helped calm some restlessness
future with what I am accomplishing associated with switching off the pre-law track.
in the present.
● Help illuminate the options I may
have with my degree post-Butler.

Graduate School Fair
● Forged new connections with a
plethora of schools while I also
networked to see what graduate
opportunities are out in the world.
● Honed skills of meeting new people
and acting professional.
● October 1st, 2018 ● Explored the world of graduate school options I
● 12-1:30 pm could pursue after I graduate. I was able to make
strong connection with Master of Management
programs at University of Illinois and IU Law
School.

Overnight Summer Camp Leadership ● February 4th ● Applied for a position that allows me to improve
Interview ● 10-11am leadership skills. The position I got also would
● Discussed with the director at Camp increase the amount of time I work with
Campbell Gard about summer children, something incredibly valuable if I
leadership opportunities. choose to seek teacher certification.
● Learned about how leadership at a
camp may be applicable to many
future careers.
● Received a job offer that could allow
me to work with children of diverse

backgrounds, as well as lead
counselors from around the world.
Thrive Nonprofit Grant Proposal
Assignment
● Collected information about possible
grants clients may want to apply for.
● Gained insight into the grant writing
procedures.
● Learned more about how nonprofits
seek funding.
Individual History Research Meeting
● Met with Dr. Deno to plan what my
research paper will address.
● Developed a plan to accomplish my
goals of explaining a prevalent issue
through a historical lens.
● Learned more about how to write an
academic paper by an established
professor.
Green 3 LLC Internship Meeting
 Met with the president and historic-
department representative to gain
insight about employment
opportunities.
 Learned more about how History and
careers can line-up.
 I was introduced to new people who
are doing interesting things in
Fountain Square.
Total PD Hours
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● January 10th-17th ● Working on this first assignment for my
● (Roughly 10 hours internship allowed me to better understand what
spread out) non-profit workers do and how their efforts gain
funding. I want to work in a non-profit, so this
was a great opportunity to gain tangible
experience.
● February 12th, 2019 ● In this meeting with Dr. Deno I was able to gain
● 1-2:30 pm a better grasp of what I wanted my research
paper to touch on. This is important because if I
choose to pursue a career that involves graduate
studies, a writing sample will be needed. This
paper, therefore, could serve as a strong example
of the type of writer I am.
● April 23rd, 2019 ● In this meeting I interviewed for a potential
● 4-5:30 pm summer internship. This internship involves
working in the historic building department of
the LLC to conduct research that may work to
preserve significant structures.
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