Capstone

 Synthesis  Paper       1  

Capstone  Synthesis  Paper    

Nicolas  Babarskis  

Florida  State  University    

EDH  530  –  Capstone  in  Higher  Education    

Dr.  Kathy  Guthrie    

   
Capstone  Synthesis  Paper       2  

Capstone  Synthesis  Paper  

  In  thinking  about  the  most  significant  types  of  knowledge  and  information  I  

have  gained  while  enrolled  at  Florida  State  University  my  mind  immediately  drifts  

back  to  the  tenants  that  were  pushed  to  me  as  the  core  mission  of  the  HESA  

programing.  Transferring  theory  and  academic  reflection  into  practice.    I  don’t  

believe  that  this  mission  encompasses  any  specific  subject  of  knowledge,  but  

represents  an  ethos  and  philosophy  of  practice  ingrained  in  me  through  the  past  

two  years.    

  The  most  valuable  knowledge  I’ve  received  from  the  program  has  been  

related  to  vocabulary  and  knowledge  communities/centers.  Librarians  frequently  

talk  about  “teaching  students  how  to  fish.”  This  concept  relates  to  showing  students  

how  to  access  information  as  opposed  to  simply  giving  them  the  information  they  

need.  Through  my  assistantship  and  classroom  experiences  I  have  both  been  

exposed  to  a  vast  amount  of  new  information  and  taught  where  the  reservoirs  are  in  

which  I  can  find  more.      

  This  past  March  I  participated  in  the  NASPA  cast  study  competition  for  

graduate  students  and  new  professionals.  It  was  an  enlightening  and  empowering  

experience.  Had  I  known  when  I  signed  up  for  the  competition  that  it  would  occur  

during  the  same  time  frame  I  would  be  participating  in  The  Placement  Exchange  I  

would  have  never  agreed  to  the  endeavor.  However,  once  our  names  were  known  

there  was  not  backing  out  and  my  partner  and  I  resolved  to  tackle  the  case  head  on.    

  The  case  study  required  a  synthesis  of  development  theory  and  best  practice.  

We  quickly  realized  we  could  authoritatively  speak  to  both  requirements.  Our  

Student  Development  Theory  class  with  Dr.  Cox  taught  us  how  to  creatively  apply  
Capstone  Synthesis  Paper       3  

theory  to  everyday  life.  I  recall  our  pop  culture  assignment,  which  required  us  to  

take  the  tenants  and  principles  of  specific  development  theories  and  apply  them  to  

storylines  found  in  the  media.    

When  it  came  to  applying  best  practice  I  immediately  thought  of  my  day  to  

day  interactions  with  students  and  professionals.  I’ve  been  given  incredible  

opportunities  through  my  housing  assistantship  to  work  closely  with  students  and  

push  them  to  grow.  I’ve  also  had  a  chance  to  apprentice  underneath  the  guidance  of  

competent  and  seasoned  professionals  that  have  challenged  me  to  temper  my  

idealism  and  academic  acumen  with  pragmatism  and  a  commitment  to  finding  what  

works.    

In  thinking  about  the  specific  skills,  abilities  and  strengths  that  have  marked  

my  development  at  FSU  I  turn  to  a  deepening  of  my  intellectual  curiosity,  the  

confidence  to  address  potentially  serious  crisis  situations,  and  continued  refining  of  

my  communication  skills.  Every  class  of  my  Masters  program  has  been  like  opening  

a  bottomless  treasure  box  of  intellectual  discovery  and  intrigue.  Broadly,  my  

intellectual  curiosity  has  pushed  toward  the  themes  in  higher  education  research  of  

student  development  theory,  higher  education  public  policy,  and  proper  assessment  

and  evaluation.    

I  was  a  confident  critical  thinker  before  my  arrival  at  FSU.  My  liberal  arts  

education  taught  me  the  value  of  finding  wide  streams  of  information  in  which  to  

bathe.  My  classes  and  instructors  at  FSU  taught  me  the  value  of  diving  deep  and  

truly  understanding  a  topic  before  jumping  into  dialogue.  I  recall  specifically  my  

Public  Policy  in  higher  education  class  with  Dr.  David  Tandberg  and  how  he  pushed  

me  to  keep  returning  to  the  library  for  more  data.  There  was  always  more  to  learn  
Capstone  Synthesis  Paper       4  

and  context  to  add  to  my  arguments  and  conclusions.  It  is  good  to  have  a  thought  on  

a  topic,  it’s  better  to  have  data  and  research  to  back  up  your  opinions.      

My  “on  the  job”  experiences  have  given  me  a  new  found  confidence  in  my  

ability  to  step  into  vulnerable  moments  and  support  students.  My  housing  

assistantship  included  a  crash  course  in  dealing  with  the  creative  ways  students  get  

themselves  into  “trouble”  (I  mean  this  not  judgmentally,  but  a  good  number  have  

experienced  some  pretty  serious  consequences  for  decisions  they  made  casually).    I  

wouldn’t  have  dreamed  I  could  face  some  of  the  chaotic  circumstances  I’ve  been  

asked  to  weigh  in  on  or  address.  It  was  only  by  walking  through  these  experiences  

and  hours  upon  hours  of  processing  with  colleagues  and  supervisors  that  I  was  able  

to  apply  meaning  and  integrate  them  into  my  larger  professional  evolution.  At  times  

this  profession  asks  us  to  take  a  deep  breath  and  wade  into  pain  or  uncertainty,  my  

assistantship  has  given  me  the  confidence  to  know  I  can  do  so.    

My  FSU  experiences  have  continued  to  hone  my  ability  to  speak  clearly,  

concisely,  and  authoritatively.  My  peers,  supervisors,  and  instructors  have  all  

remarked  that  I  have  ideas  worth  sharing.  This  program  has  taught  me  the  value  of  

intentionally  tailoring  my  remarks  to  the  intended  audience.  The  group  presentation  

projects,  whether  from  Diversity  in  Higher  Education,  Student  Development  Theory,  

or  American  College  Student  have  taught  me  the  importance  of  finding  common  

themes  and  shared  values  within  the  ideas  I  would  like  to  share.  Many  of  our  

presentations  required  that  we  limit  ourselves  to  specific  time  frames.  This  has  

taught  me  the  value  of  being  concise  in  my  sharing  ideas.  Good  ideas  shouldn’t  be  

conveyed  through  boring  rambling.  Learning  the  value  of  remaining  succinct  will  

remain  a  huge  asset  moving  forward  in  my  professional  life.    

Capstone  Synthesis  Paper       5  

Being  in  this  Master  program  has  opened  up  a  completely  new  avenue  of  

vocabulary  meant  for  application  in  my  professional  work.  My  primary  reason  for  

seeking  a  Masters  like  FSU’s  was  that  I  knew  my  ability  to  facilitate  student  growth  

was  limited  by  my  lack  of  knowledge.  Student  Development  theory,  and  the  readings  

and  communities  of  knowledge  it  exposed  me  too  have  transformed  my  

understanding  of  how  students  evolve  in  college  and  how  I  play  a  role  in  that  

process.  I  have  also  learned  an  incredible  amount  about  what  it  means  to  be  a  

professional  within  the  field.    

When  I  started  this  program  I  wasn’t  able  to  articulate  what  it  truly  means  to  

be  a  professional  in  student  affairs.  I  certainly  brought  a  lot  of  aptitude  into  my  roles  

at  FSU,  but  there  was  a  lack  of  understanding  about  what  it  means  to  work  on  a  

large  team  within  a  complex  organization.  I  think  of  the  NASPA/ACPA  competencies  

related  to  organizational  resources  or  assessment,  evaluation  and  research.  I  had  

little  understanding  of  how  these  were  applied  in  everyday  work.  In  the  classroom,  

my  class  on  diversity  in  higher  education  was  incredibly  meaningful  in  shaping  how  

I  help  students  pursue  a  coherent  identity.    

I  came  from  the  cocoon  of  having  attended  and  then  worked  at  religiously  

affiliated  institutions.  These  were  protestant  institutions  that  put  a  priority  on  the  

development  of  a  student  identity  that  was  enmeshed  with  the  religious  identity  of  

the  institution.  Spiritual  and  student  development  were  closely  aligned  and  

entwined.  These  institutions  took  the  burden  of  shaping  students  with  specific  

identity  commitments  very  seriously.    

My  understanding  of  student  identity  development  has  shifted  radically  since  

my  entrance  into  this  program.  Institutions  should  be  involved  in  shaping  student  
Capstone  Synthesis  Paper       6  

identity  formation  but  my  experiences  in  Diversity  of  Higher  Education,  Student  

Development  Theory,  and  Student  Personnel  Work  in  Higher  Education  have  

changed  my  understanding  of  the  prominence  of  the  institution  in  shaping  the  

identity  process.  Students  should  be  the  primary  engines  of  identity  development.  

Well  resources  institutions  work  best  when  they  provide  students  the  opportunity  

to  release  choose  their  own  developmental  opportunities  free  of  institutional  

influence.  This  does  not  mean  that  institutions  shouldn’t  have  stake  in  helping  their  

students  development  certain  perspectives  and  commitments  (e.g.  critical  thinking  

skills,  an  appreciation  of  diverse  perspectives),  but  students  develop  these  

commitments  with  the  most  impact  when  they  aren’t  sensing  an  overburdening  

existential  pressure  to  adopt  these  commitments.    

Much  of  my  initial  work  in  student  affairs  came  from  a  place  of  idealism  in  

regards  to  human  development/human  nature  and  care.  I  would  argue  that  this  is  a  

common  set  of  perspectives  that  many  professionals  bring  into  the  field.    This  

program  has  “aged”  me.  My  hair  is  grayer  and  the  scale  in  my  bathroom  reads  a  

higher  number.  Some  of  this  can  be  chalked  up  to  the  negotiations  in  life  balance  

that  graduate  school  demands.  A  significant  portion  of  this  aging  is  due  to  the  

inherent  complexities  that  come  with  operating  at  a  premiere  student  affairs  

institution  such  as  Florida  State  University.  My  idealism  has  also  been  tempered.  

Institutions  are  complicated,  as  are  the  administrators  that  operate  them.  Being  

realistic  about  the  challenges  that  any  institution  faces  makes  the  bitter  pill  of  

ensuring  institutional  quality  easier  to  swallow.    

I  feel  most  confident  launching  out  in  my  functional  area  of  most  experience,  

housing.  My  assistantship  gave  me  numerous  professional  experiences  and  serving  
Capstone  Synthesis  Paper       7  

“on  duty”  at  FSU  has  given  me  invaluable  experience  in  addressing  the  challenges  of  

being  a  crisis  responder.  I  also  feel  confident  moving  forward  in  deepening  my  

knowledge  in  theory  and  research.  A  Ph.D  program  is  firmly  on  the  horizon.  I  believe  

that  research  is  best  undertaken  when  the  researcher  can  ask  questions  that  come  

from  a  practitioners  standpoint  and  before  I  undertake  a  research  project  I  want  to  

gain  experience  on  the  ground.    

I’m  most  nervous  about  my  ability  to  effectively  balance  my  personal  and  

professional  life.  While  I  have  enjoyed  my  graduate  student  experience  immensely  

I’m  also  spent  in  terms  of  emotional  and  physical  energy.  The  fault  in  reaching  the  

point  of  exhaustion  I  find  myself  at  falls  squarely  on  my  shoulder.  Borrowing  an  

analogy  from  The  Great  Gatsby  I  frequently  feel  that  I  am  in  a  boat  paddling  against  

a  current  I  can  barely  overcome.  If  I  am  to  truly  flourish  in  this  field,  I  MUST  find  an  

appropriate  balance  between  professional  excellence  and  personal  thriving.    

I  had  little  doubt  that  my  experiences  while  enrolled  at  Florida  State  

University  would  have  a  major  impact  on  my  life.  This  impact  could  best  be  

described  as  a  deepening  and  honing.  I  am  MORE  of  who  I  was  before  I  entered  this  

program.  The  HESA  program  has  taken  those  qualities  (positive  and  negative)  that  I  

recognized  as  distinctive  of  who  I  was  and  “turned  up  the  volume”  on  these  

attributes.  I  firmly  believe  the  next  two  years  will  include  figuring  out  how  to  fully  

integrate  my  experiences  into  a  coherent  and  complete  narrative.  I  look  forward  to  

this  process.