My love for connection and creativity defines my practice. I entered the field of higher education due to my experience as an orientation leader, where I was able to help students navigate Boston College. Specifically, it was so wonderful to connect with students and align them with the campus community, especially as someone who, in my time as an undergraduate, often felt at the margins of conventional campus life. Attending a predominantly white institution, as a queer, neurodivergent, mixed-race woman, I felt especially pulled to guide students who may not always feel a sure sense of belonging in institutions of whiteness. This began my drive to find creative solutions for age-old problems and question the status quo of institutions and institutional processes.
During my current position at the Robsham Theater Arts Center, the project I am most proud of is revamping our student show season to increase access to our space. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the core of my values. In this new student process, I have created an application process that eliminates structural barriers for new and diverse student groups to present shows in our limited spaces. I am always looking for ways to improve existing programs to increase efficiency and accessibility, and I bring this to all aspects of my work. My ability to work directly with students throughout this process and then have a say in how the process is changed has allowed me to become a dedicated advisor to creative-minded students. As I implemented this change, I was met with resistance, which made sense, as the institution is deeply rooted in tradition and comfort in the way things have always been. I hope to be an incredible advocate for change, prioritizing student voices and being able to listen and collaborate with those resistant or hesitant to change (J. Rios, personal communication, November 20, 2023).
My main competency of focus is advising and supporting, which is always influenced by the social justice and inclusion competency. As a pillar of my practice, I aim to guide students in making sense of their college journey. Student leaders are developing a sense of self and purpose, and as an advisor, I will be there to support them through their growth (Dunkel, 2017). As I work with students who are leaders in the arts, I plan to support their activities and passions as well as the mental wellness of student leaders. College is a time of discovery, and I want to guide students with souls like mine, drawn to creation and leadership. My ultimate goal is to advocate for student agency and self-authorship in creative endeavors, though that may manifest in varying functional areas (ACPA & NASPA, 2015). Working in arts centers, within student engagement, and specifically working with LGBTQ+ students are all places where I feel my skills are best suited and where I find the most connection and impact.
As a queer woman of color, I will work to ensure that LGBTQ+ students, students of color, and women feel a sense of belonging in higher education spaces. As social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts are seen as the top areas of anticipated increased responsibility for student affairs professionals, I am dedicated to furthering my knowledge and dedication to marginalized communities to improve my practice (NASPA, 2022). I will always fiercely advocate for those pushed to the margins, and my ability to make myself available as a mentor will make marginalized students feel comfortable looking to me as someone who can guide them through their journey. Centering my own identity in my practice can generate strong connections and increased understanding of students with similar experiences (Ardoin, 2020; Havlik et al., 2023).
My ownership of my creativity and desire to connect helps me aid students. My values of creativity, connection, and adaptability will guide my career. By working with students with similar interests, I lean on my empathy and connection to engage. Especially having a college experience altered by COVID-19, I learned firsthand the importance of meeting students’ needs come what may. With unpredictability around every corner, a student affairs professional needs to be able to adjust at a moment’s notice and be prepared for crisis situations both on the large and small scale. Over the course of my career, I hope to empower passionate students to grow in leadership and their lives. Eventually, I hope to guide other student affairs professionals in their work with students, and run a department with a strong culture of care. With a fighting spirit and a drive to help students from all backgrounds thrive, I will be a positive force in higher education.
References
ACPA & NASPA, (2015). ACPA & NASPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Practitioners.
Ardoin, S. (2020). “Engaging Students of Color” In Quaye, M.N., Harper, S.R., & Pendakur, S.L. (Eds.), Student Engagement in Higher Education: Theoretical Perspectives and Practical Approaches for Diverse Populations (3rd ed.) Routledge.
Dunkel, N.W., & Chrystal-Green, N.E. (2017). Advising Student Organizations. In Schuh, J.H.,
Jones, S.R., and Torres, V. (Eds.). Student Services: A Handbook for the Profession (6th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Havlik, S., Malott, K., Wheatcroft, J., & Salas, S. (2023). “It was Hard to Prepare without Knowing What I was Preparing for”: Latine Youth Experiences of a First-Generation College-Going Group. Professional School Counseling (27:1a), (1-11). DOI: 10.1177/2156759X231155167
NASPA (2022). The Compass Report: Charting the Future of Student Affairs.
Rios, J. (2023, November 20). Personal communication [Class interview].
Emma Roney 