1. My Perception of Integrative Studies 1
My Perception of Integrative Studies
Amanda Pemberton
Texas Tech University
Definition

2. My Perception of Integrative Studies 2
Integrative Studies is a necessity in every aspect of life as we know it,even if we don’t. realize it.
This is when we can take our life experiences along with our education and weave them together
to to have a better understanding of our knowledge. In order to accomplish this we must find
some common ground and learn to interpret many factors to overcome the issues that life throws
our way. Integrative learning in itself is not complex, but once it is all put together as a whole
that is what makes us Interdisciplinarians. It is this integration of all our knowledge combined
that will allow us to to make accurate decisions and obtain even more knowledge from our
findings. This program allows students to chose more than one topic they are interested in and
combine them to make one degree. This is, and will always be, beneficial to me in many ways. I
learn something new everyday, whether it be from something I read, a mistake myself or
someone else made, or by simply observing other people. I am learning to find common ground
between my educational goals with my family goals and weave them together as one. I am
learning that there are multiple ways to accomplish a task, but I need to figure out which is best
for the particular outcome or goal I am trying to accomplish. Integrative studies is already
helping me do this. In order to build a bridge you need to have a sound foundation and be able to
foresee every possible outcome. Once that foundation is built, we can unify previous learning
experiences with new ones to complete the bridge. Integrative studies will allow me to build that
foundation by making connections that I would not have made if I didn’t take this class.
Education
Let me start off by saying that I am the first person in my family to ever obtain a college
education, my brother is the only other person in my family to graduate high school. All of my
family dropped out in junior high school and headed down the wrong path of life. I joined the
military at 17 years old to escape a reality, and there is where I found myself and I refused to

3. My Perception of Integrative Studies 3
live a life like the one I left behind. This is why I chose my disciplines because all three would
be beneficial to my career goal as a whole, and hopefully in the end they could help me
understand why I had to go through what I went through as a child, and how to prevent other
children to relive the life I lived. What I went through made me who I am today, and for that I
am grateful, but I know there had to be another way, and I want to make that way for others like
me. My ultimate goal is to work with CASA or CPS, and in order to do that I need to know how
to communicate effectively, be organized, be a leader, and interpret people and their
environment. Integrative studies is teaching me that just because something looks like it doesn’t
fit, does not necessarily mean that it doesn’t, and there are many different theories to test before
making an accurate decision. Communications will benefit me in every aspect during my journey
of life, I just need to learn how to weave it all together. This particular discipline goes hand in
hand with leadership. Communication is more than just being able to communicate effectively, it
is comprehending what is being communicated to you. I have realized that in order to do this I
need to take all the factors such as: their environment, their jobs, their family, and most
importantly what their goals are, this is why I chose Sociology. Sociology (specializing in
criminology) has taught me that things are not always as simple as they seem. I need to know
how people think, act, and reason with themselves and others. The criminology aspect of
Sociology gives me insight to the justice systems side of things, and the laws in place to ensure
the safety of the children. Then I need to evaluate every possible outcome, and take into
consideration what they want and need. I have taken a few law classes, psychology classes, and
some extra sociology classes that are not in my degree plan, but I feel will be beneficial to future
as a whole as well as the goals I want to accomplish. After having done this I can put everything
into perspective and give them feedback based on my findings. Taking a leadership role has

4. My Perception of Integrative Studies 4
many different aspects to it, it involves teaching others, as well as learning from them. In order to
do this and succeed, I have to integrate multiple disciplines and learn to evaluate each scenario,
and build a profile of sorts to correlate all the aspects of the situation.
Complex Problem
My ultimate goal is to work with addicts of all sorts and abused children, most importantly
sexually abused children. I have learned that things are not always as they seem to be, and it will
be my job to figure out why they are the way they are and what factors in their life made them
chose drugs or to abuse children. In order to do this I need to look deeper and learn to read body
language, people's habits, and how they fit into their environment. I hope to discover a way to
understand the effects of sexual abuse and the reasoning behind the perpetrator’s motives. I love
science and I believe that will be to my advantage when studying the chemical imbalances and
other factors associated with these sociopaths. I want to know why they do the things they do,
and how they have come to doing it. In order to do this I will need to use some skills I have
learned in psychology and get inside their head. I ask questions like “What do they have in
common,” and “what are their differences?” I will need to look into their family history, and
figure out if others in their family has done as well. Statistics will be very beneficial in my
research, I will be able to see how many are abused as a child, and how many of those become
the abusers as an adult. If I can use disciplines other than the three that are my primary I will
have a greater understanding of the victim to victimizer cycle, and I will be able to interpret my
findings much more effectively.
Connection

5. My Perception of Integrative Studies 5
My future plans involve a lot of hard work and dedication, but it has always been my
dream to help save children. I want to do everything in my power to make a difference in this
world, and I would not be fulfilling my destiny if I ignored my calling. I want to instill courage
and hope where there might not be any, and I want to inspire their dreams. I want to encourage
them to never stop dreaming and that their dreams can come true, because I am living proof.
They need to know from someone who has walked in their shoes, that it is not easy, but anything
is possible if they set their minds to it. It is highly recommended that I have to have a bachelor's
degree to work in social services or at CASA, and I am obtaining this degree to make that
possible. My three areas of concentration will give me the knowledge and understanding that I
need in order to pursue the dream I have had since I was that little girl, hiding because daddy was
drunk and on drugs hitting mommy. I hope to learn just as much from the children I help, and
they learn from me. I was molested when I was 10 and in my younger 20’s I was rapped, and
trauma like that is something that stays with you for the rest of your life. You never get over it,
you just learn to deal with it, and find your own personal way to cope with their insecurities that
come along with it. I have put my pain to use by helping others and that is what I want to teach
these children. They need to know that there is another way, a better way, and I will be there
beside them every step of the way!
What is Integrative Studies? Grading Rubric

6. My Perception of Integrative Studies 6
Criteria
Points
Possible
Points
Earned
General
Paper adheres to APA formatting (title page, citations, references
page, etc.). This rubric pasted at the end of the assignment.
15
Writing is clear with appropriate grammar, spelling, and
punctuation. Headings are appropriately labeled
10
Definition (250 words)
Defines Integrative Studies in a personal way. Definition is clearly
derived from course definition.
10
Student discusses how Integrative Studies is beneficial. 10
Education (500 words)
Discusses 3 areas of concentration and connections. Also discusses
the specialized nature of degree program.
20
Complex Problem (250 words)
Identifies a complex problem and perspectives (outside 3 areas) that
might be used to research problem.
20
Connection (250 words)
Discusses future plans/next steps. 15
Total 100
Instructor Comments: