Balancing Humility and Confidence

College student Cody Gotchall is enrolled in an online learning program in accounting. Dedicated to helping others, he has volunteered with numerous organizations over the years. Cody Gotchall is particularly passionate about advocacy for disabled individuals and recognizes the challenge of balancing humility and confidence when performing such work.

Finding the right balance between these traits is an essential skill. Confidence refers to a feeling that comes from appreciation of one’s own qualities or abilities, but it requires self-awareness. Too much confidence often leads to arrogance. Conversely, while humility involves having a modest view of one’s importance, it can turn into self-deprecation if not properly managed.

To find a balance between the two, people must figure out where they stand in both areas. If they are overconfident, they likely express minimal interest in learning about others, and treat waiters and other service workers differently than they would a colleague. They can correct the issue by acknowledging when they don’t know something, sharing their mistakes, and seeking different viewpoints.

People with too much humility often shy away from actions like starting salary negotiations with their bosses. Further, they often have a list of things they wish they had said or done. To boost their confidence, these individuals can practice confident body language, such as frequent eye contact. Beyond that, they can learn to accept compliments, take risks, and let go of failures.

How Service Dogs and Therapy Dogs Differ

Cody Gotchall, an Oregon college student enrolled in e-learning courses in pursuit of an accounting degree, advocates for people with autism and traumatic brain injuries. This diagnosis has sparked his interest in volunteer opportunities related to people with disabilities. In addition, Cody Gotchall has begun looking into the capabilities of service dogs for people with autism.

Although many people believe service dogs and therapy dogs are the same, there is a big difference between the two when it comes to their training, capabilities, and protections in the United States.

Service dogs typically receive more training and have more legal protections. These animals help individuals perform tasks they would otherwise struggle to complete on their own. Most service dogs are large enough to control their owner when wearing a harness; however, they also need to be small enough that a person can easily control them. The most popular breeds for service dogs are Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, and German shepherds.

Service dogs are allowed by the Americans with Disabilities Act to enter public places where other dogs are not allowed. This includes public transportation, public restaurants, and stores. To denote they are service animals, these dogs often are required to wear a special vest that prohibits petting and signifies they are service animals.

Conversely, therapy dogs are tasked with providing physiological and psychological support. They frequently visit group homes, daycares, schools, and rehabilitation centers to give people with disabilities and other individuals the support they need.

Since therapy dogs have fewer responsibilities, they can be trained by virtually anyone as long as the trainer meets standards for registration and certification. They also can be of varying sizes and breeds, though they are expected to be very easy-going and friendly, as they interact with multiple people per day.

Collegiate Baseball Ranks Oregon State 7th for 2019

Oregon resident Cody Gotchall has studied at higher educational institutions throughout the state, including Oregon State University (OSU). Cody Gotchall maintains an interest in OSU sports and has followed the university’s baseball team for several years.

In December 2018, Collegiate Baseball released its predictive rankings for the top 40 college baseball teams for the 2019 season. According to the publication, the OSU Beavers ranked seventh after winning the NCAA championship this past season. This marks the fourth consecutive year, and the sixth time in the past seven, that OSU has ranked in Collegiate Baseball’s top 10. Other institutions in the ranking include Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, Stanford, and Louisiana State.

Collegiate Baseball also released its predictive All-American teams around the same time. Two players from the Beavers baseball team, Kevin Abel and Adley Rutschman, made the list. A junior, Rutschman batted .408 in 2018, with nine home runs and 22 doubles. Meanwhile, Abel was the only freshman in the country to strike out more than 100 batters.

The publication also named pitchers Jake Mulholland and Bryce Fehmel to the third and second teams, respectively. Altogether, OSU had four players named to Collegiate Baseball’s All-American teams, the most of any team in the US.