Fall Quarter Reflections

Today in RA class we read "Reflections from the Semester Past...Starting the Second Semester Strong"  by Jenn Thorpe, Director of Residence Life, Chestnut Hill College.  As the quarter winds down, I have been reflecting on my successful programs, challenging incidents, and many learning experiences.  In this article there is a list of 15 questions I used to ask myself how I'm doing as an R.A.  In our RA class I was asked to pick one point in which I excel at and one point in which I need to improve upon.  I can confidently say that "I feel I show the residents I have genuine care/concern for them".  I take the time to visit my two floors of residents at least once a week.  I use this time to bring them treats I baked while checking up on them to create a positive connection with my residents.  Hopefully, when I knock on their door and they see me, they remember me as the RA who takes the time to do something extra for them.

I take the time to make extra visits to my residents and plan interactive programs because I enjoy seeing the connections and feeling a sense of pride in my community.  However, I do have to remember to "do my job as a resident assistant and still have a social life".  Dedicating time to my residents comes naturally because I live beside them, but I have been learning to consciously make time for my friends outside of my community and myself.  I am taking this evening to relax and focus on my needs after a busy and tough week as an R.A.  I'm a resident too!

The Longest Journey

I am applying to University of San Diego's M.A. in Higher Education Leadership and I planned a trip to their campus to attend an information session and sit-in on a graduate class.  The stars seemed to align just for me in preparation of my trip.  My class at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday was cancelled and I had no school on Friday because of Veteran’s Day.  Brittany, my friend lives in San Marcos, just 30 minutes away from USD, so I planned on meeting up with her afterwards and spending the night.  

According to the directions on Google maps, my GPS and friends who have driven to San Diego from Cal Poly Pomona, it should have taken me around 2 hours to get to San Diego.  Just in case, I decided to leave by 2:00 p.m. so that I would have 3 and a half hours to get there in time for my information session at 5:30 p.m.  However, someone decided that my will power needed to be challenged during this trip and traffic was horrendous.  Unknown to me at the time, there was a Chargers game in the stadium off the 5 freeway in San Diego and it took me four hours to finally get off the freeway.  It was dark, I was already late for my information session, and I had gotten off the freeway early to avoid the traffic.  Needless to say I was worried and disappointed that my plans were not going smoothly.  I finally decided to pull over to call my supervisor from San Diego to get a better idea of how to get to USD.  Together we finally figured out that my GPS was correct and it was still about 30 minutes away via side streets.  

I finally arrived at the information session late, but I was not the only one as a result of the traffic.  Even though my journey getting there was not the most ideal, I had finally arrived and I decided to make it count. I talked to a faculty member for the program after the information session and sat in on the Leadership and Organizational Change graduate class.  This class was truly hands on as the students created their own organization and worked on a project which encompassed several organizational theories and the "occupy" movement around social justice and change.  As part of their project, the class is involving the community through a "Occupy ?" Facebook and blog and closing with a meditation/prayer event.  I was inspired by the passion behind this learning process and I could envision myself as a graduate student in USD's program taking that class.  

Seeking Independence

The dynamic of teamwork and friendship seems to be consistent throughout Residential Life because it's important to have a good relationship with those in your community, including your co-workers.  There is a balance between professionalism and personal connection with my coworkers, but sometimes I have to remind myself about the second part.  I can't forget that life does not have to be so serious all the time!  Sometimes I still have to remind myself that I'm not Super Woman, even though I would like to be invincible.

This epiphany came about after having some much needed one-on-one time with my Assistant Hall Coordinator and friend, Bernadette.  We talked about the struggles we have both faced as young women who have grown during our college experiences while still being viewed as only daughters through our parents eyes.  We both recognize the love and care that comes from our parents concerns but we also both identify with the frustrations that come along with being only daughters.  I am so grateful for living on campus at Cal Poly Pomona because it has given me the opportunity to become extremely involved and gain some independence.   As an undergraduate I have mostly put myself through college with loans and working at University Housing Services, in addition to some supplementary help with books from my parents.  At the same time, I am grateful for my parents who are still a 45 minute drive away and willing to help me when I turn to them.  

However, as a 21 year old graduating senior applying to graduate schools I have come to the realization that I need to take the next step as frightening as it may seem.  This is a really complicated situation to explain to anyone who is not in my shoes, but I am both scared and determined to grow more independent.  I am seriously looking at a range of graduate programs for Student Affairs and Higher Education.  Some are commuting distance, some are farther away in California, and some are out-of-state.  In order for me to build more independence and to diversify my experience in graduate school, I need to go just a little bit farther away from home.  I realize that I need to leave my comfort zone and actively seek the adventures I have always dreamed to take.  

Once again, I remember another reason I want to work with students, specifically residents, on a college campus. I want to provide them with a similar growth experience that I was able to attain while living on-campus and going to college.  I would not be the woman I am to today and aspire to become, if it were not for all of the mentors and experiences in college.   

Western Regional Careers in Student Affairs Day

I recently attended the Western Regional Careers in Student Affairs Day at USC with a group of Cal Poly Pomona students and professional staff members!  Thank you University Housing Services and Reyes Luna, Associate Director for Residence Life, for supporting student leaders like myself and funding the trip to this amazing conference! It was exactly what I needed to regain momentum and inspiration during my process of researching and applying for graduate programs in Higher Education and Student Affairs!

Before attending the conference I thought I had my mind set on a couple of  programs for Higher Education here in Southern California, but this conference made me aware of the variety and range of programs available throughout California as well as throughout the United States.  I was able to learn more about the programs in the CSU system I had previously researched including the programs at Fullerton, Long Beach, and Northridge, while also discovering programs I had previously disregarded because of financial concerns such as University of San Diego and Oregon State University.

I learned that private schools as well as out-of-state schools should still be on my radar because there are opportunities for scholarships and assistantships which can pay for some or even all of the cost of attending graduate school!  It can't hurt to apply because I have always wanted to travel and broaden my understanding of the world around me. Why not travel while continuing my education at the same time?

This conference also helped me make connections with faculty and graduate students at CSU Fullerton, CSU Long Beach, and the University of San Diego.  These were just a few of the programs with representation at the graduate fair during the conference, but I was grateful to make a special connection which each of the programs at the schools listed above.  As a result of these connections, I am attending several information sessions in the near future at these universities and am talking with several faculty members about the opportunity to sit in on graduate classes!  I am so excited to attend my first information session and hopefully sit-in on part of a graduate class next week at the beautiful University of San Diego and learn more about their M.A. in Higher Education Leadership/Student Affairs!