Your Very Own Ribbon.

The Ribbon is something we are all dependent on when using these software applications. However, I feel that a large majority of the population never play with the customizable features of the ribbon. You can truly make it your own and add addition tabs that are not there by default to assist you with creating more dynamic and useful documents. I personally am fond of the Developer tab and have used it to help me in building fillable forms and protecting it from being edited by others.

Accessing something New!

Microsoft Access is a tool that I have never had exposure to in the workplace. I've always just used the basic suite applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. However, going through 2.6.3 Tour of Access, really opened my eyes to additional possibilities I am excited to play with and explore in my day-to-day work that would allow me to work smarter, not harder. Plus, I finally want to find ways to move away from the "poor man's database" - Excel!

I've used Excel for all kinds of things that it was not designed for. Haha! I've had to just lean into what I knew to make things work. I am glad that this class is pushing my boundaries and opening up new opportunities for me to build bigger and better skills. 

Access provides the ability to store data in a variety of tables and queries, which makes formatting and organization of your information a breeze. Conveniently, this application can also house customized Forms and Reports that allow you to quickly and easily pull larger chunks of data from within the same database.

A Flashback of Inspiration

In module 1.1.11 Digital Images, I learned more about the color combinations of red, blue and green in the digital screens that we see in our everyday computer monitors. It was a nostalgic moment for me as I remember my grandmother, who is an immigrant to the country, sharing stories with me as a child of her first job when migrating to the U.S.A.

My grandmother's first job when arriving here, was working for the tech company RCA, calibrating the RGB displays on television sets in a manufacturing plant in Texas. I remember her telling me the challenges and obstacles she would overcome in her day-to-day job working in a new country without knowing the English language. 

Upon completing this module, it made me curious to play with the display settings of my own computer monitors and adjust these color levels. This was a setting I had never played with before and it was interesting to see how it worked firsthand.

Commitment to Myself

After a 10 year hiatus from school, I am feeling re-energized to embark on my educational journey in pursuit of becoming an Employment Attorney/Corporate Counsel. I have worked hard to build a successful career as an HR practitioner and I'm passionate about my field and the impact and relationships I have been able to create. 

They say every journey begins with a single step. IS101, serves as that first step in my journey. As I reflect on the path I have led to get here, I am reminded of the road I have trekked with quite a few different detours, bumps, and forks along the way. While my path has not always been a straight shot to where I was going, I realize that the twists and turns in my journey were invaluable in shaping who I am today and preparing me for my destination.

My commitment to myself as I embark on this journey is to remember this moment of reflection. I am committing myself to the journey and not necessarily the destination. The beauty and value of who we are to become and/or the goals we seek to achieve, is through the experiences our paths lead us through - no matter how winding the road may be!