Areas of Growth (LO 3, 5, 7, 9, 10; Artifacts A, B, C, E, F)

Introduction
The areas in which I have demonstrated the most growth in, and still require growth in in
the future, stem largely from the way I respond to student needs in new contexts. Priortocoming
toSeattleUniversity,Ihadonlyworkedinoneinstitutionalcontextwitharelativelyhomogenous
studentpopulation.Uponarrivinghere,adaptingwhatIunderstoodofwhatworkswithrelatingto
students,programmingwithstudents,andthegeneralcampusculturequicklybecamethehardest
pieceofmyprofessionaltransition.Evenalmosttwoyearslater,Istillfindmyselfsurprisedin
learningabouthowmyexperienceofanundergraduateeducationalexperiencediffersgreatlyfrom
thelivedexperienceofstudentshere.Thus,adaptingstudentservicesandmyworkasa
professionalhasbeenaprolongedareaofgrowthformethatIamstillgainingpracticein.Ihave
hadtopushmyselfinutilizingresearch,assessment,andtechnologyinordertohaveconcrete
reasoningbehindtheworkthatIwasdoing,andtoalwaysoperatebyputtingthingsthroughalens
ofthepolitical,institutional,andculturalclimatethatIwasinatthetime.Thus, the three areas of
responding to student needs include Learning Outcome 5 AdaptingStudentServicestoSpecific
EnvironmentsandCultures,LearningOutcome7UtilizingAssessment,Evaluation,Technology,
andResearchtoImprovePractice,andanintersectionbetweenLearningOutcomes3and9
UnderstandingIssuesSurroundingLaw,Policy,FinanceandGovernanceinOrdertoLeadasan
EthicalProfessional.
AdaptingStudentServicestoSpecificEnvironments(LO5;ArtifactsA,B,C,E)
ThreedimensionsofLearningOutcome5areinformalandformalassessment,checksfor
inclusion,andrespondingincrisis.
Asmentionedpreviously,priortocomingtoSeattleUniversityIdidnothavemuchofa

needtoadaptservicestodifferentenvironmentsbecausemyexperiencegrewmostlyfromone
context.WhileIhavealwaysrelieduponmywillingnesstoborrowfrommysummercamp
background,IknewcomingtoSeattleUniversitywouldpushmeinmyunderstandingofhowto
respondtostudentneeds.InmytimehereIhaverelieduponmyknackforaskingquestionsand
havetointentionallyintegrateassessmentintomyrole.
Thethreestagesofinformalassessment,formalassessment,andacheckforinclusion
developedthemostinmyinternshipwithCascadiaCollege,ascanbeseeninArtifactAandE.
Thisexperiencefurtherpushedmebeyondjustadaptingtothedifferentstudentpopulationsat
SeattleUniversityandtoreadjustingtoanewclimateatalocalcommunitycollege.This
internshipalsoofferedawindowinStudentLife,whichisanareaIhadneverhadexposureto
before.Iquicklyrealizedthebestwaytoadapttothisnewclimatewouldbetoaskasmany
questionsaspossible,butalsotobeintentionalwithwhatIwasasking.ArtifactC:3offersan
exampleofhowIbroughtthisinformalassessmentevenfurthertoconductingaforma,full
campussurveytogaininsightastowhatstudentshopedtogainoutoftheiroutoftheclassroom
experienceatCascadiaandwhatbarriersexistedforinvolvement.Creatingthissurveywasmy
firsttrueexposuretoindependentlycreatinganassessmenttool.Synthesizingtheresultsand
deliveringthistomysupervisorgavemepracticeindrawingimplicationsforpractice.Iknowthat
stillhaveroomtogrowinmarketingandcreatingthesetools.
CheckingforinclusivitywassomethingIalsohadtoquicklylearninadapttowhen
thinkingabouthowtonavigatethesenewclimates.ArtifactEshowsexamplesofthemulticultural
competencytrainingIhavegonethroughinmytimeatSeattleUniversity.ArtifactC:1servesasa
windowintotheviewpointIhaduponcomingintoSeattleUniversity.Ihadnavigateprivilege,
particularlyracialprivilege,inhowIshowedupasasupervisorattemptingtorespondtostudent

needs.Thishasbeenanareaofgrowththathasdevelopedintoastrength,ascanbeseeninmy
StrengthsNarrativeSection.
My role as an Assistant Resident Director has given me ample experience in helping
students in crisis or high-stress environments. Prior to this experience, I had only interacted with
students in crisis as a Resident Assistant on duty. This involved few mental health concerns,
roommate mediations, and other behavioral concerns. My other experience in assisting with
people in crisis was in my role as a counselor at YMCA Camp Foss. First, my experience drew
from working with homesick or upset children, and then elevated to mentoring high school aged
staff. Before coming to Seattle University, I found it difficult to find comfort in these situations
and trust my gut to bring us to the best solution they needed. De-escalation, in particular, remained
a struggle for me.
Upon entering my role as an Assistant Resident Director, I was quickly thrown in to being
the backup call and expert on helping students in crisis. Crisis here looked like severe mental
health issues, sexual and physical assault, suicide ideation, more homesickness, more roommate
conflicts, the stresses of a high demanding school experience, and taking on the traumas of helping
others in crisis. I learned quickly that to be of any help to students I had to first make myself
comfortable, which usually looks like getting on the same level as students and finding a strand of
commonality between us. (Artifact B) In combining the practical experience I was gaining with
educational experience from COUN5100FundamentalCounselingSkills and SDAD5400
StudentDevelopmentTheory,ResearchandPractice, I was finding myself getting increasingly
more comfortable when interacting with students in high stress environments.
Schlossberg, for example, has been extremely helpful to me in this arena. As I had been
going through an overwhelming transition in my move to Seattle, I immediately connect to
Schlossbergs transition theory. (Evans, 2010) (Artifact B, Artifact C) In finding familiarity in my

own experience through this experience, I was also able to connect it to the experiences I was
hearing from students. For incoming students or those dealing with other forms of transitions in
their lives, I was able to utilize the skills of this theory, like the four Ss of Situation, Self, Support,
and Strategies, in a way that sounded personal from my own experience. (Evans, 2010) This
theory helped me navigate many teary sessions with residents and adapt my ability to serve
students into new immediate contexts.
UtilizingAssessment,Evaluation,Technology,andResearchtoImprovePractice(LO7,
ArtifactsC,E,F)
ThreedimensionsofLearningOutcome7arebestpractices,usingassessmentas
grounding,andamindsetofinnovation.
PriortocomingtoSeattleUniversity,Ihadverylittleexposuretousingassessment,
evaluation,technology,andresearchinpracticalapplicationofmyjob.Ibelievethisstruggle
presenteditselflargelyduetotheimmediatetransitionImadefrommyundergraduateexperience
tomygraduateexperience.Thesethingshadalwaysexistedtomeinanacademiccontext,andI
consequentlystruggledinfindingwaystoandreasonforintegratingthemintothewayIoperateas
aprofessional.Ihavealoveforlearningkinesthetically,improvising,anddrawingfromwhathas
workedinthepast.LearningOutcome7,however,impliestheveryoppositeofthismindset.
ThroughthisprogramIhadlearnedhowcriticaltheseelementsaretorespondingeffectivelyto
studentsneeds.
Aspartofthisgrowthinunderstanding,Ihavegrowninrelyingonresearchofbest
practicesinotherarenasasawayofinformingmyownpractice.ArtifactEoffersexamplesofthe
formaltrainingIhadintheclassroomthatleadtoanunderstandingofhowtoconductanduse
researchofbestpractices.EDUC5000IntroductiontoResearchandGraduateStudy,SDAD5400

StudentDevelopmentTheory,ResearchandPracticeandEDUC5130AdultLearningpromoted
theimportanceofusingliteratureandinvestigativepracticestofindingsolutionsrootedindata
andevidence.ThroughSDAD5750BestPracticesinStudentServices,Ibeganmyown
explorationofwhatthisresearchcanlooklikewithinmypersonalcontext.
ArtifactC:3offersmybestexampleofhowIintegratedresearchofbestpracticeswith
assessmentandevaluation.ThisartifactincludestheprocessIusedtocreateanewLeadership
ProgramforCascadiaCollege.Thisdevelopmentwasrootedinpersonalresearchofsimilar
schoolsinthearea,butalsofromconversationsIhadinSDAD5750BestPracticesinStudent
Services.ThisartifactincludestheearlyassessmentIdidtoestablishwhatthestudentneedsof
Cascadiawere,andthenIcreatedacurriculumthatusedthisinformationasgroundingforwhereI
wasgoing.Thisallowedmetobettercommunicateandconsequentlycollaboratewithmany
partiesoncampusinthedesignandplansforimplementationofthisprogram.
Knowingthatthisisstillanareaofgrowthforme,Ihaveincludedresearchand
assessmentgoalsinmyProfessionalDevelopmentPlan,whichcanbefoundinArtifactF.Mainly
IneedtodevelopmorepassionareasthatwouldkeepthesepiecesexcitingformesothatIcan
stayenergizedinthisfacetofmyworkthatItypicallyamnotattractedto.
UnderstandingIssuesSurroundingLaw,Policy,FinanceandGovernanceinOrdertoLead
asanEthicalProfessional(LO3,9,10;ArtifactA,D,E,G)
Learning Outcome 9 consists of institutional policy, impact of law and society, and
political communication. Learning Outcome 3 consists of student relationships, professional
identity, and being a resource. Learning Outcome 10 consists of balance, growth, and
accountability.
Given that I have maintained my student identity throughout the time that I have worked,

this experience at Seattle University has proven to be transition of growth in my professional

identity. This growth is best measured by comparing Artfiact E:1 and Artifact D. In my first
assessment of my NASPA/ACPA Competencies, I named Law/Policy and Ethical Professional
Practice as the two areas that needed to grow the most. I knew I needed to expand my general
knowledge of institutional policies and political climates, but paying attention to the ways I was
establishing myself as a professional has been the main focus of my time here. But as Artifact D,
my Letter of Professional Promise, demonstrates, the director of Housing and Residence Life
granted me the description of extremely professional. This mark was one of the more meaningful
comments that could be made on my growth and promise moving forward. As the Student
Testimonies of Artifact G demonstrate, I create close relationships with students that usually
involve levels of intimacy, vulnerability, and a lot of fun. I have worked hard to maintain a balance
between using these pieces to my advantage all the while solidifying my presence as an ethical
professional. Artifact G and D attest to the success I have found in maintaining this balance.
A key part to maintaining a professional identity has been in the attention I have learned to
give to understanding policy, law, finance and governance. Students do not solely look to me as
someone they can relate to or facilitate a discussion; they also look to me as someone who can
provide answers and who can make decisions in times of crisis or confusion. I have expanded this
knowledge through classes such as SDAD 5760 Leadership and Governance in Post-Secondary
Education and SDAD 5800 Higher Education Law. In practice, I have leveraged my role in
Housing and Residence Life to gain experience implementing financial literacy (advising the use
of the Residence Hall Association and Learning Community budgets) and application of policy
and law (as a university conduct officer), as evident in Artifact A and E.
Ultimately, I have learned that forming professional identity is intertwined with having an
understanding and application of issues surrounding law, finance, and policy. It enables me to

create ethical decisions and relationships with the students I work with.

References
Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., & Guido, F. (2010). Student development in college: Theory, research,
and practice (2nd edition). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.