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Jennie is a 20-year-old college sophomore. She has a small build with long dark hair and large expressive brown eyes. Attending a small liberal arts college in Wisconsin, she is an "A+" student who studies hard and is very disciplined in her work habits. Jennie is introverted, quiet and shy, staying mostly to herself. She lives at home with her parents.

Jennie decided to double major in Biology and Psychology in preparation for medical school. During her first year, she took the introductory psychology course. Jennie liked the professor, a female, a lot. But because the class had 75 students, and Jennie was very shy, she never spoke to the professor. At the end of her first year, Jennie enrolled in a personal growth and adjustment course given by this professor. It was a class of only 25 students. The course required students to participate in a lot of self-exploration and journal writing. Jennie had never done any journal writing or therapy and was rather intimidated by the thought of having to share her innermost thoughts and feelings with anyone else. However, she decided that if she was to be a good doctor one day, she had better learn to like herself and to get over her intense shyness. Jennie struggled with the small-group exercises, feeling extremely uncomfortable and self-conscious. Her thoughts alternated between extreme astonishment at what other people were willing to say out loud to almost complete strangers, and feelings of inferiority over not being able to contribute very much. On the first day of class, while in small groups, all Jennie could do was give her name and her major. What follows is Jennie's first personal journal entry.

Journal Entry:

This feels so strange. I don't think that I can d ths. I don't want to look at my feelings or my thoughts. What if they are abnormal or wicked? I hate talking in front of people. I know they will not like me or think that I am stupid. I don't think that I can d ths class. I will go talk to the registrar about dropping this class. Two people in class (I can't remember their names) were very nice to me and tried to get me to feel more a part of the group. Most people in the class were not mean. Well, none of them were mean. Most people just ignored me. Most people always just ignore me. Sometimes I feel pretty invisible. The teacher said this journal entry was supposed to be 1-2 pgs long. I don't have much else to say. I feel dumb sitting here writing about nothing. It would be so much easier if I could just wrt research report. I couldn't believe how much people shared about themselves telling the whole class (a bunch of strangers!) about their divorces, episodes with drugs and alcohol, problems with children. . . I would never tell anyone if I had any of those problems. That's all I can think of saying. I hope I won't lose any points for not writing more.

PERSONAL HISTORY

Jennie was born in a small rural town adjacent to a very large city, where the college is located. Her parents were first-generation immigrants from former Czechoslovakia, and culturally are of Slovakian decent. When her parents first immigrated to the United States, they lived in an area of the Eastern U.S. called "Little Slovakia". Her father was a tailor and her mother a seamstress. Because neither parent spoke English, they depended on Jennie for everyday transactions needed to survive. While living in Little Slovakia, Jennie's parents were surrounded by uncles, aunts, and cousins who all spoke the same language, went to the same church, and socialized together. They had little need to talk to or interact with anyone outside their extended families. However, before Jennie was born, something happened within this small communityJennie's parents never told her what happened just and there was a "split". Jennie's parents, two of her uncles and their families moved to the Midwest. They chose the small town where Jennie was born because it promised employment for her father and uncles. There was also a strong church following of her family's religion. Jennie was born shortly after her parents relocated. She described her family's adjustment to their new home as very difficult. No one in the area spoke Slovakian. However, both her uncles and all of her cousins spoke English. Her father got a job working as a tailor. Her mother stayed home to care for Jennie, while also growing a huge garden and selling vegetables and canned fruit for extra income. Jennie remembers both of her parents rising before the sun and working until almost midnight 6 days a week. Jennie's family was very religious. The one day a week they did not work was spent in church, and they strictly adhered to all the tenets of their religion. Their social life revolved around their church as well. Jennie remembered her parents as being serious, dedicated, and somber. Life was to be lived according to very strict rules and guidelines. Jennie herself was very disciplined in all she didschoolwork, housework, and athletics. Journal Entry:

Today we talked about families in class. It was very strange and sad. So many of my peers come from dysfunctional homes. Over and over in my small group people shared about coming from alcoholic families, divorced families, or being abused as children. I was horrified at how casually people spoke of being beaten or of never seeing their fathers. How can this be? The strangest thing of all in class was that after I shared a little about my family several of the people in my group tried to reach out to me in pityor maybe they were trying to be compassionate. I couldn't understand why they would feel the need to feel sorry for me. I was very baffled. I think I was the fortunate one. My parents would never divorce. They have never fought in front of me. They have never yelled at me or hit me. I would never think of doing anything disobedient. The other students were laughing about the stunts they pulled when they were younger. I was horrified. I don't know what would have happened to me, but I know I would never have been allowed to disrespect my parents. I really feel like I don't belong in this class. I think I must be very different, because I don't understand most of the time.

Jennie's elementary school, which she called "very good", was part of her church. From first to sixth grade, she attended a one-room school. She went to school with the same children with whom she went to church and played. Until she reached her teens, she can remember talking to people who were not church members only a couple of times a year. The few times she did speak to strangers, it was usually because her parents needed her to translate for them.

Jennie did not remember if she was shy when she was a child. She said that children only spoke when spoken to, and she remembered long periods of time when she did not speak at all. She did not remember being afraid of strangers because everyone with whom she came in contact, she knew. The few times she saw strangers her parents were with her. The church school only went through the 6 th grade, so the following year Jennie attended the public junior high school. Jennie said it was like entering a whole different world. She had no idea what was expected of her. She knew she looked different from all the other studentsshe wore simple dresses, knee socks, and oxford shoes. She had never cut her thick brown hair and wore it in a long braid down her back. Other girls in her class were wearing short skirts, tank tops, boots, overalls, and shorts. Jennie described being in the classroom as overwhelming. "Everyone was talking at once, people were lounging around their desks, they were listening to music on their headphones, chewing gum, and even sleeping! When the teacher came in, he was dressed in jeans, sneakers, and had a ponytail!" She described herself as trying to hide like an owl in a corner. "1 didn't want to call attention to myself, but I really wanted to learn." Jennie made no friends but continued to achieve academically. She felt her academic success was mostly due to the strict education she had received at her church school, and the fact that very little seemed to be expected of her in this school. Jennie remembered a time in eighth grade when the class was assigned to d report on a country. She worked long hours in the library researching her country and put in hundreds of hours on the report. When she finished, it was 50 pgs long. Her teacher, overwhelmed, gave her an A++. Jennie also remembered being dumbfounded when she overheard two classmates talking about their reports. One girl wrote her report in two nights, Another student hadn't started it until the night before it was due, and had to stay up all night to finish it. But what really discouraged Jennie was that these girls had gotten As on their reports.

Journal Entry:

Sometimes I really feel like a person from another planet. I know most of my school peers think I'm strange. Some have even told me that I seem too serious and that I work too hard. One person said that he was always on the look out for me in classes because he knows if I'm in a class that the grading curve will be really high. How strange. Sometimes 1 can't help but think that some of these people actually seem to take great pride in the fact that they put so little work into their schooling. 1 hear them bragging about how little they study, how they pick the easiest teachers, and how they can "coast" through school. I don't understand. Don't they want to learn? Don't they realize how important all of this is and what an honor it is to be here, for free? When we were sharing in small groups today, I told my group that I study 8 to 10 hours a day. They all looked at me like I was crazy. They asked me a lot of questionslike: "Don't you get sick of studying?" "Why do you do it?" "Don't you have a life?" I was pretty confused after class. I had always taken pride in the fact that I worked hard at my studies. Now I can see that others might think I'm abnormal. I wonder if I am abnormal. What does normal feel like? It should be like taking your temperature, 98.6normal. What if I am really abnormal? I know I'm not like other people in many ways, but is that wrong? Is being different the same thing as being abnormal? Does this mean that I can never really function outside of my family and church? Now I'm really feeling scared. When Jennie was in her first year in high school, she still had not made any friends at school. However, one of her teachers, Ms. Hollis, took a special interest in Jennie and made a point to talk to her privately. Ms. Hollis asked Jennie what she wanted to be, what she was interested in, and what sort of things made her happy. Reticent and shy at first, Jennie eventually began to open up to Ms. Hollis. She said that ever since she had read a book about Albert Schweitzer, she had wanted to be a doctor. But she didn't think she'd be able to be a doctor because nobody in her family had ever finished high school, much less attended college. Ms. Hollis encouraged Jennie to explore the possibility of becoming a doctor. Ms. Hollis was also the girls' track coach and asked Jennie to try out for the team. After a great deal of discussion with her parents, Jennie agreed. Much to Ms. Hollis's surprise Jennie turned out to be a naturally gifted long-distance runner who had athletic talent and the perseverance and discipline necessary to train. Jennie enjoyed the training and workouts a lot, and much to her surprise she enjoyed the competition. A much bigger surprise for Jennie was the sense of comradery and belongingness that she experienced for the first time with people outside of her family and church. Jennie excelled in all the tournaments, and by the end of the year she had helped the team qualify for the state championships. Journal Entry: Today in class we talked about commitment and personal integrity. I was very surprised how few of my peers seemed to really understand what that meant. It seems as though everyone views life as sort of disposable and negotiable. If you don't like your boyfriend, you break up and find yourself a new one. If you don't like your spouse, you get divorced. If you don't like your job, you quit. This is so strange to me. In my family it seems that we gain integrity by sticking things out. If my father doesn't like his job (which he would never, ever admit to), he gains respect and integrity by making it the best he can. If he has to work 50 hours a week, he does it with pride. He does not feel victimized or taken advantage of. He does it because he must. I shared a personal story in small group today in class for the first time. I told my peers about the time I had qualified to go to the state championships in track. I had enjoyed being a part of the track team, and I was a good runner. Our team had made it to the state championships for the first time in 10 years that year. I was very happy about it until I found out that the meet would be on Saturday. In my religion Saturday is a holy day. Nobody works on Saturday. We spend the whole day going to church. I told my coach I would not be able to participate in the meet. She was very disappointed. She said without me they would not be able to qualify for the championship. She tried to talk me into running on that day. I could not. She told the team of my decision, and they all seemed to think I was a bad person. I felt terrible that I was making everyone so disappointed. But I had no choice, and no one could understand it. After that experience I was ostracized from the team. It made me sad. But I would make the same decision again. Several people in my small group thought I was wrong. One girl called me a "drama queen." I don't know what that means, but judging by her tone I'm sure it is not good. I cannot understand how they could not understand. I feel like I am a whole different species. Some group members commended me on standing by my values. I do not think this is appropriate either just by their inherent nature, values require personal integrity. Am I wrong ? Once again, I question whether I am abnormal. Is something seriously wrong with me? After that one attempt at athletics, Jennie decided to focus on academics. She excelled in school and after graduating, received a scholarship to the local college. This was the only college that Jennie's parents allowed her to apply to. They did not fully support her going to college but allowed her to go provided she continue to live at home and attend church. Once at college, Jennie began to feel a lot of stress and anxiety. Her high school had not been very large or academically challenging. She was overwhelmed by the size of the college and felt herself behind most other students. Jennie entered college determined to work as hard as she could to get top grades, but this was more difficult than she had anticipated. She always earned top grades in high school, but now she was competing with students who have as much drive as she. Jennie studied 8 to 12 hours a day. All she did was attend classes and study. Pretty soon Jennie was getting only 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night. She was used to working hard, and her parents were not concerned about her long hours of studying, but by the end of her first year Jennie was exhausted. She lost 20 pounds, had dark circles under her eyes, and rarely smiled. After a summer of working on the farm and studying without the pressure of attending classes, Jennie felt better. Journal Entry: Today in class we talked about relaxation, leisure time, and balance. What is all that? It was almost like the class was talking in a foreign language. These are not concepts that have any reality for me. Relaxation and leisure time are wasteful. I have never seen either of my parents just sit and relax. We have never had a television, and any reading was done in order to learn. Life is meant to be lived, and that means to work and achieve. Relaxation, leisure time, and balance seem like nice ways of saying LAZY. I will admit that I think I worked too hard last year, but far better than being lazy. Once again, wonder how different I am from others. I'm really beginning to question my reality. I am feeling a lot of anxiety over being so different. Maybe the things my parents have taught me aren't the only right things. If this is true, then I'm in big trouble, because that means that I've lost my sense of direction and right and wrong. Can normal be relative? I can feel people in class trying hard to relate to me and to include me in their discussions. I'm starting to feel like I'm being sucked away and that there's this big glass wall between me and the rest of the world and that every day that wall is getting thicker and thicker. I've never wanted to touch the others before, and I certainly have never wanted them to touch me, but now that I feel I can't, I feel empty inside. Maybe I am crazy. During the summer, Jennie saw a doctor because she had stopped menstruating and was not feeling well. The doctor showed a great deal of concern over Jennie's weight loss and run-down appearance. He explained that Jennie's amenorrhea was due to her low body weight and exhaustion, and urged her to pace herself and not work herself into this state of exhaustion. Jennie began to cry uncontrollably and tried to explain that she didn't have a choice. The doctor recommended that Jennie seek professional counseling. Jennie reacted like she had been slapped in the face.

Journal Entry:

Today in class we talked about counseling and asking for help when we need it. I was very surprised to find out how many of my peers had been in counseling. And even more surprising was the fact they were not in the least ashamed to admit it. In my family there is a big stigma attached to anyone who can't handle their own problems. In fact, I remember telling my parents that l wanted to be a doctor and that I thought double majoring in Biology and Psychology would be excellent preparation for my medical studies. They didn't understand what psychology was, and when l tried to describe it for them they thought it was really quite strange. People should handle their own problems, and if they cannot, then family should handle it for them. I asked my parents what would happen if family could not handle it. They said they had never heard of such a thing, but they supposed that the church would then step in to help. Telling a complete stranger your problems would never be an option. I will confess to you that last summer my doctor recommended I seek counseling to help me with stress. I was appalled and confused. I knew my parents would never allow me to seek counseling, but a part of me knew I needed help. So, after this class I called the counseling center on campus. It was a very difficult thing to domy hands were sweating, and I felt sick to my stomach. They made an appointment for me for yesterday. Well, I couldn't sleep all night the night before. I was nervous and sick to my stomach. I went into the counseling center and was so ashamed of being there. A nice woman came out and introduced herself (I was so nervous I can't remember her name now). We went into her office, and she asked why I was here. I started to answer but told her I had to leave because I was going to be sick. I ran into the bathroom and threw up. I don't think I need counseling that badly. I will try to help myself.

1. What are your impressions of Jennie? How do you feel about her?
2. What are your impressions of Jennie's family? How do you feel about them?
3. Do you think Jennie's behavior is abnormal and need of professional psychological help? Why or why not?
4. What are the cultural considerations you should explore about Jennie?
5. List at least questions you would like to ask Jennie to learn more about her?