Running head: IMPLICATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Implications for Professional Practice

Jacob A. Hartz
Seattle University
Portfolio
Erica K. Yamamura, Ph. D.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Implications for Professional Practice (Learning Outcomes 5, 10; Artifacts A1, A2, D, K)
My professional path throughout the past year and a half in Seattle and in the SDA
program has been informed by many pivotal, transformative experiences. Many of these
experiences were frequently unforeseen, yet I viewed them as necessary and positively
challenging transitions. I have come to understand my ability to navigate these transitions as
central to my development both personally and professionally. The SDA program has inevitably
provided me with the tools and the ability to name my navigation of these experiences as a
professional skill, using reflection as a catalyst for growth and development. Through a
combination of Baxter Magoldas (Evans et al., 2010) self-authorship and Schlossbergs (Evans
et al., 2010) theory of transitions, I have come to establish my professional identity and
ultimately my professional practice through the themes of transitions, adaptation, and reflection.
Transitions (Learning Outcome 10; Artifacts A1, A2)
Outlining my experiences prior to the SDA program, my initial resume (Artifact A1)
clearly depicts a distinct career path into Student Affairs. However, in comparing my current
resume (Artifact A2) to Artifact A1, an obvious transition can be seen through the shift in my
professional practice and focus areas. Given that some of my initial experiences in the SDA
program lacked the development I was seeking, I intentionally identified a professional need to
pursue other developmental experiences outside of higher education. This transition was the first
key dimension in how I inform LO 10, establishing and enhancing professional identity, in that
my ability to assess my experience in the ISC, determine my need for additional mentorship and
training, seek out support from peers and professionals, and lastly draft a strategy to utilize SDA
content in a different professional environment, was utilized to its fullest potential (Evans et al.,
2010, pp. 216-217). I admit my views of myself as a Student Affairs professional were limited to

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my very different public university experiences at the University of California, Santa Cruz. I
have had the privilege of attending both public and private schools and have learned Student
Affairs looks very different in practice at each institution type. Sparked by my challenges
transitioning from UCSC to SU, my interests in working with students moved to a more
corporate environment at McKinstry. The transition into McKinstry granted me the unique
opportunity to practice utilizing new skills, abilities, and knowledge in working with students
through a collegiate internship program. Artifact A2 highlights this transition and begins to
establish the second dimension of informing LO 10; I have learned to love working with students
in nontraditional environments, particularly as they transition out of higher education.
Adaptation (Learning Outcome 5; Artifact D)
Embarking on the transition from higher education to a corporate setting immediately
posed as a barrier in utilizing SDA course content. My Internship in Student Development
Administration (SDAD 564) presentation (Artifact D1) on McKinstry allowed me to share my
experiences on navigating LO 5, adapting student services to specific environments and cultures.
To date, my most developmental experience has been learning to adapt theoretical frameworks
and implementing programmatic elements such as networking events for students in McKinstrys
Collegiate Internship Program. Prior to this experience, my professional needs and focus area
seemed rather lost in the sense that I was uncomfortable with where I was in the program as well
as losing sight of my interests in Student Affairs. However, my new professional experiences
allowed me to take on a new ownership of my initial interests and become the author of my
experience in the SDA program by adapting my prior experiences from UCSC and the content
learned in the SDA program to a new unique environment (Evans et al., 2010). Artifact D1
attempts to showcase my use of student development theory, particularly Schlossbergs (Evans et

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al., 2010) transition theory, in implementing various trainings, mentorship, and activities at
McKinstry through an internship program, allowing students to easily transition into a corporate
environment from school. I intentionally developed Artifact D1 to demonstrate my newfound
passion and identified focus area, working with students in transition, particularly out of school.
Additionally, I am fortunate enough to have had mentors ease my transitions throughout my
growth and development. I am content in saying much of my professional practice has been
grounded in Learning Outcome 5, in the sense that I am beginning to holistically enhance my
identity as a professional by exploring opportunities to work with students outside of higher
education.
Reflection (Learning Outcome 10; Artifact K1)
My work outside of higher education has been difficult to make sense of at times, given I
am traversing a professional path that is fairly foreign to both my past experiences and the SDA
program. My Portfolio Process Assessment Reflection (Artifact K1) lead me to phase four of
Baxter Magoldas (2001) self authorship, in that through critical reflection of my experiences in
the SDA program, I have reached an internal foundation and sense of contentment around my
development (in Evans et al., 2010). The variance of personal and professional experiences and
transitions in the SDA program demanded a sound reflection of key takeaways and future
directions. Artifact K1 touches on learning to be comfortable with my professional direction,
and to integrate the tools and knowledge provided by the SDA program into whichever
professional environment I find myself in. My unfamiliarity with reflection upon entering the
program often caused confusion and some discomfort. However, learning to incorporate
reflection into my daily personal and professional experiences is the last key dimension of LO
10; I have learned more about myself as a professional by being mindful of my experiences and

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their meanings. Through reflection I am able to better make sense of what the SDA program has
meant to me, as well as how to use the skills I have gained to support my professional focus. I
can confidently say that despite my initial difficulties, I am exiting the SDA program with a
stronger sense of my personal and professional identities and where they are currently best
utilized.

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References
Baxter Magolda, M. (2008). Baxter Magoldas theory of self-authorship. In Evans, N. J., Forney,
D. S., Guido, F., Patton, L.D., & Renn, K.A. (Eds.). Student development in college:
Theory, research, and practice. 2nd Edition. (pp. 183-192). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Schlossberg, N. (1984). Schlossbergs Transition Theory. In Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., Guido,
F., Patton, L.D., & Renn, K.A. (Eds.). Student development in college: Theory, research,
and practice. 2nd Edition. (pp. 260-261). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.