An Introduction to the World of Student Affairs

At the start of this semester I felt behind.  I knew nothing of the Student Affairs world and was thrown into an environment hearing acronyms like NASPA and ACPA.  Who are these people? And why are they on Blogspot and Twitter all the time?  After a few months of struggle and push back I began to understand and it was at the Western Regional Careers in Student Affairs Day that I finally grasped and visibly saw what an amazing network of people the Student Affairs and Higher Education world it.  I went to three different presentations, a Student Affairs Women’s Panel, a Health, Wellness and Student Development discussion, and a “Top Ten To Do’s” as you enter the Student Affairs world.  They were each unique and helpful in there own way, but what I really took from each presentation was the passion and love that each individual had for their career.  They loved the students that they worked with and each brought life and love into what they did.  I, for the first time, saw the range of positions and options available and loved hearing from, and meeting people from other universities.  Stephanie and I had a great time.  A week after this event I had an Informational Interview with Julie Mattingly at CSUSM and that sparked even more interest in this field.  She has a lot on her plate at that University but it was nice to hear her story.  How she got to her position. How she balances her family with her work.  How she started down the Student Affairs path.  How she handles obstacles and manages the politics of a large, new institution.  She gave me a brief tour of the school, which I have never visited before, and spoke to me about how I should diversify my experience from a Private Catholic institution.  Overall it was a very positive and memorable experience. I hope to do more of these in the future.  

I now understand what all the excitement is about and although I am not as up to par with Twitter and Blogspot as I one day hope to be, it is a constant learning experience. I now have the motivation I need to get there.