Professional Praxis

There is nothing I am more passionate about in my career than achieving access to education for all. When I began graduate school in the context of my graduate assistantship in admissions, I was focused on the idea of access to higher education. What this program has shown me over the past two years is that access to higher education institutions and access to an education are two different goals.

The former is a promise made to students of success, social mobility, and happiness. It can be described with statistics, numbers, and anecdotal evidence of the student experience. Undoubtedly, it is a critical step in the process to ensure that students have the same opportunities as their peers to succeed. Access to education, on the other hand, means following through on the promises made during the admissions process. It means ensuring that students feel supported throughout their four years and are given the same opportunities for and access to the education they are earning. As a student affairs professional, it is my responsibility to make good on the promises made to students to ensure their growth, well-being, and happiness.

I believe my purpose in higher education is to help students realize their inner strengths and develop the tools in which to learn and grow throughout their lives. Few things are more fulfilling to me than guiding a student from a state plagued with feelings of failure, shame, and doubt, to one empowered with feelings of self-confidence and self-efficacy. I recognize and celebrate that these transitions do not occur overnight. I see myself as someone who will sit with the student, recognize and acknowledge their experiences, and work with them on an individual level to determine what success means to them. It takes time, patience, vulnerability, and connection to foster meaningful relationships that make students feel they are worthy of their own success. The little moments of setting up a tutoring appointment, using their agenda, or telling me about an organizational app that has been helpful to them, are the moments that make up a continuous pattern of self-reliance and empowerment that encourages growth and motivation throughout their lives.

In the course American Higher Education, we discuss the history of higher education in the United States as being built for certain members of our society and to actively keep others out. In my work, I believe I am not fulfilling my purpose if I am not supporting all students with which I work. Through a long reflective process, I have been able to identify the ways in which my privileged identities have affected the way I see the world and others. I am dedicated to not only educating myself about other cultures and perspectives, but finding ways to amplify those voices in my personal life, in my studies, and in my work.

In coursework for Student Development Theory, I had the opportunity to reflect on my work and the theoretical lenses I use in my every day practice. The approach that I am inclined to take is that which is aligned with Marica’s (1966) work on identity development in young adults. In such a unique time of the human experience, students should feel empowered to take risks, learn from experiences, and use those lessons to inform their actions. It is not just a time to write papers and study for exams, but to engage in academic curiosity, take on leadership roles, take advantage of opportunities, and reflect on those experiences to inform an identity. I believe my role as a student affairs practitioner is to foster this development by learning who the individual student is, what they want in life, what they see as obstacles in their path and work with them to develop a plan to achieve their individual version of success. As an Academic Coach, I would ask questions to understand the student’s perspective roles and what they wanted to achieve. Students rarely just needed help with a particular assignment or concept, but instead needed to know how to manage their time while working part-time, understand how to read scholarly articles, or finding the motivation to attend class. Whatever the case was, I was always ready to learn about the student and guide them as they came up with their own plan for their success. In this way, I believe I helped them own their story and become independent students.

Authenticity, one of the pillars of this program, is a work-in-progress in my daily practice. We discuss bringing our identities and experiences to the table and being our true selves, acting in alignment with our values. In my supervisory role, and in my role as a Resident Director for the Brown Pre-College Program, I found it very easy to speak up for the students I supervised. I placed their safety and well-being at the forefront and always made sure to connect with students to ensure I was fostering their development. Speaking up for myself, on the other hand, is a trait I am striving toward as I assert myself in my every day responsibilities.

Prior to my graduate program, I self-identified as a steamroller when it came to any type of collaboration. Today, I am a reformed steamroller who will ask questions to learn what direction others want to go, assert my thoughts, and who will put the purpose of the task or assignment above my own ego. Imposing my beliefs and perspectives without understanding others is not inclusive nor productive. I celebrate the opportunities I have to work with staff, faculty, and students to create and do something remarkable. It is my responsibility to build a community that will support all students which can only be accomplished through genuine interaction and collaboration.

I believe great things are not accomplished alone. I strive to create meaningful relationships with students to ensure they are proud of their work. Placing student empowerment at the center of my work, rather than student success, will help create the next generation of reflective, self-confident, and authentic leaders who believe in their own abilities, potential, and happiness.

References

Marcia, J. E. (1966). Development and validation of ego-identity status. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 3(5), 551–558. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0023281