Final Observations

Above is an image of a rainbow I spotted a little south of Fairbanks. 

Learning Goals

My overall experience at the University of Alaska Fairbanks was positive. When I first got to UAF I felt like I was playing catch-up because the student employees were already looking at me as a leader, but I did not feel like one. It was difficult for me to give directions when I did not know what directions to give. There was one person, Garrett, who was recently hired as a UAF residence life pro-staff who I shared responsibilities with and he made my time there so much easier. All that said, I had plenty of opportunities to expand my knowledge and skills in the realm of college student affairs leadership. 

When it comes to leadership positions, I find myself only wanting to be a leader only when I feel confident in my ability to give clear directions. As mentioned before, this was my first time working for residence life, so trying to learn the lingo of the office all while trying to be a leader for student staff was a little overwhelming at first. One thing that helped me in navigating my way through UAF's Residence Life was one of my assignments given to me by my supervisor, Jake Long. He tasked me with creating the Summer Guest Housing Handbook. This handbook is intended for the student staff to use during the summer when UAF residence life operates more like a hotel business. While working on the handbook, I had to ask around for answers and do lots of digging through the UAF res-life website, causing me to have more conversations with my peers. Through this, I got to know my coworkers a little better while learning more about what they do in residence life. 

Another task that contributed to my learning goals was leading our weekly student-staff meetings. Every Monday at 5:15  Garrett and I would lead a meeting with our student staff to update them on any new things they should know, what they can improve on, and address any questions or concerns the students have. Some of these meetings were simple and done in 10-15 minutes, others were more detail-oriented and lasted nearly an hour. At these meetings, the students typically had quite a few questions for me and Garrett, and I would try my best to answer most of them. 

This summer, what I wanted to improve on most was my leadership and conflict/resolution skills. I would say UAF Residence Life was the perfect place for me to work on those skills. I was given an office in the back corner of the building, but I scarcely used it because I was usually sitting at the front desk with the students. I wanted to make myself more available in case they had questions, or even if I had any questions for them. When I first arrived they went to Garrett with most of their questions/concerns because he had been around for a while and even worked with them last summer as a student. But towards the end of my internship I heard less "Do you know where Garrett is?", and more, "Hey, I have a question for you." After my time at UAF, I feel more confident to be in leadership positions. 

Future Practicum Students

My time at the University of Alaska offered a blend of learning and professional growth. I had the opportunity to work on meaningful projects and connect with new people. One key takeaway was the importance of communication and teamwork; being proactive and asking questions were crucial for my development.  My advice to future practicum students would be to approach things with an open mind and believe that you will slowly catch on to the new office space lingo. If you can, make yourself visible and available to the people around you, this way you can bond with coworkers and avoid the feeling of isolation in a new work environment.  Be clear with your supervisor and convey to them what you are hoping to get out of this experience. Take every opportunity you can learn from your coworkers.