Narrative Description
Content
Most readily, I utilized Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth and the Multicultural Competence in Student Affairs text (Pope, Reynolds & Mueller, 2004). Meaning making, faith development, and self-authorship theories and frameworks were prevalent, too (Baxtor-Magolda, 1992; Daloz-Parks, 2000; Murray & Nash, 2010; Pizzolato, 2003). My independent study implicitly and explicitly integrated all this content. The content was also highlighted in Social Justice, Student Development Theory, Leadership in Education I, and Higher Education Finance.
Lessons about Self
Through this program, I learned about my spirit of inquisitive tenacity. Previously, I had questions but no evident answers about innate systems I moved and operated through. I wanted to know how I could acknowledge and serve this world in a more deliberate manner.
Since day one of the program, I felt underprepared. I navigated through culture shock, doubt, and my own bias and assumptions. That never kept me from attempting to engage in difficult conversations about marginalization, access, and equity. I was eager to learn, grow, and work through all the tough questions.
Inadvertently, coming from a Literature/writing background, I knew I had a knack for deconstructing thoughts, but I did not realize how incredibly vulnerable and reflective that allowed me to be in connecting personal and professional experiences. What informs my personal lens now impacts my professional endeavors, and I have grown by how I articulate the impact this overall experience has had in changing me.
Since day one of the program, I felt underprepared. I navigated through culture shock, doubt, and my own bias and assumptions. That never kept me from attempting to engage in difficult conversations about marginalization, access, and equity. I was eager to learn, grow, and work through all the tough questions.
Inadvertently, coming from a Literature/writing background, I knew I had a knack for deconstructing thoughts, but I did not realize how incredibly vulnerable and reflective that allowed me to be in connecting personal and professional experiences. What informs my personal lens now impacts my professional endeavors, and I have grown by how I articulate the impact this overall experience has had in changing me.
Lessons of Interning
Highline Community College, TRIO: Student Support Services
At Highline, there was a deliberate lesson of transfer preparation. I researched best practices and developed a curriculum for a course that would aid students in reflecting upon and articulating how capital wealth could be meaningful to success within the 4-year system (Pope, Reynolds & Mueller, 2004; Yosso; 2005). It became clear to me how my TRIO participation at a university differed from TRIO participation at a community college. The way in which both programs aim to advise and retain students is dependent upon the time it takes for a student to move through the process of transferring or graduating.
Cornish College of the Arts, Orientation: Cornish Connection
Coordinating Cornish Connection helped me establish my purpose as a caring professional. One immediate situation that arose just two weeks prior to orientation called into question my ability to react and proactively engage. In a timely manner, I had to organize a quick but efficient plan of accessibility with the Director of Disability Services. There was a thorough analysis, and I chose to be open and honest about my lack of experience in this area, but I was also very explicit about my priority of inclusivity. During leader training, I articulated the efforts of the accessibility plan and was able to better understand how performing arts students need more creative control in the process of preparing for orientation.
Lessons Learned in the Workplace
Seattle University (SU) is an institution that values lifelong learning, and my work here has challenged me to actively educate myself on campus issues and resources. In the office of Student Activities, I sought out the opportunity to advise SU student government. I had previously never practiced diplomatic work, and it served as an opportunity to practice my engagement of concern. My time with representatives focused on disability and psychological needs and reiterated my passion for inclusivity. Pursuing my independent study in Campus Ministry derived from that same action, and I chose to engage in a project that would push me to challenge how SU was serving their first-generation population through the nature of spiritual community and support.
Future Practice
My greatest implication will be to continue my inquisitive reactions to issues of access, persistence, development, and engagement. When populations are not being considered in conversations of inclusive practice, I plan to be the educator who compassionately and tenaciously advocates for communities.
Critique
Courses in this program that have a close affiliation should build upon each other more appropriately. For instance, I took Social Justice before Multicultural Perspectives, but I used the same text for both classes, and that order felt unhelpful for the advancement of my skills.
For Whom and For What?
As the first one in my immediate family to earn a Bachelor’s degree and now a Master’s degree, I am a professional for college access and persistence. Low-income and first-generation students are met with obstacles and struggles because they have had to readily work through deficits created by our cultural systems. Every student out there moving through the process of liberating and mobilizing themselves by means of their education is cable of doing so because of their aspirational, navigational, and resistant capital (Yosso, 2005) that creates a self-authored (Pizzolato, 2003) and inspirational individual.
References
Evans, N., Forney, D., Guido, F., Patton, L., & Renn, K. (2010). Chapter ten: Development of self-authorship. In Student development in
college: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed., pp. 176-193). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Evans, N., Forney, D., Guido, F., Patton, L., & Renn, K. (2010). Chapter eleven: Development of faith and spirituality. In Student development
in college: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed., pp. 194-211). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Nash, R.J. and Murray, M.C. (2010). Helping college students find purpose: The campus guide to meaning-making. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
Pizzolato, J. (2003). Developing self-authorship: exploring the experiences of high-risk college students. Journal of College Student
Development, 44 (6), 797-812. DOI: 10.1353/csd.2003.0074.
Pope, R.L., Reynolds, A.L., & Mueller, J.A. (2004). Multicultural competence in student affairs. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Yosso, T.J. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth. Race, Ethnicity, and
Education, 8 (1), 69-91.
college: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed., pp. 176-193). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Evans, N., Forney, D., Guido, F., Patton, L., & Renn, K. (2010). Chapter eleven: Development of faith and spirituality. In Student development
in college: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed., pp. 194-211). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Nash, R.J. and Murray, M.C. (2010). Helping college students find purpose: The campus guide to meaning-making. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
Pizzolato, J. (2003). Developing self-authorship: exploring the experiences of high-risk college students. Journal of College Student
Development, 44 (6), 797-812. DOI: 10.1353/csd.2003.0074.
Pope, R.L., Reynolds, A.L., & Mueller, J.A. (2004). Multicultural competence in student affairs. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Yosso, T.J. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth. Race, Ethnicity, and
Education, 8 (1), 69-91.