Welcome to Digication
Scholars Conversations.

I'm your host, Kelly Driscoll.

In this episode, you'll hear Part Two
of my conversation with Whitney Fountain

Ruiz, a recent graduate of Arizona
State University, where she received

her master's degree in communication.

More links and information about today's
conversation can be found on Digication's

Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Full episodes of Digication Scholars
Conversations can be found on

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You did have to make some decisions
about how you were going to organize

it, and it sounds like you got kind of
a timeline for the course Kind of what

areas were supposed to get filled in
at certain times to keep you on track.

Um, but did you make decisions about
kind of how you wanted to, um, name

certain parts of the portfolio you chose?

It looks like some specific learning
outcomes that you wanted to focus on.

Were those decisions that you made
or were they part of a template

or prompts that you were given?

What was that process like?

I think it was a mix of both.

Um, For example, there was one section
where I needed to speak about the

organization and how I intertwined, how I
was um intertwined with the organization.

How did I know this organization?

Or how am I a participant in it?

And, you know, I had that section split
like that, but I also added other things.

I added a part on the side just to
explain Uh, more about the organization

or, um, I showed the social media posts
that we had and, uh, videos, actually,

yeah, a training video that I did that
wasn't requested of me, but I showed

a training video that I did for the
Toastmasters just to show how much I was

involved in it and the tools that I used.

I will say that doing the project
as a whole, it really pushed me

in a way where I, I learned that I
was capable, capable of doing other

things than I didn't think I was,
especially on a time, on a timeline.

All right.

On a time crunch.

Uh huh.

And so, yeah, exactly.

So, and, and like I said, and I got to use
so many great tools, especially with AI.

I, uh, played around with some
things like on Canva, there is.

Like an AI, uh, photo generator.

And so I created a character and
then I found another website that,

uh, has AI voices, I think it was
called Eleven or something like that.

And so with this character, I
made her a voice in a script and

then I edited the video and I put
it all together and it was just.

It was something, uh, creative
that I always want to do.

I know I'm capable of doing it.

I've been editing since I was 18
for weddings and quinceañeras.

And so I know, I know how to edit, but
it was just knowing that I could motivate

myself to complete a project the way
that I want to do it, kind of like the

way that you see other YouTubers do it.

And I'm like, Hey, I can do this.

You know, I, I always want to, but I never
am motivated to, but this project showed

me that I could motivate myself and use
these new tools to push myself along.

And they're really exciting.

I mean, it's like a game to
me, you know, seeing these new.

AI stuff, yeah, and creating videos
and and tools that I can show to future

employee employers, you know Yeah,
yeah, absolutely And I was curious

when you started this was this kind
of process on reflecting on your

learnings Something that you had done
prior to this course, or was this

a new kind of process for you too?

Not only building the ePortfolio, but
having this kind of reflection built in.

Meaning, did I take all the
information, for example, all the

knowledge that I gained from my
whole degree and put it into this?

Oh, well, I was kind of curious.

So for some students, they've never been
asked So I think for many students, they

go through this process as they're going
to school of doing an assignment, turning

it in, getting a grade, and moving on.

And for many students, they haven't,
before they've gone through a process of

creating an ePortfolio, had, um, any kind
of time or tool available where they're

actually thinking about what they may have
learned from that experience and how it

may connect to other things that they've
learned before or that are part of kind

of future things that they want to know.

This kind of reflection process
is often very new to them.

Had you been asked about that?

to do that in any prior courses,
or was that a new experience also?

Yeah, in the training and development
course, we were asked to, I think we

were asked to pick our skills, like a
certain amount of skills and competency.

Uh, Skills Lists, and then we were asked
to apply the information that we learned,

I think, either within that course or
within other courses to each skill.

So we, we had to show examples.

Let's say I said that one of my
skills was working well with others.

Luckily, I take lots of screenshots
with meetings and was able to

show, okay, this is the team.

Actually, yeah, I have video too.

I said, this is the team that I
worked with for this project and

this is how we work together.

I showed them the documents that we made
and showed how we work together as a team.

Like for example, and I've learned this
throughout the years when we have to do a

group project, I make sure I'm the first
person to create a document and I put,

I put all of our names in the document.

I put my, I, as an example, I put
my phone number and the times and

days that I'm available, and then I.

Make another section like, okay, this
is a list of tasks that we might need to

do and who wants to take on each task.

So that way I'm kind of in control of
what you're setting the stage there.

So I showed off a document like that,
you know, this is how I, um, how I worked

with the team and they appreciated that.

They loved it because it took off.

Uh, a lot of them told me
that it took off pressure.

Um, even like nobody likes to be
the leader and it wasn't that I was.

I'm trying to be a leader.

I, I wanted to be the facilitator.

That's like, that's one of my favorite
roles to do, you know, so if, if every,

if there's someone who can't meet up,
I'll make sure that I take video of the

meeting and send it to them, you know,
and I'll, I'll make sure that everybody.

Is participant or, um, given the
information that is needed so

that we can all get a good grade.

You know, my friend, she told
me, she's like, I'm so glad

you're in my group right now.

Cause I already know how you work and
I know we're going to get a good grade.

Yeah.

I did put pressure on
myself to get good grades.

And the funny thing is, I
tell my son, Don't worry.

You don't pressure yourself.

But he saw me.

And I think that's why he puts
so much pressure on himself.

He's like, Okay, look.

You're over there getting A's, Mom.

So, I guess I have to do it too.

Well, and how incredible for
him to get to get to see you

through this experience, too.

I'm sure it's been
incredibly inspiring for him.

Or scary for him for the future.

I don't know.

I think my husband says like,
finally, you're not a monster anymore.

You're done.

No, I mean, I it was I was stressed,
but I think also, um, I might have

just put that much stress on myself,
because, like you were mentioning...

um, a lot of students, they do their,
their work and then they get a grade.

And for us, once you get that
grade, it's a validation.

Okay.

Now I know either I did good or I
did bad and I can fix it or not.

But with the, with the Digication, the
last one that I did for Capstone, we

weren't receiving any grades per section.

It was like, you, you have to
do this whole project and then

you'll get the grade at the end.

So that's, I think that's what
made it, uh, um, scary or gave us

a little bit of anxiety over it.

It's a bigger project, yeah.

And even though eight weeks isn't a lot
of time, it's still, yeah, a accumulation

of a lot of work and writing about what
you've done and what you've achieved.

And what I really enjoyed about, uh,
your, your ePortfolio also is that you

included some really interesting, uh,
kinds of, we often refer to as kind

of pieces of evidence of your learning
that people might not think about.

So you mentioned you take a
lot of screenshots and things

of your meetings and videos.

And there was one in particular that
you shared that I thought was great.

That it was actually during, um, I
think it may have been a training or

educational exercise, but it was something
where the technology was not working.

Oh, yes.

And, and we've all been there, right?

Um, but you shared that because you wanted
people to see, you know, this is how I

was trying to problem solve in the moment.

And this is what I learned
from that experience and things

that I'll do going forward.

Should I be in that kind of situation

What, you know, at Digication, when
we're creating this platform, we're

always thinking about ways that
students can always have an opportunity

to share who they are, and what they
know, and their successes, of course,

but we really also want it to be
that place where they can celebrate

the whole person and that includes
the challenges they've encountered.

It includes those, um, bumpy times someone
the other day was talking about as being

those wobbly, wobbly moments where we
may not be in sure footing, um, but that

we, are able to, you know, make our way
through and look back on and, you know,

whether we see that as um, you know, we
call it kind of failing forward where, you

know, you may recognize that you messed up
or something didn't go the way you wanted,

but how you've grown from that and may
approach things differently in the future.

And I loved that you, you know,
shared that situation because I'm

sure it was very uncomfortable.

Well, first of all, I spent hours.

I would, I spent so many hours.

I found a video online, uh, I think the
Digication that you're telling, talking

about, um, I, for one of the training
videos, I wanted to teach my teammates

about creating a, uh, PowerPoint.

Yes.

An effective PowerPoint.

And there's a great video about it, uh,
and it was like, I'll say 20 minutes long.

Mm hmm.

And I shrunk it down to five minutes.

About five minutes.

I really had to cut it up and I, I
spent so many hours on it and I was

so excited to show my team and then
it, they couldn't hear, they couldn't

hear what was going on, like what
the heck, why isn't that working?

Um, and then I just said, okay, well,
you know, This is, yeah, like you

said, um, having experiences like
that really teaches you that you

need to, what you need to do next
time, how you need to be prepared.

So when I do, for example, an
interview with someone, I make sure

I have my phone next to me too,
to also record the interview in

case for some reason the computer
doesn't record the sound, you know.

And, and it really has
taught me how to be prepared.

The, the reflection part
of those Digications.

are really essential because I
think a lot of people are afraid

of, of failing, of course.

They don't know, even, not just
failing, they're just afraid of,

in general, not, of the unknown.

They're afraid of the unknown.

And reflecting on those things
and figuring out what you could

have done for the next time.

It really, it really builds resilience.

It really builds problem solving skills
and prepares you for the future, for

whatever you're going to do in the future.

It's really important.

You know, my daughter, she's, like
I said, she's, uh, working, she,

she finished her psychology degree.

Um, She wishes that
she took communications

because a lot of the things
that I've learned, she really

wanted to learn more about.

And, and she ended up doing, um, right
now she's working on her dancing degree.

But I told her, even though you didn't.

You don't want to further
pursue your psychology degree.

You've learned so much from it.

And it's not just about psychology.

Again, it's about problem solving,
working with others, critical

thinking, all those things you'll,
that will keep with you forever.

And she also became interested
in body language too, cause

she saw I was studying it.

And now she, she realizes that a
lot of the things that she's learned

in psychology or what she studied
about body language, she uses, she's

Um, as a dancing instructor, she,
she sees if someone's uncomfortable

or if they want to ask a question.

So she does use those skills.

It's, it's not, of course,
it's never gone to waste.

She has a psychology degree.

If she wants another job, she has
that to back her, you know, um,

and, and I'm trying to get my son
to understand those things too, even

in, he's in high school right now
and I tell him, um, ask questions.

It's okay if you fail.

I think I tried to practice for a while.

I've seen a parent asking their child.

Oh, what did you fail at today?

To try to reflect on that.

It didn't last very long.

I did try to get him into it, but I wanted
him to understand it is okay to fail.

You make mistakes, but if you make a
mistake, you can also ask questions

until you, um, get help or find
the answer that you're looking for.

And, uh, so I think you mentioned he's,
um, he's, is he in college yet or not yet?

No, he's, he just started high school.

Oh, he just started high school.

Okay.

Yeah.

But what a wonderful conversations
to be having with him at this time.

I have a recent high school graduate and
two juniors right now, and I, I understand

the, um, challenge sometimes in getting
them to talk about their day, especially

saying, you know, where did you,

I've learned that they don't
write when they get out of school.

No, they're not going
to talk about it, but.

As soon as it's time for
somebody to go to bed.

Like if I want to go to bed, all of a
sudden, there's a whole conversation.

I, I try to throw it in, you know,
throughout the day though, um, when

we're listening to a song and the subject
comes up or when we're watching TV,

I do try to make that those moments.

I don't know if it annoys him.

I mean, he engages in the conversation.

Yeah, he engages in the conversation.

So, I do try to make
certain learning moments.

Or I'll let him tell me things, you know.

I'll let him talk sometimes.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, I appreciate those times where they,
you know, end up having to get together.

Stuck in the car with me.

I feel like that's sometimes
when the wonderful stories come

out and I try to just listen.

Yes.

Yes.

So fun.

Um, so I was curious, you know, now
that you're a, um, recent graduate

and, you know, already starting to
do some new things in your career.

Um, you know, thinking back on this, if
you might have any advice for New students

that might just be embarking on this.

Um, if there's, uh, maybe in communication
or not, if you feel like it might be

a value to students in other kinds
of disciplines too, what might advice

would you have for students that may be
new to the whole idea of a ePortfolio

or just taking time to think about how
they might share who they are and what

their experiences are with other people?

I would say, uh, yeah, I have
a lot of advice for this one.

We want to hear it.

Yeah, the first thing I would say is
to schedule, like, time management.

Work on your time management skills.

Set goals for yourself.

And you, you know what?

Break, break them down.

Okay.

Today or at least this week.

I will get a paragraph done, or I
will design this spot, you know, I, I

don't know, and one of the Digication,
someone told us to work backwards kind

of, um, because I think the very first
page was just introducing ourselves

and that's the easy part, so they were
just telling us to work backwards and,

um, I would say also have fun with it,
because like I said, that's what saved

me, is just being able to, uh, play with
editing tools and, uh, photos and AI.

It was really fun for me.

I would say have, uh, Make friends, a
friend that you can call or write to

and, uh, or even like on email to, to see
how things are going and ask questions.

That would be the next uh, advice
would be to ask questions because with

my last Digication, I had a mentor.

That, that's, that was the purpose of
having the mentor to ask questions.

I went to her to, um, I think we had to
go to the mentor at least three times.

So in the beginning to ask,
how are we supposed to do this?

And then, or I think even,
I was trying to figure out.

How to define the problem that I
was working on, cause my Capstone

Digication, we had to figure
out a communication problem.

And an organization that it connected to.

So I needed to define
what I was working on.

And I, that's really important
to understand where you're going

with it, you know, so that you
can know how to set everything up.

Asking questions with the mentor,
showing her, she, I showed her my work

the second time that I met with her.

And she said, okay, you
look like you're on track.

And that helped out, that helped me feel
better about the projects because you

know, there was positive feedback or even
if it wasn't positive, at least she would

let me know what I needed to work on.

And then the last one, she was just
like, Oh, you look like you're done.

And I was like, really?

Okay, I'm finished finally.

Yeah, I was like, okay,
I'll enter it right now.

It sounds like I'm done.

I will enter it right now.

And, and understand that you're going
to change your mind on a lot of things.

You, you, you, it's okay to just put
it down, put all the work down first.

I think I, I looked at someone's
Digication in the beginning stages

and they literally just pasted their
stuff on and it was all over the place.

But they just wanted to get their
idea down and then they organized

it later, just like they tell you
to do when you're, uh, writing

an essay or a story or something.

Just get your ideas down
and then edit it later.

That way you don't block yourself.

You just, you just let it all out.

So that, those would be the things.

That would be the advice
that I would give.

Time management.

Ask questions.

Get a friend.

Have fun.

And I don't remember what
was the last thing I said.

Oh, get it all out.

Don't be afraid to make a mess so
I think we're, we put more pressure

on ourselves as students than
the teachers do, and it's okay.

Just realize that it's okay.

I saw a, uh, college speech,
a valedictorian, I don't

know how to say it properly.

I think you got it.

Valedictorian.

Valedictorian.

The way, what he said was, um, he
worked so hard in school that he

realized that he missed out on a
lot of things, like spending time

with family and things like that.

So I, I would say also create
a balance for yourself.

Make time for yourself by yourself, make
time for your friends, make time for

your family and make time for school.

So create a good balance
so that you don't go crazy.

That is good advice.

Yeah, and we always in, uh, you know,
just in terms of the kind of tools

and design and the platform, uh,
speaking to some of the things that

you mentioned, we always try to make
the tools, approachable in such a way

that you can start with something that
is, um, kind of, uh, unfinal, right?

So that you can keep growing it and
changing it and moving things around

if you need to, if you needed to
move pages around or content from one

page to another that you can do that
and even create different versions

of your ePortfolio along the way.

Yeah, depending on who you wanted to
share it with and having those mentors

and friends around you is so important.

So being able to share it with
other people and get advice.

And I was kind of curious with the
mentor that you had, um, were they

another student at the school or was
it someone that worked in some kind

of resource position at the school.

How did you get connected?

Lucky for me?

It happened to be my previous professor.

That was my training and development...

she had already saw my work
before my previous education

and so she knew she is short.

But she's like I already
know you got this.

It's okay It was perfect because
I was already Uh, I already

knew her, so it was nice.

She made me feel comfortable.

Good.

Good.

Yes.

Fostering those relationships.

Yes.

You mentioned that earlier
in the conversation, too.

Yes.

Yes.

And the first Digication that we, that
we did, it was more about ourselves.

Like I said, it was about the
skills that we've acquired from

the degree, from the course.

And I think that was really important
for us students to do because It

made us, um, one of my friends,
she was like, um, Hey, they called

us, uh, a communication scholar.

Like, as if we weren't, we'd like, we
needed somebody to tell us it so we could.

Recognize our accomplishments.

And doing that Digication also allowed
us to recognize those accomplishments

and be like, okay, you know what?

I am capable.

Sometimes we might have imposter
syndrome, you know, like, okay, even

though I'm learning this, it doesn't mean
I'm an expert at it or that I know it.

And I understand we're always growing.

We're always learning.

The information, but the Digication
helped me to realize that I

have fostered these skills.

Yes.

And, and now I can be proud to
say that I actually have them.

Yeah.

Very validating.

Yeah.

Indeed.

Yeah.

Hard to, hard to deny that you're
a scholar, that you see all of

that work and growth together.

Right?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, Whitney, thank you
again for joining me today.

It was such a pleasure to talk to
you and I still look forward to

sharing our conversation with others.

Thank you.

I enjoyed our conversation and it
just makes me more excited about

learning more and, and sharing
this information with others.

Wonderful.

I hope that you do.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

This concludes our conversation
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