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Narrative Reflection: My Masters Program

Meghan Coletta
Loyola University Chicago
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When I made the decision to move out to Chicago, I kept calling the move, My Big

Midwest Adventure, because I truly had no idea what to expect from this program or Chicago. I

had the idea in my head that I already knew what I needed to about being a student affairs

professional and this program would just add a few more theories to my repertoire and that

would make me more employable. I never could have expected how much this program would

help me to grow and develop as professional and person.

Viewing the World through a Critical Hope Lens

I had known from my time at preview days that this program and Loyola University

Chicago was based on Jesuit values that centered around social justice work. This knowledge

made my decision to attend this program an easy one. The most important content that I have

learned from this program is the ability to de construct and reconstruct theory, a healthy

skepticism for leadership, and the ability to work with a lens of critical hope for social justice.

My undergraduate degree in Psychology made me comfortable working with theory and I

enjoy it. This program gave me the skills to be able to pay attention to the historical context that

the theories were created in to be able to deconstruct them. Understanding that many theories

used in student affairs were created when only white, high socioeconomic status, males were in

college is important to keep in mind. It then allows us to being able to reconstruct a theory to

better apply to todays more diverse student populations. Noticing the holes in a theory is the

only way to be able to properly employ it in your work. This program has also given me practical

experience doing this in real settings which will increase my efficacy when employing those

skills in a true professional setting.

My philosophy on leadership is constantly evolving and that is the way that I want it to

stay. I really enjoyed the phrase of a healthy skepticism that was included in our course
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readings and have continued to reflect on what that means for myself personally and

professionally. I leave this program able to engage in dialogues around breaking down normative

leadership and how to push back on systems of power.

The most important piece of knowledge that I leave this program with is the ability to

employ a critical hope lens to the work that I am doing. Grounding my work in the true reality of

the situation no matter how messy is something that helps me as someone that needs to know all

the facts before proceeding in a situation. Then taking the reality and laying over my knowledge

of systems of oppression and power will give me a better chance at creating long lasting change.

Expanding my Higher Education Nerd Experience

I am a self-proclaimed higher education nerd and by that, I mean that I really enjoy

learning the history of an institution and how that informs their current practice. I was able to

continue my exploration of different instructions during my time in the program through my

work at the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University Chicago, Northwestern University,

and Arizona State University.

I have held my assistantship at the Quinlan School of Business for the entirety of the

program. Starting on the academic services side of the department allowed me to have a better

sense of the academic culture at the school before moving over to programming. On the Student

Services side of the Undergraduate Programs Office, I have been able to broaden my skills with

large scale programming and see how that programming is incorporated into the culture of a

school. It has pushed me to learn how to adjust to changing situations rapidly and have an

attention to detail that I did not have before.

At Northwestern University, in the department of Student Organizations and Activities, I

have learned the type of culture that I want in my future full-time work place. The first thing that
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caught my attention was the culture of community within the department and the Campus Life

unit as a whole. Not only does everyone enjoy their work but they deeply care about their

students and the impact that they are having. It is a place where intense conversations about

current events are given space and time or where you can find directors running around in super

hero outfits on Halloween. My time at Northwestern has given me skills in budgeting and

programming planning but requires me to constantly be aware of access for students in

organizations.

My time at Arizona State University in Guest and Conference Services gave me

confidence in my autonomy and increased my efficacy. I had resources and people to lean on if I

needed it but I was allowed to make my own decisions and feel like a full-time professional. That

was formative for me when I had felt that I was not being given independence in the work that I

had been doing.

New Found Sense of Resilience

This program was something that I did know I needed. It made me step far out of my

comfort zone in every way possible and that is something that I will forever be grateful for. Ive

had challenging conversations in and outside of the classroom that require me to be constantly

aware of how I show up in spaces which is a positive thing. It has pushed me to my learning

edge and others have pulled me back with care and empathy that has allowed me to learn. My

efficacy about social justice work grew and I will continue to foster that even after graduation. I

know what my identities are and how they show in spaces. I will use my privilege as an ally to

do this work but allow the voices of those with target identities tell their stores instead of me

doing it for them. I will engage with my students, other staff, and faculty around social justice to

show them to how an appreciation of diverse perspectives and life experiences is something that
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makes the world around us a better and more inclusive place. All of this social justice work will

be grounded in the resilience that I have learned from this program that has allowed me to see

social justice work in action and the positive change that it can have.