Letter to the Committee

Dear Committee and Loved Ones, 

This is a labor of love representing a journey that started 7 years ago when I first stepped foot on a college campus. I didn’t know then that the path would lead me here, however I am grateful for the challenges and opportunities along the way. In the spirit of Jesuit principles, I have spent much time discerning what my role and relationship with education is. I invite you to begin here as you embark on this journey with me and encourage you all to reflect on your story and look for the connections that bring us all together in community.

When thinking about where to start I looked at the essay I wrote to gain admittance to the SDA program. A sentence that I wrote that stood out to me was “higher education institutions are in a position of restorative community healing”. Thinking back, I knew conceptually what I meant but I didn't fully understood the grasp of what that looked like in action. My biggest lesson within this program has been learning how to authentically and sustainably build community. I came into this program with the right words, yet still struggled with unlearning the harmful habits that Western ideologies of individuality ingrained into me. Through the encouragement of my professors, peers, and mentors, I learned how to embrace vulnerability. This become the catalyst in which I truly discovered how community is a reciprocal experience, and how impactful friendship and allyship is found in embracing the challenges together. 

Within the classes of SDA I felt more seen and understood than I have any other time in academia. It was within SDAD 5400, Student Development Theory, Research, and Practice, where Dr. Erica Yamamura introduced me to theories that put feelings to words. Kristen Renn’s Multiracial Identity Theory (2000) and Homi Bahba’s Third Space (1994) helped settle a long unanswered question of who I am supposed to be. They helped me give myself permission that I could be fluid, that I could exist in the “both, and”, and that the sum of the whole is greater than its parts. This gave me confidence in my identity as a woman of color and has given me strength and validation in my efforts to advocate for anti-racist initiatives in the institution. Having Dr. Sabrina Kwist as a professor in SDAD 5590, American Community College, also greatly impacted my identity as woman of color and SoCal native. Seeing someone who had achieved so much within the institution, come from where I’m from and be so unapologetically themselves, has kept me grounded in my roots and proud of the soil that my family is from. Lastly, liberation through rest (Shahjahan, 2015 & Hersey, 2022) as taught by Dr. Paige Gardner in SDAD 5910, Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education, has become a key principle to my practice. Through it I create the basis of care that prioritize the students holistic health. 

In my professional experiences I have been able to put these practices in action, fine-tuning my strengths me and identifying areas of growth. In my internships with the Department of Education and Leadership at Kappa Alpha Theta and Multicultural Services at Bellevue College I had the opportunity to grow within the areas of assessment and research. Both these internships held opportunities to support oppressed and marginalized students through researching and applying best practices based on campus climate, retention, and graduation data. Here I learned that the best of practices are those that consider institutional context and directly address the needs of it’s unique position and population.  As the Graduate Coordinator for SEAC and RedZone within the Center for Student Involvement at Seattle University, I experienced a multitude of challenges that shaped my professional identity and personal ethics. I had to navigate conflicts with students, departments, and the institution. Through this I learned how to find my best mentors and allies, establish boundaries, and advocate for myself. Now, in my first fill-time professional role as a Community Director at Pacific Lutheran University, I have found energy. Vitalized by a strong community and passionate students, I look forward to supporting the institution in moving toward a more equitable environment for all learners.

This program, the people, and the experiences within it have encouraged me to really determine what my values are, and more importantly, how I put values into action in times of challenge. I understand the meaning of community deeper than I ever expected in January of 2021 when I submitted my application to this program, hopeful for what the future might hold. Going forward, I am confident in my ways of knowing, both from lived experience and from my academics. I embrace the humility of knowing that anything great cannot be done alone and look forward to cultivating community focused on liberation of all oppressed people. 

I have much gratitude for the SDA program, whose focus on social justice has made it a worthwhile endeavor. I am extremely grateful for the Jesuit practice of reflection, a practice that has grounded me in times of turbulence and the unknown. My commitment to my personal and professional formation is shown through my ability to pause, acknowledge, and move forward, with a renewed understanding of myself and my why. Keeping core to my values of liberation and community, I am excited to continue this journey of revisioning education and supporting students with you all by my side.  

Lastly, an extremely big thank you to my committee! You all have provided pivotal aspects of support throughout this process and for that I am the most grateful. Thank you for your time and committment to my growth.

With all the gratitude and love, 

Dream Gonzales