Strengths (Learning Outcomes 2, 4, 3 & 5; Artifacts B, D, F & E) For my integrative theme, I chose to highlight my desire to serve as a connector for

students and peers to find the resources necessary to accomplish ones goals. I wanted to highlight this theme as an overarching framework for my strengths because, through my reflection, I noticed that I am constantly trying to connect my peers and students with the network of resources I have with the knowledge I have obtained throughout this program and beyond. Through my various areas of involvement on the national, local, and institutional levels I have found connection to be most applicable. Learning Outcome 2, Artifacts G & D Prior to the SDA program, I understood Student Affairs from an undergraduate student perspective as I had previously attended SU prior to coming to the SDA program. I was involved in various offices of Student Affairs but my knowledge of them was limited to only a select few offices. It was not until I joined the SDA program that I learned of the various areas of Student Affairs, their function, and how I could work with those offices to understand students and student issues (LO 2). Following the recommendation of my mentor, I knew that if I returned to SU I would need to hold a graduate assistantship within a department that would be the most uncomfortable for me and that department was Housing & Residence Life (HRL). Through my graduate assistantship I was able to connect my interest in Learning Communities and my academic curiosity with first-generation college students through both my Artifact G as well as Artifact D. For Artifact G I was able to research first-generation college students and their experiences with Learning Communities on the SU campus in order to further influence my practice. For Artifact D, I was able to present on this research. With the knowledge I had gained, I was able to articulate and advocate for more accessible and inclusive programs and environments for first-generation college students and have also been able to utilize such

theoretical foundations such as Chickerings Theory of Identity Development (1969 & 1963) as well as Pope, Reynolds & Muellers Model of Multicultural Competence (2004) to build upon my foundation of theory to practice. In the future I hope to continue to grow in understanding students and their issues by staying up to date on news within higher education while also specifically focusing on underrepresented students as they are a key population I desire to have my focus on. Learning Outcome 4, Artifacts B & J As I draw upon my strength in LO 4, understanding and fostering diversity, justice and a sustainable world formed by a global perspective and Jesuit Catholic tradition, I reflect on my familiarity prior to the SDA program. I had fallen in love with the Jesuit Catholic pedagogy at SU as an undergraduate and I wanted to continue to grow under this pedagogy that enforced reflection, education, intentionality, and social justice. I was able to incorporate research and presentation on these values through my lesson plan I collaboratively created with my peers in conjunction with SDAD 578 and the SU Youth Initiative (Artifact J). Prior to the SDA program, I had thought that I would get a strong foundation of Jesuit Catholic curriculum only from the SDA program but I soon found out that this pedagogy was not limited to curriculum alone as HRL also played a large part in this development. Utilizing my Jesuit Catholic foundation, Kolbs theory of Experiential Learning (1984) and Schlossbergs theory of Marginality and Mattering (1989) I am able to promote inclusive communities and encourage learning for the SUYI student leaders. Through my co-curricular work on recruitment efforts with the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program (NUFP) Committee at SU, I have been able to practice connecting underrepresented students with the resources to explore the field of Student Affairs

through guidance and mentorship. As seen in my Artifact B, in the future I would like to continue to serve as a resource for my students, especially those of underrepresented backgrounds. Learning Outcome 3, Artifact F & B Prior to the SDA program, I was unsure of what career was and who I was as a paraprofessional. I had explored a potential career in law and non-profit leadership but both experiences left me dispassionate in my career path. Upon entering the SDA program I finally began to feel purpose and find passion in the work I was doing as I was able to focus on research that aligned with my passion, such as my salient identity of being a first-generation college student, and was able to share this knowledge and passion with my students and peers. I can now identify and articulate my passion in this field as well as exhibit professional integrity and ethical leadership in my professional practice (LO 3). Artifact F showcases this LO from the eyes of my supervisor and coworker. My development in this LO may also be seen through my personal and professional mission statements (Artifact B). As I look toward the future in my development of this LO I hope to continue to develop my mission statements yearly and ask for letters of promise from those I work with to gather evidence of my growth and areas of improvement. Learning Outcome 5 & 9, Artifact E Lastly, I find that I have grown in LO 5, adapting student services to specific environments, as well as LO 9, understanding issues surrounding law, policy, finance and governance. Prior to my attendance in the SDA program my knowledge of higher education was limited to SU as I spent all four years of my undergraduate experience there. However, once I had sought internships for my SDA course I was able to establish a foundational knowledge of the University of Washingtons (UW) Ethnic Cultural Center as I have worked to connect with

underrepresented students there. After collaborating with the academic advisor of their college bridge program, I learned that the students in that program were feeling lesser than their peers because they needed a college bridge program to get into the UW. With this information, I utilized Yossos theory to present a powerpoint presentation on the various areas of capital these students had but may not have been aware of (Artifact E). I took a similar approach with my internship at the University of Hawaii at Manoa where I had to familiarize myself with the campus climate and political infrastructure. Lastly, my co-curricular involvement as a graduate representative in the Graduate Associate Program with NASPA has continued to be an opportunity I use to connect my fellow graduate peers to the services available locally, nationally, and within the institution to promote research, conference attendance, as well as NASPA and institutional involvement. I hope to continue this effort in the professional years to come.