Leandro Jardon Gonzalez - Reflection #2

 Happiness Presentation: What It Meant for Me

Introduction

The presentation this post is about was due just a few days after the one before, forcing us to focus and have the slides, research, and speaking notes ready in very little time. Taking this course during a six‑week mini‑term turned out to be perfect training for the sort of whirlwind month I might one day face at work. At first, I felt nervous because I didn’t have much time to work on this presentation due to having to work and doing assignments for my other classes –the hours seemed to evaporate. But I regained my confidence when I remembered how well my group had done on the previous project. I knew that I didn’t have to despair. We were on the right track.

Group 3: Mental Health and Social Life

On the due date, the first team to present was group three. Their subject was “Mental Health and Social Life.” They started by defining mental health, which includes emotional, psychological, and social well‑being. Afterwards, they listed some of the most common mental health disorders, such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. A statistic that hit me immediately was “1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year.” To create consciousness about those numbers, they highlighted tragedies such as Sandy Hook and Dayton, in which the perpetrators had a history of mental health problems. This got me thinking because mental health is often diminished by a lot of people, without being conscious that a neglected mental health illness can cause tragedies like the ones previously mentioned.

I really appreciated that group three also provided resources to help people going through difficult mental health-related situations. They presented tangible supports such as NAMI peer groups, the SAMHSA helpline, Crisis Text Line, and local counseling services. But they didn’t stop there and also shared what we can do individually to overcome situations of this kind. Some of these strategies include building strong supportive relationships, seeking professional help when needed, limiting screen time, and engaging in physical activity. Hearing my classmates talk about mental wellness made me rethink my own routines: Was I sleeping enough? When had I last checked in on a friend just to listen? Those reflections lingered long after their final slide. I am thankful that they shared these pieces of advice with the class, as I think that I could use them in the future if I or someone close to me is ever going through a hard time.

Group 2: Families and Education

After group three, it was time for group two –my group—to present. Our subject was “Families and Education,” and we decided that the best way to approach this subject was by using parent involvement in the education of their children as the unifying thread of our project. As a way to conscientize our audience about the importance of this topic, we opened the presentation with hard data showing that involved families correlate with 15‑20 percent higher test scores, 90 percent better attendance, and a 50 percent jump in high‑school graduation rates.

In my section, titled “Government Support for Families in the United States” I broke the topic into three layers. I first presented some of the existing federal programs that support families, such as SNAP, WIC, Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, and LIHEAP, and the agencies behind them.  Then, I talked about some state and local initiatives like scholarships, dual-enrollment vouchers, and county childcare subsidies illustrate how national dollars are filtered through Tallahassee and Miami‑Dade to reach families. Of course, I couldn’t have finished my section without mentioning the community partners who act as another support for families in need, such as United Way, Feeding America, Salvation Army, among others. Finally, I let the audience know all the ways families have to access support, going from online benefit applications to in‑person assistance at non‑profits and libraries. This part of the presentation was especially important to me as I really wanted to let the people know that the resources are there for them to access in case they need them.

12.6% of the US population was assisted by SNAP (food stamps)

Our team wrapped up by urging policymakers to streamline applications, expand affordable childcare, and invest in family literacy nights. Looking back, our visuals were clear but a bit busier than Group 3’s minimalist designs. This made us reflect, and we concluded that we should make our presentations more visually appealing.

Group 1: Economy and Potential Careers

In the next class, it was time for group one to present. Their topic was “Economy and Potential Careers”. Their presentation moved from communication skills to county‑level data and federal legislation. One slide that stood out to me was the one in which they explained how self‑perception (independent vs. interdependent) shapes workplace communication. Another featured an interview with communications and content coordinator for Miami Football Club, Mariam Orabi, who candidly admitted the market “makes it extremely difficult” for new grads to make their first steps and land stable jobs.

The graph supports the interviewee's claim that new grads find it difficult to land a job after graduating 

Group one also listed practical resources—Workforce.Miami, county job fairs, and the JOBS Act—giving the discussion real‑world weight. The only piece of advice I would personally give group one is to try to make their slides with fewer text, as a few packed charts forced us to scroll in the Zoom viewer to catch every detail.

All in all, observing all three presentations back‑to‑back felt like witnessing a layered blueprint for personal advancement. First, safeguard mental health; next, empower families and schools; finally, navigate the evolving job landscape with adaptable skills. Each segment reinforced the one before it, underscoring that progress is rarely linear but instead the result of intertwined supports.

What I’m Taking Forward

Seen in sequence, the three topics formed a braided narrative:

• Well‑being first – Group 3 reminded us that mental health underpins every ambition.
• Family‑school policy synergy – Our Group 2 showed how caregiver involvement and government programs translate well‑being into academic momentum.
• Career resilience – Group 1 demonstrated that communication skills and policy literacy empower us to convert education into meaningful work, even in a volatile economy.

As the discussion wrapped up, it struck me that each group had addressed a different—but complementary—pillar of social stability. At their core, the three presentations converged on a single aim: to foster the kinds of conditions in which genuine happiness—personal contentment, family fulfilment, and professional satisfaction—can flourish. Group Three’s data on mental‑health prevalence reminded me that emotional wellbeing is a prerequisite for learning; our own overview of federal, state, and community programs showed how concrete support can turn that well-being into academic success; and Group One’s labor‑market analysis proved that skills must keep evolving if students are to convert diplomas into livelihoods. Watching those threads come together convinced me that mental health, family engagement, and career readiness form an interlocking system rather than isolated goals.