Running head: REFLECTION PAPER 1

Reflection Paper: Allies for Inclusion

AlyssaArroyo

LoyolaUniversityChicago
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AlliesforInclusion:DisabilityandEquityinHigherEducationaskedmetoreflectonmy

ownsalientidentities,whatthatmeansasaStudentAffairsprofessionalandwhatIexpectof

myselfasaStudentAffairsprofessional.IimmersedmyselfintotheHigherEducationfield

becauseIsawthatIdbeaskedtobeanadvocate,anally,andbeheldaccountableforthatrole.

MyroleasaStudentAffairsprofessionalaswellasmycurrentroleasateacheristocreatean

inclusivecampusorenvironmentforstudents,andIbelievethiswillalwaysbeamainpriority.

Myers,LindburgandNied(2013)explainthatNoonemotivewillresonateforallallies.

Identifyingmotiveisbeneficialfortheindividualsallydevelopment,andforthosefacilitating

allydevelopmentoreducationalefforts(p.71).Thisstatementresonatedwithmeduringthe

restofthereading,particularlywhenreflectingontheories.Iimmediatelyreflectedonthe

motivethatresonatedwithme.Nicki,my35yearoldsisterwhohasCerebralPalsy.Nickihas

limitedmotorfunctionwhichmakesherconfinedtoamotorwheelchair.Nickiiscognitively

delayedandhasthecognitivedevelopmentofa1113yearold.WhenIwas10yearsold,Nicki

wasgrantedawishfromMakeAWishFoundationthatleadourentirefamilytogotoDisney

World.ThiswasagreattimeforourfamilytospendwithNicki,especiallywiththe

accommodationswepotentiallyneverhadorcouldafford.However,thelooksandremarksfrom

outsiderswerewhatIremembermost.Whenreflectingonmotive,Ithinkofthepeoplethat

staredandpointed,overhearingthequestionattheairportofWhatswrongwithher?,but

thinkingofhowfunnyandlovingmysisteris.IthinkofmycousinSethwhohasAutism,and

thedevelopmentaldelayshehasphysicallycomparedtoeveryotherboyinhis6thgradeclass.

AlthoughIteachatSethsschool,histeacherwastheboysPEteacher,butthatdidntstopme
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fromtakinghimasideandhelpinghimlearnhowtoproperlythrowabasketballbecauseIknew

hisPETeacherwouldnthelporaccommodatehim.Ialsowonderedwhowouldbetheretohelp

Seth,advocateforSeth,andhelpSethlearnthewayheneedstolearn.ItwasevidentinaPE

classthattheteacherwouldnotmakeaccommodationsforSeth,sowhathappenswhenhegets

older?Mymotiveismyfamily,moreimportantlythateachstudentwithadisabilityhasfamily

thatdoesntseetheirdisability,butseesthemasfamily.

Therefore,Iwasextremelydisappointedwhenreadingthedifferenttheoriesofally

developmentandnotseeingidentificationofmotiveasafluentroleinthedevelopment

process.IwasextremelydisappointedwhenIreadEdwardsAspiringSocialJusticeAlly

DevelopmentModel,andreadingtheAllyforSelfInterestidentity.Thistheoryspecifically

recognizesmotive,particularlymotiveduetoprotectingthoseoneknowsorcaresabout,whichI

feelIwouldhaveidentifiedas.However,thistheorywasnotdevelopmental,otherthanstating

thatthealleyisunabletoconnectindividualactsofoppressiontothelargersystem,whichI

believeisfalse(Myersetal.,2013,p.77).BroidosModelofCollegeStudentAllyDevelopment

discussedacomponentcalledacquisitionofinformationwhichincludedhowstudents

informationaboutminoritygroupswerederived.Acomponentwhichwasconsideredimportant

wascontextexplainedasvaryinginformationrelatedtotheexperienceoftargetanddominant

groupmembers(Myersetal.,2013,p.76).Ibelievethisisapartofidentifyingmotive,

howeverBishopsSixStepModeltoBecominganAllyandWashingtonandEvansModelfor

BecominganAllydonottouchonmotive.WhatIdoappreciateaboutbothBishopsSixStep

ModeltoBecominganAllyandEvansModelforBecominganAllyisthatboththesemodels
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giveamodelforthosewhochosetogiveupprivilegewhichiscrucialtosocialchange.(Myers

etal.,2013,p.79).

AsaStudentAffairsprofessional,Iwouldliketobedescribedasanadvocateandanally

whichrequiresaction.WashingtonandEvansModelofforBecominganAllyisthebestmodel

thatimplementspraxisbecauseitrequiresawareness,education,skills,andaction.Praxisforally

developmentreflectstheideaofinfusingknowledgeacquisitionwithpracticalapplicationto

evokechange.(Myersetal.,2013,p.80)ThisiswhatIwouldliketoembodyasaStudent

Affairsprofessional.MybiggestfearofbeingateacherandbeingaStudentAffairsprofessional

ismakingamistake.Imafraidofhavingaheightenedawarenessandresponsibilityofbeingan

advocateforstudentswithdisabilitiesthatImightstilloffendormakeamistakethatwould

makeastudentfeelinferior.However,duetothereadings,IhavelearnedthatIwillmostlikely

makemistakes,andIwillbevulnerable.AsaStudentAffairsprofessionalitisimportantto

recognizeyourmistakesinsteadofhopingitwillgounnoticedandapologizingwhenneeded.To

createaninclusivecampus,whileitmaybetrialanderror,Iwanttocreateacommunitythatis

preparedforanyindividualthatcomesoncampus,disabilityornot.Recognizingnegativeand

positivelanguagebetweenastudentandpracticingappropriatecommunicationstrategiesis

importantforaninclusivecampus.Throughthisclass,Ihavelearnedthatalotofinformation

getslostbetweenthetransitionofhighschoolandcollege.Ihavehighlyconsideredworkingin

collegeaccess,andhelpingbepartoftheStudentAffairsprofessionalsthatfillthatgapduring

thetransition.AsaStudentAffairsprofessional,IaskmyselfwhatcanIdotocreateaninclusive

campus.Preparingmystudentsbeforecollegewithtoolssuchasselfadvocacy,adequate

informationaboutcollegecampuses,theiruniversalinstructionaldesign,oruniversaldesignto
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campusaccesswillbefactorsinlookingatuniversities.Thiswillhelpcreateauniversalcampus

forindividualswithdisabilitiesseekinghighereducation.Whiletheexpectationisforall

campusestobeinclusive,Iwillbetheallybeforethestudentstepsoncampus,having

expectationsofuniversaldesignandthedisabilityserviceoffices.Aninclusivecampusbegins

withbeingprepared,notscramblingtoaccommodatestudents.Iplantobethestepbefore

studentsreachcampus,sothestudentdoesnotfeeltheuniversityisscramblingtoaccommodate

theirdisability.Ihopetheyfeelthattheinstitutionwaspreparedandequippedtoaccommodate

theirdisability,makingthecampusaninclusivesetting.

Overall,Ibelievethatthereisanabundanceoflearningtostillbedoneandimplemented

foruniversaldesignandcommunicationtobethenormateveryinstitution.However,ifevery

StudentAffairsprofessionalhastheexpectationofUniversalDesignandpropercommunication

andisanadvocateandallyforstudentswithdisabilities,Ibelievewehaveachancetomove

forwardinHigherEducation.