My journey in higher education began with a very unique story. I migrated to the United States at the age of five and immediately faced multiple challenges in education. As a trilingual student, I first had to navigate the English language in order to comprehend the daily teaching in the classroom. I am fortunate enough to be blessed with parents who advocate for me, and support my education by enrolling me in after-school programs and English language courses in order for me to be successful in the continuation of my education. These small adjustments in my education allowed me to be more proactive in my learning and slowly but surely allowed me to be more social. As a result of my support system, I was able to become more comfortable with the idea of education and where I can lead me. My strength and bravery stem from my mother’s hard work. I have watched my mother go back to school for nursing which motivated and empowered me to think of my own career, life, and choosing to go to college. 

My undergraduate experience was one of the most life-changing opportunities that I’ve had that privilege to attend. I started my journey at Fitchburg State University where my extroverted personality really awakened my potential in socializing and mingling with people. During this time I managed to work, take part in extracurricular activities, and volunteer. These experiences helped me recognize that I am a very hard-working individual who strives to change the way others think of themselves in hopes of creating a positive mindset. I have learned the importance of teamwork and communication while participating in leadership roles. Mindset is extremely crucial in how individuals take in information and knowledge, therefore I have made it my mission to empower students in thinking positively. I deeply admire the students I work with, and the work that they put into their success. In doing this I discovered my passion for student development and supporting this success. 

The best part about being an educator is finding or re-organizing your priorities, morals, and values. As I have also done this myself, I have recognized what I value and how important it is to have a foundation in a working environment. I value commitment, transparency, positivity, and consistency. I value commitment because as I have committed to multiple obligations and opportunities, I recognize the importance of being dedicated to a cause. I believe that commitment is the foundation to making a difference because without commitment there is no movement. I hope to share the importance of being devoted and committed to others. Apart from being committed and staying committed, I value transparency. Transparency allows clarity and understanding, therefore I believe that in order to have a successful community, there must be a high volume of contribution. I want to practice transparency with others in hopes it creates clarity with  others. Furthermore, I value positivity. The world has shown that unpredictable circumstances may occur and it is easier to be negative than positive. Therefore, I strive wholeheartedly to stay positive and share my positivity with others. I want to inspire others to not only think positively, and stay positive, but to act positively. My experiences have shown me that positivity is the route to a successful life.. Last but not least, I value consistency. I value the importance of not only being committed but staying consistent. My proactive leadership and self-discipline has allowed me to stay invested and focused on my goals. The opportunities I have gained thus far have shown me that it is easier to commit then to stay consistent. I feel strongly that being consistent is important, and I will continue to stay consistent in the work I do.

 Maintaining a high level of performance is not important if it’s not achieved on a consistent basis. I hope to showcase this in my future endeavors. Connecting all of my values, I am committed to staying both transparent and consistent with my positive thinking. 

As a practitioner, some of the skills I possess include communication, collaboration, adaptability, empathy, active listening, and conflict resolution. I am consistently committed to building my knowledge, and have attended training to demonstrate this. These training sessions are diversity awareness and safe zones. Diversity awareness allowed me to acquire the skills of accountability, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal communication, intra-personal skills, such as self advocacy, workplace etiquette, and collaboration, are also skills I practice in my work. Participating in safe zone training allowed me to acquire the skills of community inclusion, culture and diversity, and teamwork. Along this journey I have acquired other skills that have and will serve me well in higher education. These skills are flexibility, time management, adaptability, accountability, and confident resolution. During my graduate assistantship at Fitchburg State University I was able to apply some of the skills I’ve gained. For example while conducting multiple events I made it my mission to always stay one step ahead in preparation. Even in the mist of being extremely prepared there are always conflicts that may hinder the success of an event. With that being said I have had the opportunity to resolve conflicts. Another example is, while supervising two program assistance, I was able to actively listen to students' goals, needs, and wants, in hopes of supporting their professional and personal development. In order to ensure that I am successful in supporting these two program assistance I’ve created a plan/goal that can be able to allow self reflection and self awareness. 

As humans we are consistently working on ourselves and as for someone who considers themselves skillful, I am aware that there are many skills that I still need to acquire. As for someone who’s not tech-savvy, I've made it my mission to tackle this skill by applying myself in training that will support my goals. The new norm of virtual learning opened my eyes to being more knowledgeable in technology.

While studying higher education student affairs at Merrimack College I have gained more knowledge in this field because of learning I have gained from outstanding professionals, staff, and faculty. My educational experience has amplified my understanding of social justice, diversity, and equity and inclusion. I have also gained a better understanding of community engagement, community building, and leadership. There are many takeaways in various courses I have taken in this field. My overall take away from all courses I have had the opportunity to learn from great professional leaders is to value being prepared at all times.. I have learned that in order to be fully prepared, one must be ready to adjust to   every circumstance. The HED6750G-A Supervision in Higher Education course has taught me the importance of recognizing the difference between perception and reality. We may be perceived by others differently from our own reality, therefore I have made it my mission to Stop, think, respond. This course was extremely satisfying especially when supervising two program Assistants at my graduate assistantship located at Fitchburg State University. This was where I was able to use what I learned in this course in my daily work environment. The HED546G-A Leadership Theory and Practice course taught me the importance of being a proactive leader. As for someone who considers themselves a leader, I now understand the importance of being a leader and sharing your leadership with others. I also learned the importance of shared leadership because in a community-based environment it is important to share the knowledge you gained with others in order to amplify others’ knowledge. For example I have been able to work with others that have shared their creativity and ideas based on their own experience. In the future I plan to lead with shared leadership. The HED555G-A College Counseling and Advising course has taught me the importance of communication and creating a Communication Bridge. A Communication Bridge simply refers to determining where and how a person would communicate with another party. This is extremely crucial especially working with students because in order to avoid any miscommunication and misunderstanding, there needs to be a Communication Bridge. I would also agree that my graduate assistantship at Fitchburg State University brought more clarity as to why I love this field. My graduate assistantship opened my eyes to how I would like to present myself and continue to represent myself. This opportunity has allowed me to learn how to advocate for myself and to stay strong minded. As a Fitchburg State Alumni I am more grateful for their admirable support, guidance, and love.