Setting Sail: Gratitude and Connections

About This Example: This discussion board was used in Unit 8 of HS401 (Data Analysis in Health). Items 1–5 below show the student-facing discussion exactly as it appeared in the course.

1.

Overview

One of the major themes in this course is connection. I hope you have been making meaningful connections this semester, at Park or outside of Park.

For our final discussion, reflect on the impact of these connections and express gratitude for the people who supported you and your "why" this semester.

2.

Prepare

Watch this video on gratitude (7:14).

Then, consider who you want to show gratitude to today.

3.

Initial Post

Write a letter to someone who has motivated, inspired, or helped you during your first semester at Park.

This could be an inspiring coach or professor, a supportive friend or family member, a significant other, or someone else who has played an important role in your experience.

Your letter should be at least 200 words.
Follow grammar conventions.
Keep your writing concise and easy to read.

Writing Support

Visit the Writing Center and 24/7 Tutoring Resources for additional support.

4.

Peer Responses

Respond to two classmates and help further the conversation.

In your responses, you might:

Ask a thoughtful question.
Respond directly to something your classmate shared.
Make a connection to your own experience.
Contribute an additional perspective or reflection.

5.

Due Dates

Initial Post: Thursday by 11:59 p.m. CT
Peer Responses: Sunday by 11:59 p.m. CT

The Instructor Models the First Step

Before asking students to write their own gratitude letters, the instructor introduces the concept by sharing a personal example. The photos, reflections, and excerpt from her own dissertation make the assignment more concrete while also giving students a glimpse of the person behind the course. This models the kind of reflection students are being asked to do and helps establish both purpose and connection before they enter the discussion.

Click to View the Instructor's Example

Unit 8:

Your Professor's Expressions of Gratitude

Park University nursing faculty gathered for the 2025 Honors event.

Park University nursing faculty gathered at a White Coat ceremony.

Rather than a video, I chose to upload the above photos. These are the nursing faculty here at Park U (Parkville campus). That's me far back left corner in both photos.

I am grateful every day for these ladies' collegiality and support in my current job. Working with a group of people like them made the pursuit of my Doctorate degree and teaching in higher education absolutely worth it.

One of the things that I still find fun and also something that fills me with gratitude is having the honor of being part of the processional for our graduates during commencement each spring and the Honors Convocation where students and faculty receive awards. Being able to celebrate our students' success is gratifying! Whatever small part I may have had along their journey is also something that I am thankful for. We can be an unruly bunch, whooping loudly when our grads are announced!

When you complete a doctoral dissertation, one of the pages that you may include is a written thank you to all the people who supported you. I am adding that letter of gratitude here from my own dissertation:

Accessibility Consideration

The instructor shared excerpts from her dissertation as an image. When using screenshots or images that contain meaningful text, provide the text in an accessible format so all learners can access the content. In this example, a full transcription is included below as a long description.

Excerpt from Dr. Martz's doctoral dissertation acknowledgments expressing gratitude to those who supported her.

Long Description: Acknowledgments and Dedication Text

The image above contains excerpts from the instructor's doctoral dissertation acknowledgments and dedication pages. The text is transcribed below for accessibility.

Acknowledgments

I would first like to express my appreciation to the Doctoral program in Educational Leadership at William Woods University for accepting me into this program. Their willingness to take a chance on someone who was not from the usual field for this course of study was the first step in making this accomplishment possible. I would also like to thank my dissertation chair and my committee members, for their invaluable guidance, expertise, and prompt responses to keep me on track. I feel extremely fortunate to have had you as my committee and chair.

This journey might not have started had it not been for the important mentors in my graduate program and in my professional life. Thank you for being such inspiring leaders in our field of public health. A special thank you to my friend and colleague who introduced me to teaching in higher education where I became motivated to find a Doctoral program in order to be the best instructor I could be. The opportunity to use my professional experience to teach the future workforce in our discipline (and at my Alma Mater) is a dream come true.

Finally, thanks go to the Master of Public Health program and Educational Technologies at MU. Thanks to the program manager and fellow faculty for your continued confidence in me, and for being such an inspiration and example of excellence. The encouragement and support of the MPH program staff led me to stretch even further. My experiences with the MPH program exposed me to two more people instrumental in my growth. Thank you to my instructional designers for your expert guidance, and for expanding my knowledge and application of instructional principles.

Dedication

I would like to dedicate this work to those from whom I have drawn inspiration to achieve more. This is for my parents, whose stories of the sacrifices made by their parents to make sure they received a good education shaped the future of my own educational pursuits. This is for my aunts and uncles, many of whom became educators, and who were pioneers in both education and public service. Their examples motivated me to be a life-long learner and to work in a field with the purpose of making peoples' lives better. To my nieces and nephews, your own educational accomplishments motivated me to stretch myself. My hope is to encourage you and your own children to dream bigger and know that you and they are capable of anything you decide to do.

I would also like to thank the rest of my family for being the terrific family they are, who are models of the examples set by our parents. Finally, thanks to my son who never lets me get away with selling myself short.

Dr. Martz

Now, it's your turn. Express gratitude to someone in your support network this semester. It could be a spouse or significant other, a family member, a classmate, a Park instructor support service, etc. What did they do to support you this semester? Think back to your why... when it was difficult and you questioned your why, who was there to cheer you on?

Show your gratitude on our discussion board. Then, engage with your classmates as they share their gratitude letters.

Then, begin working on your Core Assessment. This is the final assignment left in our class! This will be a chance for you to share more about your journey to this point, where you are striving to go, and how you will take what you've learned in this class with you for the rest of your degree.

What Emerged

Students Recognized the People Who Helped Them Persist

While each reflection was unique, several common themes emerged across student responses:

Support systems matter. Students frequently recognized spouses, family members, mentors, instructors, advisors, and others who helped them persist.
Students are balancing a lot. Many described managing school alongside work, family, military service, and other responsibilities.
Encouragement builds confidence. Students often credited supportive people with helping them continue through moments of stress or self-doubt.
Purpose supports persistence. Many connected their motivation to a larger "why," including family, career goals, service, and personal growth.
Connection became part of the learning. Students recognized that success was supported by relationships and community, not solely individual effort.
The reflection created space for gratitude. The activity encouraged students to acknowledge people and forms of support they may not regularly recognize.

Thank You for Sharing Your Practice

TLC Logo This example was generously shared by Park University instructor Dr. Nola Martz (MSN, RN). By opening her course and sharing her work, Nola helps create opportunities for colleagues to learn from authentic examples, explore new ideas, and strengthen the learning experience for students across the university. We appreciate you!