Digital Commons Network^™

A Soul's Shape Is Beautiful, Alondra Orozco

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

A memoir engaged with the seminar's theme of Change, Transformation, and Transition. It follows my story and how I came to discover my true self. This is a coming-out story, with the purpose of sharing my experiences and potentially getting others to understand non-binary or transgendered people better. It delves into my personal thoughts and experiences, as well as transphobia from my parents. Since the story begins in my early childhood, the diction and writing style change throughout the story. I also incorporate the use of stream of consciousness to show my progression from cisgendered to a non-binary person.

A Plan For Your Pets: Education And Outreach Through The Perpetual Care Program, Tatyanna Horoszko

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

With the number of older and senior adults increasing in the United States, and specifically in Monterey County, there is a growing demand for services that support aging adults. However, many pet owners, especially those of older age, fail to realize the importance of estate planning for their pets due to technology gaps, lack of knowledge and education regarding estate planning, and poor physical and mental health. Consequently, the lack of an estate plan results in the burden being placed on family and friends, the abandonment of pets, and the euthanization of pets. Peace of Mind Dog Rescue (POMDR) strives …

Engaging Santa Cruz County Employers, Jayne Prieto

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This internship was completed at the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County (CAB), which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping low-income at-risk youth and adults. The intern was fortunate to work with the Links2Work!, an Alcance program. Links2Work! helps individuals gain work experience and find linkages to employment. Currently, the biggest challenge is finding employment for those individuals impacted by the justice system. Their past histories have disqualified them from jobs. The intern’s Capstone Project was to find fair chance employers in the county of Santa Cruz that will allow the organization to better serve job seekers and …

Healthy Living’ Nutrition Education In Kindergarteners, Delia Estrada

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Nutrition should be considered an important factor in one’s life, and be discussed into further context at school as well as at home. Having healthy nutrition can help with physical growth and development of an individual, allowing children the development of mindset, capacity building, capabilities, cognitive development, gross and motor skills within an individual's effective consumption of healthy and nutritious meals. In order to support the nutrition skill regulations, I have developed a two-day curriculum for Kindergarten children at Alisal Community Elementary in Salinas, California. In this curriculum, I would explain to the participants how to differentiate a healthy meal …

Preventing Teasing Among 1st Graders, Jocelyn I. Del Real

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper discusses the different types of teasing that can occur and how it may effect children, as well as children being able to indicate one action they tend to do from the 6 pillars of characteristics in the near future.

Covid-19 Prioritization Triage Tool, Topanga Cheeves

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Smart Path to Housing and Health, an agency a part of the Santa Cruz County Department of Human Services is a local homeless action organization that specializes in a coordinated entry system that provides access to housing and service assistance to low income and people who are experiencing homelessness. Homelessness is a complex macro social and health issue that affects the quality of life because it increases unhealthy conditions for people living in poverty or who’s neighborhoods surround these encampments. Contributing factors such as lack of affordable housing, eligibility requirements, poverty, poor physical and mental health, addictions, and broken family …

Estudiantes Exitosos, Erik Estrada

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Catholic Charities Diocese of Monterey is a faith based non profit organization that provides aid to individuals and families in need. Catholic Charities focuses on three main areas of services, immigration and citizen services, family supportive services, and tattoo removal program. They provide services that help people regardless of their faith who struggle with poverty and complex issues. Every year low income families struggle to provide their children with the basic school supplies they need to start a new school year. This contributes to families not being able to afford school supplies, and because of the unexpected pandemic a shortage …

Syringe Exchange Program Outreach, Jael Bucio

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

It is estimated that 1 in 5 people infected with HIV are unaware that they are infected and most of the new sexually transmitted HIV infections in the US originate from HIV-infected persons who are unaware of their infection. Access Support Networks (ASN), is a community based nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide support to neighbors and loved ones living with HIV or Hep C. ASN offers harm reduction and prevention education to reduce the increase in HIV rates in Monterey County. The contributing factors affecting the increase in HIV cases in Monterey County are attributed to people’s socioeconomic …

Increasing Mental Health Awareness In The Homeless Youth Community, Kelly Joyce

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Mental illness within the homeless community is a pressing issue, which requires an increase in awareness throughout the community in order for it to be properly addressed. A lack of funding for low-cost or free mental health care, difficulty accessing existing programs by the homeless, and few options for care have contributed to the issue of mental illness and poor mental health among the homeless youth community. This can lead to various severe consequences, such as declining mental state for those within the community, prolonged homelessness, and an increased risk of developing a substance abuse disorder.

The Youth Homeless Response …

Building Capacity For Evidence Representing Qualitative And Quantitative Data Of Monterey County’S Child Welfare Services, Devin Dunn

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Current processes for policy development in Monterey County are primarily focused on qualitative data and anecdotes from agency personnel. The Onsite-Review component of the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) set forth by the Children’s Bureau is structured to help Monterey County identify its strengths and areas needing improvement. These quarterly reviews ensure that Monterey County adheres to federal child welfare guidelines, helps to develop a narrative of what children and families experience while engaging with the county’s child welfare services, and enhances capacities for positive outcomes for these individuals. A Data Dashboard was developed to visually represent quantitative data …

Parent And Child Cookbook For Parental Involvement, Natali Juarez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The agency with the internship opportunity is the Greenfield Branch Library. The purpose of this capstone project is to address the problem of lack of parental involvement. The lack of parental involvement in the community could have major consequences like low academic achievement, low literacy rates, and childhood obesity. The project is a cookbook with healthy recipes consisting of both meals and snacks. The recipes are made specifically for children to be able to make with their parents. The capstone project is a 6 week program. Every Wednesday there is a grab and go bag with a copy of a …

College Students Are Often Unaware Of How To Maintain A Healthy Romantic Relationship, Giselle Saavedra

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Erikson's Theory Intimacy vs Isolation

Enhancing Youth Awareness Of Protecting The Environment: What We Save, Saves Us, Alexa Hanson

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

By incorporating environment protection within our daily routines, children can become more aware of how to reduce waste, save electricity, and to understand the importance of why we should protect nature. The project executed ways for the children to realize that simple changes in their daily routines, can make an impact in our world. A simple task, like turning off the water when brushing your teeth can help reduce the amount that is being used within the households. Each household is different in how they contribute to protecting the Earth so it is crucial to let the children know that …

The Impacts Of Social Media On Social Movements, Gabriela Aguilar

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

As time passes by there is more representation of social movements due to their high exposure on social media. Technology has become a major part of our everyday lives and on average we spend many hours on social platforms. We are exposed to the injustices that occur every minute of every day through social media. Before, when technology was not accessible for everyone the news people received were from television, newspapers, or even magazines. Now, we have platforms such as Twitter and TikTok among others that provide us with news on any malpractice that occurs in our communities and society. …

Outreaching For New Providers, Mari Arredondo

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Intern was able to be part of In home Support Services with the County of Santa Cruz. The program provides services to people that have a current disability and are not able to care for themselves. The program allows people to continue to live in their own homes and get the services they need to be able to keep living independently. The program currently needs providers to care for the people in their homes. There are currently about 165 providers and out of those they only have 65 that are available to be able to help the current clients that …

Increasing College Students’ Awareness Of The Influence Social Media Has On Romantic Relationships, Jazmin Chaidez-Rocha

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many young adults are unaware of the influence social media has on romantic relationships. Social media can have an effect on individuals’ communication skills, being a victim of cyberstalking, and cause jealousy characteristics such as distrust. To address the lack of awareness, I created an interactive presentation for college students in the greek community at California State University, Monterey Bay.

Improving Stress Management For Female College Students, Kelsey Acosta

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Although many college students report feeling stress, women may have a unique perspective and experience regarding stress. Gilligan's theory states that women consider their relationships when considering decisions. This decision-making process can create an added layer of the already existing academic stressors that women face. Stress management techniques that acknowledge the unique stressors that women face are essential to improve mental health and provide an optimal college experience.

Girls Support Group, Cindy Garcia

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this capstone project is to keep girls connected with other girls through zoom. Due to the pandemic, schools were closed and a lot of the girls became isolated from their peers as well as after school activities. The project addresses the main consequences of the shelter in place order which are social isolation, mental, and emotional health. The project promotes coping skills to help them stay connected and adapt to this new way of living. Adjusting to a new way of living can be hard for young girls affecting them both mentally and emotionally. This can have …

The Prevention Of Bullying In Elementary Schools, Cecilia Martinez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This Capstone project focuses on bullying prevention and its importance in elementary school years. Bullying may start when a child enters elementary school. It is important to inform students of the types of bullying many students can receive. Learning about the damages bullying can have to a student. Bullying can affect a child mentally, physically, and emotionally. In some cases, bullying can lead the child to become depressed and commit suicide.

Improving Inclusion: The Ongoing And Transformative Process Of Improving Education Systems To Meet The Needs Of All Students, Robert Mistler

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

For this Capstone Project the researcher will investigate how instructors view the environment of the classroom when there is a mix of special needs students incorporated into the general population classroom setting and what they think could be done to improve the environment. The inclusion of special needs is necessary for fair and equal treatment; further, by separating the general population from special needs students, brings about a culture of segregation that can have lifelong impacts. Through an evaluation of scholarly literature and interviews conducted with teachers at an elementary school the findings uncovered three emergent themes: collaboration with teachers …

Responding To Domestic Violence With Transformative Justice And Community Accountability, Anaiis Nysether

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Walnut Avenue Family & Women’s Center (WAFWC) wanted to create a survivor-driven transformative justice program for survivors of domestic violence and the people who caused them harm. The program needed to be customizable enough to suit the specific needs and individual safety considerations of the participants, but also needed enough structure that it could be reproducible from case to case. In order to design a program that was based on these ideas and able to be used in the context of a non-profit organization, WAFWC researched ways other communities had been using transformative justice and community accountability to address issues …

Adaptive Music In Video Games And How It Impacts Player Satisfaction, Scott Lloyd

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Adaptive and interactive music has been a key feature in the history of gaming since the conception of gaming. In this project, the main genres of target will be RPGs, Hack and Slash, and Adventure games since there are a good variety of genres and uses of adaptive music. Adaptive music can range from fading in and out instrumentation as the player progresses through a level or transitioning to the chorus of a song if the player is performing well in combat. This feature can have a positive impact for most players since it’s a sense of progression, however, in …

The Changemaker Academy: Youth Leadership And Advocacy Programs, Marilyn Evans

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The internship was completed at Growing Greatness, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization located in Watsonville, Ca. They facilitate in-person and on-site leadership and advocacy workshops for school educators, youth organizations, foster and homeless youth throughout Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. Growing Greatness teaches leadership and health advocacy workshops for youth ages 12-20 who attend middle and high schools living in Watsonville, Ca. . The problem addressed is the continued lack of leadership and health advocacy programs offered to at-risk youth in the Watsonville Ca. community. The contributing factors are a competitive environment for nonprofits seeking funding for after-school academic programs from …

Where Do We Start? Improving College-Prep Resources Available To Students Of Color, Hilario Mosqueda

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper serves to demonstrate and respond to the severe lack of college preparation (college-prep) resources available for students of color in the k-12 public education system. College-prep resources are crucial for students to be able to make the transition from high school to college. First generation students are especially in need of these resources as they lack the knowledge that second-generation students may receive from their parents who have already been through the process of applying, transitioning, and experiencing what higher education is like. Surveys were administered to current high school students of color applying for college. Survey data …

Pobody's Nerfect: Improving The Identification And Diagnosis Of Learning Disabilities., Jizelle Rios

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone Project is on improving the identification and diagnosis of learning disabilities. This is important because diagnosing a child properly will help teachers understand the students' learning styles and better position the teachers to create more effective learning environments. Also, teachers will be able to better support and accommodate their students both academically and socially. It is argued that many teachers do not have the right resources, understanding, or authority to diagnose learning disabilities. The primary stakeholder perspectives obtained were from teachers, staff, and students because of their relevant experiences and roles in identifying and addressing …

Transfer Student Success: Enrich The Lives Of Students Who Transfer To A University, Stephanie Castro

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone Project is on improving the experiences of students who transfer from a community college to a university. Students need support before, during, and after they transfer to a university because transfer students make up a significant portion of the student population. Also, it is argued that a lack of support can negatively impact engagement and interest in the school. The primary stakeholder perspective chosen were first-generation transfer students, first-semester transfer students, and graduated transfer students because they have lived and gone through the process of transferring to a university. Three action options emerged from an …

Job Club Reset, Richard Espinoza

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Department of Rehabilitation has a program in place called Job Club for incoming clients. This project is a consolidation and revision of the current Job Club training presentations that is a part of the Department of Rehabilitation’s employment process. The Job Club training provides training in Soft Skills, Resume Writing, and an understanding of Professionalism in the sense of current Western American Culture. Unfortunately, the problem with the Job Club training was that it did not effectively communicate information to the audience. The contributing factors of this problem was that the presentations were very lengthy, lacked visual aids, had …

Lean On Me; Social Emotional Learning Creates Successful Students, Michaelene Cummins

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Focus of this Capstone Project is to really lean into the social emotional side of learning. Students were already silently suffering with mental health struggles prior to the Pandemic and they have only worsened since going back to in person classes. As educators it is our job to provide a safe space to nurture the development of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, decision making, and relationship skills. Social Emotional Learning has always been important but given these unprecedented times it is essential that we as educators and staff provide our students with the most well equipped social emotional learning skills …

Being The Voice For The Voiceless, Marina Lemus

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many students are eager to step inside a classroom, but this eagerness and excitement can be difficult for shy students. The focus issue addressed in this Capstone Project is enhancing shy students’ engagement in the classroom. This is an important issue for students because of the fear that arises when speaking in front of their peers, which can be detrimental to their education. The three stakeholder perspectives examined were a special education high school teacher, a second-grade teacher, and a library media technician. An evidence-based argument is offered that shy students are falling behind in classrooms due to their inability …

Destigmatize Addiction Through Education, Miranda Martinez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

After interning at Valley Health Associates the problem identified was the lack of education on substance abuse. With much of Salinas being multicultural and spanish speaking, we begin to identify the challenges associated with getting information to the public about substance use and the treatment options. Some contributing factors associated with the lack of education on substance use are family, social, and environmental factors, lack of education overall, and the stigma/shame associated with substance use; however the unfortunate consequences associated with this are misconceptions about drugs overall and an increase of fatal overdoses. The capstone project will focus on individuals …