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RUNNING HEAD: Journal Entries

Journal Entries
Taylor Winner
Wilmington University

RUNNING HEAD: Journal Entries

Journal Entry #1
My first week at my practicum at Clinton County Veteran Affairs has been very
informative. I have been introduced to the staff and other interns at my placement site. I will be
working with the director, my supervisor who holds the title of Veteran Service Officer and two
other interns. This week I have worked 8.5 hours at my placement. During this time I was
introduced to the types of tasks the office does, as well as common practices. I found that my
new office generally does repetitive tasks such as preparing documents for veteran clients,
speaking with clients and working directly with the federal department of Veteran Affairs to
arrange veteran benefits. A large part of this offices purpose is outreach projects and
implementing various projects that benefit veterans. In this 15 week period I would like to
become familiar with planning events in the community. I take an interest in community
outreach and would like to get exposure to planning and evaluating programs and/or projects. I
plan on getting involved with the upcoming September 11th event that the office is planning.
Journal Entry #2
This week at my field placement at Clinton County Veteran Affairs I interned for a total
of 9.5 hours over the course of 3 days. While at my placement I worked with my supervisor and
the director of the agency to create a budget for the 2016 fiscal year. I observed my supervisor
and director create an itemized budget for everything pertaining to the organization, from office
supplies to veteran grave markings. Everything the office uses or does as a service was figured
into this intricate budget. The budget was formulated electronically using Logos Software. I had
always pictured budgeting and accounting to be a difficult and mindboggling task since I am not
that great at math. However, with the help of the software, I found that it wasnt too hard. The
software that we used did all of the calculating, we just pretty much entered the numbers and it

RUNNING HEAD: Journal Entries

did the work. The budget process was rather simple, considering it was based off of last years
budget. The budget was only modified in a few areas from last years, so minimal changes had to
be made for this upcoming year.
This week I worked with my supervisor on planning their annual September 11th walking
tribute. My placement office and a local veteran organization organize a walking tribute to honor
the victims of the September 11th terror attack and the soldiers that have fought to defend our
nation as a result of the terror attacks that occurred on this day in 2001. The tribute was held in
downtown Lock Haven, where my office is based at. The tribute consisted of someone walking
at all times around town with the American flag. A sunrise and sunset vigil was also performed
on this day to remember those who lost their lives because of the act of terrorism on this day. My
supervisor and I planned portions of this as part of a community outreach project. Anyone could
participate; veterans were encouraged to come out to represent their patriotism. My supervisor
and I scheduled the walkers who walked during the day with the flag. Although this sounds like a
simple project, it required a lot of organization. Members of the community who were interested
in participating in this tribute called our office and we had to schedule them into time slots. Extra
attention had to be paid so there would not be open time slots or time slots with excessive
volunteers.
This week I had my first one-on one supervision with my supervisor, Melissa. We
discussed the purpose of the budget we created for the next fiscal year, as well as effective
strategies she found to be helpful when she first started creating budgets. Melissa also applauded
me for my work on the September 11th tribute. We discussed next weeks projects and topics we
will go over, which will include beginning to organize the Veterans Day event that the office
sponsors and strategic planning methods.

RUNNING HEAD: Journal Entries

Journal Entry #3
This week at my placement my supervisor and I discussed strategic planning. During my
supervision, my supervisor Melissa and I did a SWOT assessment of the Clinton County Veteran
Affairs organization. We identified the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats our
department faces. I found it to be helpful to know where my placements strong points and
weaknesses lie both internal and externally. For example, a strength my agency possesses is the
relationships that our office forms with clients. Although we have a large caseload, my
placement makes it a priority to make connections and get to know clients so they feel
comfortable working with us, and returning for services. A weakness my placement agency has is
their lack of staffing. Due to budget restraints there are only a few paid staff members, which can
be an issue when the number of client needs exceed the offices manpower. An opportunity my
placement agency has is the increasing in advocacy and support for veteran affairs and resources.
By examining these factors, my supervisor shared some of her ideas for strategic planning and
how we can utilize these factors to better plan and fulfill goals of the agency. My supervisor
shared with me strategies to better meet goals of the local veterans based on opportunities that
are present and that will become present in the future. One of these strategies is to hire a parttime employee in the year 2016 to better serve our client caseload. This will be made possible
with the opportunity of more funding. This will hopefully rectify a weakness of our agency with
lack of staffing.
This week I also began learning about our Veterans Expo that will be held on Veterans
Day in cooperation with a local university. Even though this expo is about two months away, it is
imperative that we start planning for this event. Under the supervision of my mentor, we solicited

RUNNING HEAD: Journal Entries

local businesses and other organizations for donations. We also started booking vendors for the
expo. This will be an ongoing project up until the expo.
Journal Entry #4
This week at my practicum placement my supervisor and I discussed ways to effectively
manage employees, interns and volunteers. My site supervisor is in charge of other interns and
employees, in addition to any volunteers the office recruits. We discussed leadership strategies
and how to effectively communicate with your staff. My supervisor emphasized the importance
of collaboration when working in a group, regardless of who is in charge. She stressed that it is
always important to make your staff and team feel equally important and appreciated.
During my hour supervision, my site supervisor and I worked on my learning contract.
With her help, I was able to define strategies and methods of measurement that can be used to
meet my goals. We defined goals for what knowledge I wanted to attain, skills I wanted to gain
and professional development that I would like to work on. Although I was doing this for an
assignment, I found this task to be helpful. It helped me clarify what I want to learn from my
placement experience.
There were not many clients that came into the office this week. However, one
emotional, older woman sticks out to me. She came into the office wishing to acquire the proper
paperwork needed so that her father could get a Purple Heart medal. It was heartfelt to see my
site supervisor assist someone in this way. Although her father was deceased, it was very
important that the process be started for her father to get the honor he deserved.

RUNNING HEAD: Journal Entries

Journal Entry #5
At my placement this week I worked with my supervisor heavily assisting clients. The
caseload was rather high this week compared to last week. Although it was kind of hectic this
week, I got exposure to diverse client populations. There were numerous clients in and out of the
office while I did my 8.5 hours of interning this week. I observed my supervisor directly
assisting clients for the majority of my time at my placement. I am getting more familiar with
necessary paperwork and procedures that need done for each client/case. I am becoming more
and more thankful for my patient supervisor. She is always quick to explain something or clarify
aspects I may not be sure of. This has helped me a lot grow comfortable with the procedures and
policies my agency implements. Although it has only been five weeks, I feel at home at my
placement. This feeling of relief is such a positive feeling, I no longer feel anxious or nervous
over my new environment. I am satisfied with the rapport I am building with clients and my coworkers.
This week during my supervision, my supervisor and I discussed the current trends and
challenges impacting the agency and clientele. I was very intrigued to learn about what my
supervisor had to disclose about what she notices in the agency. We discussed current trends
among veterans that we regularly see, such as the effects of Agent Orange (prevalent with
Vietnam era veterans), as well as current issues like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I appreciate
learning about current issues that impact the client population we have because I feel the more
that I am familiar with clients and their experiences the more I can be of assistance to them. My
supervisor also stressed the importance of having a general understanding and background
information on clients. Although it is impossible to know everything about every client, or

RUNNING HEAD: Journal Entries

knowing all the details about the hardships they face, she stated the importance of showing
interest and taking time to be engaged in each client we see.
Journal Entry #6
This week at my internship placement my supervisor and I did planning for the Veterans
Day event. For this event, my placement agency is partnering with a local university to hold an
expo for veterans and the rest of the community. The purpose of this expo is to spread awareness
of veteran related issues. This expo will have a variety of groups and other agencies there to
educate vets on services that they offer that could benefit. Overall, this expo will be a great
resource for veterans to use to see what services and organizations are out there to help them.
This week specifically, my supervisor and I worked on created informative pamphlets to hand
out at our stand at the expo. These pamphlets will have our agencys basic information on it, as
well as services we provide.
This week at my placement I attended a county commissioners meeting with my
supervisor. This was the first formal county meeting that I have attended. These meetings are
held monthly, and representatives from each county department are required to attend. This
month it was my supervisors turn to attend on the agencys behalf and she invited me to go. This
meeting was not centered on Veteran Affairs; there was minimal discussion about our
department. Nonetheless, it was interesting to observe the county commissioners hold a meeting
and discuss local issues and current events.
This week at supervision my supervisor and I discussed the importance of attending
county-wide events and meetings. She discussed with me the importance of attending functions
or meetings even though it may not directly affect your organization; it is still good to show your

RUNNING HEAD: Journal Entries

presence in the county community. We also discussed latent effects that may affect our
department. A good example she made was a cut or rise in tax dollars. Although our department
has nothing to do with taxes, the amount of taxes the county takes in can either increase or
decrease our funding. We are a department that is funded by local tax dollars; therefore we are
effected by the revenue that is brought into the county. That is why it is important to be
knowledgeable as to what is going on throughout the whole county, even if you dont think
something directly affects you, it still can in some way, directly or indirectly.
Journal Entry #7
This week at my internship placement I worked with my supervisor to plan a flu shot
clinic for veterans in my county. This event will take place at our office so local veterans can
come in and get their vaccine. My supervisor put me in charge of contacting the Veteran Affairs
hospital representative in charge of outreach clinics in order to set up the date and details. They
are coming to administer the flu shots.
After I set up the clinic through the VA hospital, I then made a flyer to advertise for the
clinic. I created this flyer in order to inform local veterans of this service that is offered to them.
Flyers were placed throughout the community and in veteran clubs throughout the county for
display. Hopefully this advertising strategy will produce a favorable outcome for our outreach
event. This event could potentially bring non clients into the office, and interested in becoming a
client. If veterans were not sure of our services prior to the clinic, the clinic could be a good way
to introduce ourselves to them, as well as what we can do for them.
This week at supervision, my supervisor and I discussed upcoming events. She told me
the basic information about our calendar of events, as well as my role in these events. We

RUNNING HEAD: Journal Entries

discussed the importance of planning in advance. Even though the flu shot vaccine clinic isnt
until the end of November, being proactive in planning is crucial. She explained the importance
of advertising for events in order to spread awareness of the event to the public. Planning and
advertising in advance will allow participants to plan accordingly for the event.
Journal Entry #8
This week at my internship I assisted the director of my placement office with research
projects. My supervisor was out of the office for some of my time while interning, so the director
of Veteran Affairs was who I answered to this week. I assisted him in doing various research
assignments on topics pertaining to veterans cases. For example, one veteran filed for
compensation on the grounds that he was injured in a tsunami while serving in the Vietnam War.
Part of the Clinton County Veteran Affairs job is providing the proof that there was in fact a
tsunami during that time that could have impacted him. Part of the research I did was on finding
information and history of tsunamis that occurred during his time of service. The documentation
and materials found will be presented to the federal branch of Veteran Affairs with his claim.
This is done to prove the validity of their claim.
According to my director, doing tasks like this is important when helping clients receive
their benefits. He informed me that whether it is local, state or federal benefits, facts are
important. If sufficient information is not presented on clients behalf to validate their claims,
there is a chance that their claims may be denied.
I found it interesting to do work behind the scenes with the director. I surprisingly
enjoyed doing research on clients case information. I didnt think this is something I would be
doing at my placement, but this is a step that is sometimes necessary to get benefits for clients.

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This process also opened my eyes to how strict and rigid guidelines are in order to receive
resources/benefits. I always presumed government benefits were particular, but I did not realize
that they required so much data and proof to validate.
Journal Entry #9
This week at my internship placement I worked on following up with vendors and local
businesses for the Veterans Day expo. This expo is affiliated with the local university in Clinton
County, so my supervisor and I met with their planning committee to finalize plans for the
upcoming expo. As Veterans Day approaches, there are many events that our office is working
on. It is important this week that I assist my supervisor in finalizing all plans and making sure all
of our obligations are covered.
My supervisor and I also made arrangements for an upcoming dedication ceremony for a
veteran. This event is an event hosted by the university in Clinton County, but our agency is
assisting with it since we maintain close ties with them. This event will take place next week, and
I was responsible for making a pamphlet to give to guests of this dedication ceremony.
This week I am really learning the ropes of event planning. Even though an event may
only be 45 minutes long, I am realizing all of the work that goes into it. When hosting an event,
we have to make sure we have everything covered. We had to seek volunteers to do things that
range from singing the National Anthem to having someone assigned to cleaning up trash at the
end of the event. All this planning has really made me appreciate presentations and events hosted
by others!

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Journal Entry #10
This week at my internship placement I assisted with a field dedication ceremony for a
local veteran who died in World War II. My office was in partnership with the local university in
Lock Haven, so we assisted with their dedication ceremony. In addition to the planning my
supervisor and I had done for this event previously, I assisted my supervisor in the execution of
this event. Our office arrived early to help set up, organize all participants and oversee the
ceremonys event. It was really rewarding and even emotional to see such a great turnout for this
event. The response from the local university community and town of Lock Haven that were
present for this event made me proud to be a part of my small town! I definitely enjoyed being
involved in events, seeing the end result of all the planning and chaos really makes it all worth it.
The success of this event really makes me excited for next weeks veteran expo and Veterans
Day ceremony.
For supervision this week, my supervisor and I discussed the information she gathered
from a leadership conference she had attended the week before. I thought it was very thoughtful
of her to share what she learned with me, her information and insights will be beneficial to me
when I land a leadership role of my own. In correlation to what we are learning in class, she
shared information with me about how to handle situations that may arise in leadership positions
and how to get your point across to your staff without being degrading or exerting too much
negativity. We discussed actual scenarios that were brought up at her conference, and discussed
the best possible solutions. Im appreciative that she went over these situations with me because I
feel that with all the complex situations that may arise in the workplace, you can never get
enough practice with handling them. I have never had a leadership role, so any and all practice I
can get I will take!

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Journal Entry #11
This week was a very busy week for my internship office. With Veterans Day being
midweek, we had events that we took part in. This week was a big week for community
outreach, which I really enjoyed taking part in! In commemoration of Veterans Day we
partnered with the local university to hold a ceremony that honors local veterans and student
veterans. This event touched me personally, coming from a military family. I became emotional
during parts of the service, it made me appreciate veterans and our countrys servicemen and
woman even more. In terms of facilitating this event, our office arrived early to help set up.
Along with my supervisor, I greeted guests and handed out pamphlets for the ceremony. Leading
up to this event, my office recruited guest speakers and participants to be included in this event.
It was rewarding to see all the hard work and planning have such a successful end result.
Another community outreach project that occurred this week was the Veterans Expo.
This was a heavily planned out event for our office. Personally, I felt a great relief when it was
over! My supervisor and I spent so much time and effort finding vendors, scheduling, planning
and attending meetings with partnering agencies for this event. The turnout was awesome and I
enjoyed being at the expo and representing the Clinton County Veteran Affairs. My favorite part
of this event was working our booth at the expo and actually getting to see and interact with so
many local veterans that attended. It was a positive experience for me getting to play an active
role in the planning process in this event. More so than any of the other events, this was what I
worked hardest on. From calling vendors to set up presentations at the expo to cleaning up
afterwards, so much hard work went into this event. Therefore, the successful turnout meant a lot
to me.

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For supervision this week, my supervisor and I discussed the positive and negatives of
our events. We talked about what we could have done differently as well as what went really
well. Supervision was more of a wrap-up of the events that we participated in this week. Since
our Veterans Day activities are now done with, we briefly discussed upcoming projects for the
holiday season.
Journal Entry #12
This week at my internship placement I worked with my supervisor to assist clients.
Since our Veterans Day events are over with, I spent all of my interning hours in the office. This
week I observed as my supervisor directly assisted clients. What really stuck out to me this week
was a meeting my supervisor and I had with a veterans widow. She was elderly and needed
assistance with securing an assisted living facility; she came to our office because she did not
have anyone else to help her. In addition to our office helping her submit appropriate forms and
requirements to Veteran Affairs, my supervisor and I found ourselves just talking to her. We
discussed her dog, her family that lived out of state and various off topic things. It occurred to
me that sometimes its important to just be a listening ear to people. We helped her accomplish
the things that she had to complete, in addition to letting the client know that our office is there
for her. After this elderly client left the office, my supervisor discussed the importance of just
taking the time to connect with clients, especially those that may not have anyone to go home to.
This weeks supervision consisted of discussing the upcoming holiday projects and
events. My supervisor and I discussed building rapport with clients. It is very clear that our office
has excellent rapport with many of their clients. Due to the small client base the office has, staff
is able to really build strong relationships with clients. I witnessed the positive rapport my

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supervisor has with her clients this week with the elderly client she assisted. My supervisor and I
also looked at my learning contract again to ensure that I am meeting all of the necessary things
included in that.
Journal Entry #13
This week at my internship placement my supervisor and I focused on transitioning into
from Veterans Day events to beginning to plan for Christmas related events the office hosts. We
began organizing a gift drive for local veterans in the Clinton County area. This is something that
I especially look forward to because I enjoy the holiday season. Although I will not get to be
there to see this gift drive fully executed, I am looking forward to help orchestrate it. My
supervisor had me reach out to our local affiliates and contacts to seek donations for this gift
drive so local elderly veterans can receive things that need this holiday season.
My supervisor and I also began the ending process of my internship. Our supervision
consisted of viewing my learning contract again and seeing what objectives were met. My
supervisor also asked for my input in regards to what she can do to better help future interns. I
expressed my need of exposure to diverse populations. Even though that is something out of her
control, I wanted to make her aware that as an intern, I felt that I got limited exposure to various
client populations. Although that is something that may not be changeable, I felt the need to
bring it to her attention. I suggested to her that in the future, maybe there could be more diversity
for the department if events and resources were extended to surrounding counties that have more
diversity.

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Journal Entry #14
For my last day at Clinton County Veteran Affairs my supervisor and I had a brief
supervision style conversation where she discussed with me my overall evaluation. She
thoroughly explained to me my scores and we discussed the highlights of my internship
placement with them. We also double-checked my timesheet to ensure that I met the hour
requirement required for my course.
At the end of my last day, I gave both my supervisor and department director thank you
cards as a token of my appreciation. My supervisor gave me brochures and information sheets to
add to my portfolio to represent the department. Although there are no job openings within the
department currently, my supervisor and department director disclosed that if one should become
available, I have their recommendations. They also gave me their professional and personal
contacts so that I can use them as future references. I was thankful that I was able to leave in
their good graces. I am very fortunate to have had this placement experience and make positive
contacts to use in the future as I embark on future opportunities.