Areas for Development (Learning Outcomes 9, 1, 7, 6 & 8, Artifacts C, E, A & G) The integrative theme across this section of my growth

focuses on understanding the foundations of Student Affairs in-depth and learning to apply it within todays field in my professional practice. As a paraprofessional in the field, I would like to gain a stronger foundation to influence my professional practice. Learning Outcome 9, Artifact C2 & C3 Prior to attending the SDA program, I had very little knowledge of institutional issues surrounding law, policy, finance and governance (LO 9). Through such courses as Leadership in Education I and Leadership and Governance in Post-Secondary Education, I was able to establish a foundation of understanding in regard to this LO. Looking at Artifact C2 from my Research and Assessment course, I was able to explore issues of graduate student involvement on the SU campus and what issues of governance arise when attempting to address restructure on an institutional level. This issue was also experienced through my collaborative efforts working with Learning Communities as it took a great amount of planning from Student Development as well as Academic Affairs to get on board. Additionally, in Artifact C3, I was able to explore areas of leadership within an institutional context and developed my own philosophy on leadership, inspired by servant leadership and encouraging the hearts of others (Kouzes & Posner, 2003; Shuh, 2002). Although I feel that I have gained a foundation of understanding in this particular LO, I still desire to learn more so that I may confidently navigate institutional structures as I progress through the field. Learning Outcome 1, Artifact C1 I was initially drawn to Student Affairs because of its ability to pay for my graduate school ambition and provide me with the opportunity to work at a university without having to grade papers. This was my thought-process through undergrad. I can confidently say that I no

longer hold that same mindset but it has taken me a lot of self-exploration to identify what it is I want to do as a career, what I am passionate about and what brings me happiness. Artifact C1 helped me do that as I was able to reflect on my entire life and personal identity through an autoethnography which helped me reflect on the pertinent events that have shaped my salient identities such as being a woman of color, a first-generation college student and coming from a working-class socioeconomic background. To supplement my own self-exploration I explored theories in student development, such as Yossos theory of Community Cultural Wealth (2005), and foundational history of the field through the Foundations in Student Affairs Course. Pulled together, these historical reflections have helped me better understand who I am professionally. In the future, I hope to continuously revisit these histories of the field, as well as in myself, and use this knowledge to influence my professional practice. Learning Outcome 7, Artifact C2 & D Before entering the program, I had dabbled with the idea of pursuing the M.A. route as I had previous experience with research and quantitative analysis. However, I had not utilized very much assessment in my workplace since many of my research experiences were for classroom, course-specific work. In Artifact C2 from my Research & Assessment course, I was able to practice assessing real data as it applied to SU. This helped my assessment, evaluation and technology techniques. Another good example of this LO is Artifact D which showcases my usage of PowerPoint and my degree of research. I greatly value what my experience in this LO from the SDA program but I also want to practice assessment and evaluation on a more practitioner based level in my daily programming and employment so that I may continue to develop myself and my students effectively. Learning Outcome 6, Artifact E

In my Leadership in Education I course, I was asked to define what a leader is to me. Prior to the course I had thought that a leader was a singular figure that held charisma and tact to lead a group. Through this course I was able to delineate and transform my definition of leadership and how I identified as a leader: by encouraging those around me, through the heart (Kouzes & Posner, 2003). Developing and demonstrating this leadership and collaboration ability (LO 6) can be seen through my Artifact E which demonstrates my professional leadership and collaborative efforts to create a lesson plan that based upon Pope, Reynolds & Muellers Multicultural Competency Model (2004). The project encompassed research, facilitation, leadership and collaboration. On an institutional level, I have also practiced this LO through my Counseling Across the Lifespan course in conjunction with SUYI as well as through my graduate assistantship with Learning Communities. Establishing a strong skill in leadership identity and collaboration are aspects I desire to continue to develop as I find it extremely impactful for advancing my professional maturity. Learning Outcome 8, Artifacts A & G It has constantly been a challenge for me to confidently communicate effectively in speech and in writing. As a first-generation college student, throughout my undergraduate career I was always self-conscious about my expression through speech and in writing. However, my confidence grew when I was admitted into the SDA program. Throughout my experience in the program I have grew to enhance and polish these forms of communication significantly. Artifact A demonstrates my growth in communicating my values and experiences effectively through concise yet effective writing and presentation. But what has challenged my writing and organizational effectiveness can truly be seen in my M.A. project (Artifact G). This project challenged me to construct a study from scratch, become a better researcher and communicate

what I had learned through a thirty-five page document. It was daunting at first but was truly an accomplishment once completed. Artifact D and my independent research presented at NASPAs Multicultural Institute can also demonstrate my growth in effective communication through speech. I am extremely passionate about becoming enhancing my proficiency in communicating both verbally as well as through writing. I hope to continue to challenge myself through professional research and national level presentations so that I may inspire other first-generation students if its possibility and practice lifelong learning through exemplifying my evolution.