2018 NASPA Annual Conference

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Learning domains: Personal & Professional development, Education, and Social Justice & Advocacy

Description: On Sunday, March 4th to Wednesday, March 7th I attended the 2018 NASPA Annual Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During this conference student affairs professionals from all six regions met to network and learn about the current trends and best practices for higher education. This was also the 100th anniversary of the annual conference and NASPA engaged participants through featured speakers and educational sessions. Networking opportunities allowed me to meet student affairs professionals from other institutions across the United States. I also was selected to participate in the New Professional and Graduate Student Knowledge Community’s Millennial Motivators track where I discussed my experiences being a Millennial and discussed how to combat stereotypes our generation encounters as well as presented my research with other student affairs practitioners.

Term: Spring 2018

Learning Outcomes:

1. SWiBAT engage with conference activities and relate them to both personal and professional goals

2. SWiBAT develop community among conference participants.

Assessment Rubric: Please click image to view PDF.

Reflection

I would rate myself as competent for SLO #1 because I attended several, more meaningful sessions than previous conferences which allowed me to be more reflective in the sessions I did attend. One of my professional goals was to present research at an annual conference which I was able to do with my research team at the Innovation Station. We discussed how market research technology has the potential to be used for assessment in higher education. More specifically, students would be able to download an app to capture video, audio, and photos which could serve as evidence for direct learning. For example, study abroad sessions could be assessed before, during, and after their excursions via journal entries as well as the methods above. Presenting research was an accomplishment for me because it was the first time I had done so at a student affairs conference as graduate student.

One of my personal goals was to better understand the experiences with individuals with similar identities, so it was exciting to attend Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor's featured speaker session. Sotomayor discussed that as a Puerto Rican woman or a marginalized individual in general the importance of displaying resilience and working harder than people with more privilege. From my experience, speakers typically stay clear of saying that people from marginalized backgrounds have to work harder, so it was both refreshing and realistic to hear these words from Sotomayor.

I felt validated because although it can be more difficult to move up the ladder as a woman of color, hard work does pay off and that I am on the right track. Rendon (1994) discusses the importance of validating the experiences of students and how this has the potential to develop the self-efficacy of students and create a sense of belonging by engaging their cultures. Sotomayor’s pivotal message centered on how it does not matter how you get in the door but what you do with it afterwards which I took to understand that it is important to make the most out of the opportunities that we have regardless of how we got there. This relates to my experiences getting into the MSHE program and how I promised myself that I would build relationships as well as take advantage of all the opportunities to ensure my success in this program. It takes a coalition to be successful and I am excited to continuing building my network of individuals that are passionate about creating equitable opportunities for all students, particularly with the implementation of technology.

I would rate myself as advanced for SLO #2 because I created new relationships with several individuals and groups. For example, I volunteered to participate in the NASPA first time attendee mentorship program where I was paired up with an practitioner from Whittier College. We had the opportunity to interact outside of conference activities when she invited me to an informal Women of Color (WOC) lunch meet up. It was inspiring to spend time with other women of color, primarily Latinas, who work full-time in higher education and several of who are simultaneously obtaining their PhD. To be honest, I had never held space with more than one of two women of color who were in the process of completing a PhD in education and it was exciting to see that perhaps that could be me in the future. After our delicious lunch at the mexican restaurant, El Compadre, we enjoyed paletas across the street and I was added to the WOC GroupMe to continue supporting each other virtually. Toward the end of our time together, one WOC suggested that we celebrate the accomplishments of others, and this impacted me because sometimes we forget to acknowledge our wins, no matter the size.

I also shared space with the PinayX group. I saw a Facebook event for a Filipino meet up and decided to swing by before lunch. There was definitely a contrast from how I felt when interacting with Filipinos in undergrad versus now. In undergrad, I felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of Filipinos during a Barkada (Filipino cultural organization) meeting; however, during the coffee meet up I felt proud to own that aspect of my cultural identity especially when we discussed our favorite Filipino foods.

In addition, I met a student affairs professional at a workshop that involved how to engage students and professional who lie in between the introvert-extrovert continuum. Afterwards, I made plans with this individual and we got beef noodle soup later that week. This was an opportunity for me to hear the experiences of a nontraditional student who was very involved in undergrad and “fell into” student affairs work upon graduation.

Evidence

Please view pictures above.

References

Rendón, L. I. (1994). Validating culturally diverse students: Toward a new model of learning and student development. Innovative Higher Education, 19(1), 33-51.