Personal Narrative: My Experiences in Student Development Administration
My journey through the Student Development Administration (SDA) program has been a series of meaningful experiences, an increasing knowledge, and most importantly, growth personally and professionally. The most important content I have learned in the program is how to apply theory and research to ground my practice. In one of my first classes with Erica Yamamura (SDAD 578) focusing on theories challenged my internal philosophies about theory and practice. From the class, I have taken many theories that resonate with me but also a critical eye to question what populations do various theories actually serve.
Another piece of content I consider most important is the constant injection of social justice, identity, power, and privilege into the curriculum. Erica Yamamura once again challenged me to “look in the mirror” and unpack how my salient identities impact my work. The SDA program is the first place to critically question my identity and privilege. After establishing a self-awareness of my own identities, I have adopted Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth into my professional practice. Social justice work is messy and ongoing; however, I commit it as part of my practice.
The most important growth I have experience personally is learning how to network and connect with other professionals in a genuine way. As an introvert on the far end of the I-scale, I generally become exhausted from networking for the sake of networking. My supervisor in my graduate assistantship and mentor, Ryan Hamachek, guided my professional development in this area. Together, he helped me brainstorm strategies I feel genuine in and encouraged me to connect with other introverts in the field about how they approach networking. In addition, many projects in the program required me to reach out to local and distant professionals. I utilized these opportunities to stay connected and learn more about different experiences in the field.
My internship at Cornell University was one of my most valuable experiences in the program. I specifically gained experience in an automatous working environment to ensure the success of transfer orientation programs for over 4,000 incoming students. My greatest takeaway was working with the student leaders on the Orientation Steering Committee (OSC). Coming in as an intern, I lacked the deep relationships necessary to be an effective adviser. I stepped outside of my comfort zone to build relationships in the one week I had before the fall orientation program started. I attribute to my success during the summer to my relationships I built within the office.
Furthermore, I held a graduate assistantship in the Office of Wellness and Health Promotion. My most important takeaway was working with professionals of all different leadership styles and navigating the messy area between advocating for my students and supporting my supervisor. Our office went through a huge transition at the beginning of my first year. I gained a lot of experience as an adviser and even more experience communicating open and honestly with everyone in the office.
All of my experiences culminate to inform my future professional practice. I plan to utilize theories and research to ground my practice. I am committed to staying current and active in my professional network to learn and to give back. Finally, a cornerstone of my professional practice will be a holistic approach to student development – caring and developing the individual while holding them accountable to high expectations.
One critique I have of the SDA is a few of the inconsistencies of messaging between the faculty members. I understand faculty play different roles in the program, but at times it seemed as if the faculty were not communicating with one another about large processes such as portfolio and the capstone curriculum. For a time that is stressful for continuing students, a consistent message put out by a unified faculty would make the program stronger.
On one final note, I believe the context of a Jesuit education integrated perfectly with student development. As many institutional models continue to adapt to a business/customer dynamic with students. I need to remember student affairs is mostly about holistic and seamless education. I know I will have many administrative roles in a future position; however, that is not an excuse to simply focus on outcomes of programs. I have a lot of respect for the process of working with students, building relationships, and helping students make meaning out of their experiences. Particularly, the Ignition Pedagogical Paradigm resonates with my style of working and I plan to utilize it in the future for student trainings, events, and more!
Another piece of content I consider most important is the constant injection of social justice, identity, power, and privilege into the curriculum. Erica Yamamura once again challenged me to “look in the mirror” and unpack how my salient identities impact my work. The SDA program is the first place to critically question my identity and privilege. After establishing a self-awareness of my own identities, I have adopted Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth into my professional practice. Social justice work is messy and ongoing; however, I commit it as part of my practice.
The most important growth I have experience personally is learning how to network and connect with other professionals in a genuine way. As an introvert on the far end of the I-scale, I generally become exhausted from networking for the sake of networking. My supervisor in my graduate assistantship and mentor, Ryan Hamachek, guided my professional development in this area. Together, he helped me brainstorm strategies I feel genuine in and encouraged me to connect with other introverts in the field about how they approach networking. In addition, many projects in the program required me to reach out to local and distant professionals. I utilized these opportunities to stay connected and learn more about different experiences in the field.
My internship at Cornell University was one of my most valuable experiences in the program. I specifically gained experience in an automatous working environment to ensure the success of transfer orientation programs for over 4,000 incoming students. My greatest takeaway was working with the student leaders on the Orientation Steering Committee (OSC). Coming in as an intern, I lacked the deep relationships necessary to be an effective adviser. I stepped outside of my comfort zone to build relationships in the one week I had before the fall orientation program started. I attribute to my success during the summer to my relationships I built within the office.
Furthermore, I held a graduate assistantship in the Office of Wellness and Health Promotion. My most important takeaway was working with professionals of all different leadership styles and navigating the messy area between advocating for my students and supporting my supervisor. Our office went through a huge transition at the beginning of my first year. I gained a lot of experience as an adviser and even more experience communicating open and honestly with everyone in the office.
All of my experiences culminate to inform my future professional practice. I plan to utilize theories and research to ground my practice. I am committed to staying current and active in my professional network to learn and to give back. Finally, a cornerstone of my professional practice will be a holistic approach to student development – caring and developing the individual while holding them accountable to high expectations.
One critique I have of the SDA is a few of the inconsistencies of messaging between the faculty members. I understand faculty play different roles in the program, but at times it seemed as if the faculty were not communicating with one another about large processes such as portfolio and the capstone curriculum. For a time that is stressful for continuing students, a consistent message put out by a unified faculty would make the program stronger.
On one final note, I believe the context of a Jesuit education integrated perfectly with student development. As many institutional models continue to adapt to a business/customer dynamic with students. I need to remember student affairs is mostly about holistic and seamless education. I know I will have many administrative roles in a future position; however, that is not an excuse to simply focus on outcomes of programs. I have a lot of respect for the process of working with students, building relationships, and helping students make meaning out of their experiences. Particularly, the Ignition Pedagogical Paradigm resonates with my style of working and I plan to utilize it in the future for student trainings, events, and more!