You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.” –Dr. Seuss: Kathryn Hogan

Confidence is the name of the game this week! We all have what it takes to land that new job, make a connection with a powerful director, or even to attend a session that is far from our comfort zone! Behind the fun rhymes of Dr. Seuss are some real words of wisdom and empowerment.

Right now, steering myself in the direction of my choice is extremely important. I will be participating in The Placement Exchange 2010, as I prepare to leave The Florida State University and embark on my first professional position within the field of Student Affairs. I will be searching for residence life positions, and know that I have a ton of great competition for opportunities. However, Dr. Seuss reminds me that I have what it takes. I have brains in my head, after all!

I am excited to be in Chicago next week, for I am not only participating in TPE but also will be lucky enough to attend conference sessions! Learning from those in the field is an invaluable experience. Professional development at every level is important and necessary. As a graduate student, I act like a sponge, soaking up every bit of wisdom and knowledge that I can from those around me!

Remember, when you start to doubt yourself…

“Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting… so get on your way!”

I’ve Gotta Feeling: Rod Kelley

Sorry if the title put you in the mood for “The Black Eyed Peas.” Fun song, but not the focus of today’s post.

Riddle me this… Until I am measured, I am not known, yet how you miss me, when I have flown.

What am I?

If you’re still stumped, the answer is what we all seek more of: time. A whirlwind of change has happened since the time of my last post until now. My institution hosted the 20^th annual Jon C. Dalton Institute on College Student Values, I co-presented a session on “Impacting Graduate Student Development through the Growth of Undergraduate Student Leaders “at the Association of Student Conduct Administration (ASCA) annual conference, and I secured a job as the next Associate Director for the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities at Florida State University!

And at some point, I also went to class :-).

This is it! Chicago Here We Come: Tammy Hong

It’s finally here! In less than a week, student affairs administrators from across the world will be gathering together for the annual TPE/NASPA 2010 Conference. I can’t wait! I’m super excited and looking forward to meeting new people, and catching up with familiar faces. The conference sessions look to be promising, and Chicago is more than ready for us. Don’t forget to also check out Chicago as well, take time out for yourself, volunteer, and have fun!! 🙂

Have you had a chance to read about the other bloggers and their experiences on this site? They are just absolutely amazing!! I am excited for the undergraduates who will be graduating and pursuing student affairs. For the second years like myself, best of luck in your job search!! 🙂

Finding my Pathways: Nontalie Morrow

My name is Nontalie Morrow and I am a junior at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia. I am majoring in Psychology and Spanish and I plan to go to graduate school and pursue a career in student affairs.

I was introduced to NASPA by a few of my advisors and was encouraged to apply for NUFP. When I was accepted, my mentor strongly encouraged me to go to the annual conference. This unforgettable experience would be extremely valuable for my development as a student interested in the field. I have gone to several conferences with other organizations on campus so I knew there would not be any drawbacks to attending; plus I have always wanted to visit Chicago and this was the perfect opportunity.

Preparing for the Windy City: Lee Longhorn

Hensci! My name is Lee Longhorn. I’m a senior at the University of Oklahoma studying Native American Studies and Journalism-Professional Writing. I’m a member of the Muscgoee (Creek) Nation and descendant of the Seminole, Shawnee, Delaware, Sac & Fox, Seneca-Cayuga, Wyandotte, and Onondoga Tribal Nations. I’m a NUFP Fellow and my mentor is Dr. Heather Shotton. I hope to attend graduate school and study Adult & Higher Education witha focus in college student development and student affairs.

It’s hard to believe that in the middle of my spring semester, right when my midterm projects, summer internship paperwork, and planning for the fall semester are due, I’ll be traveling to Chicago, Illinois to attend the 2010 NASPA Conference. I’m very excited and can’t wait to meet with many student affairs professionals and to learn more about the exciting world of student affairs. After I attended the Multicultural Institute in Dallas last month, I learned more in those three days that I was there than in any class or one-on-one study session with my mentor.

Lights, Camera, Action…Free Registration!

So, I leave for the NASPA Annual Conference and The Placement Exchange in exactly one week, and there are still so many things to do. No, it isn’t that I need the added urgency of things being around the corner to motivate…ok…maybe it is a little, but there are just so many details that go into planning an annual conference of over 4500 registrants and a placement event with almost 1100 candidates…

Last minute assignments of TPE tables, printing off of employer and candidate name badges, packing up and shipping out the NASPA office (video coming soon), finalizing the presenters for the first ever national Student Affairs Leaders of Tomorrow Conference, giving you a free Conference Registration to the annual conference in Philadelphia. Wait, free conference registration?! WHAT?!

Yes. You read me correctly. NASPA is offering three free conference registrations to next years annual conference in Philadelphia. How do you get yourself one of these prizes? Well, submit a photo you took during the Annual Conference by 11:59PM (Eastern) March 17^th to photo@naspa.org with the subject “Chicago Photo Contest.” Make sure to include your name, institution, and which category which picture goes with. The three categories to enter within are “Living the Legacy”, “Being the Movement”, and “Chicago at its Finest.” Because NASPA is its members, photos with people are a plus! Please note individuals are only able to submit one photo per category, and that all submissions NASPA may use in its future publications.

NASPA members will have two weeks to vote online for  their favorite photos and winners will be announced in the April Forum. If you have any questions at all, feel free to contact me, Nathan Victoria, Assistant Director of Educational Programs and Social Media, at nvictoria@naspa.org. See everyone in a week!

Counting it down, soaking it in: Jodi Ceroky

School resumed two months ago, and as I weigh my graduate school options and finalize my spring schedule, the reality of my impending graduation this May has slowly begun to sink in.  It is a little unnerving how underprepared I have begun to feel about entering the “real world” after years of careful preparation and hard work.  Because of this, I am grateful to be attending the NASPA Annual Conference in Chicago in March and am eager to take advantage of all the opportunities made available to me throughout the week.

My overall goal is to absorb everything and come home with a better sense of who I am as a student of the field and how I want to develop myself as a professional.  I want to learn exactly what the NASPA “legacy” is and what being apart of a student affairs “movement” looks like.  By volunteering at the Placement Exchange, I will have the opportunity to observe the elaborate process of finding a career and standing out in a national pool of candidates.  The NUFP Pre-Conference and SALT Conference will give me the opportunity to meet other Fellows from across the country and hear about their experiences in student affairs.   

I can’t get e-NUFP of NASPA!: Sam Siner

Hi everyone!  My name is Sam Siner, and I am a senior at the University of  Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  I’m applying to several graduate schools in  the area of Higher Education Administration/Student Affairs.  I hope to work  in advising, counseling, student programming, or a related function, and I  may pursue a PhD at some point.  I really enjoy working with  students, helping them to grow as they navigate the challenges of  college.

My goal for attending the NASPA national conference in March is  to develop myself personally and professionally.  I’m really  looking forward to meeting other NUFP fellows, graduate students,  and professional staff from all over the country.  I have  never experienced a professional conference before, so it will be a  learning experience for me.  I intend to take advantage of  professional development opportunities available at the conference.  These  include
the SALT pre-conference program and several sessions, such as Reshaping Undergraduate Education, Upperclass Living-Learning, Bridging  Student and Academic Affairs, The Higher Education Mental Health Alliance, A  Legacy of Criticism, Engaging Student Affairs Staff in Strategic Planning,  Why a Master’s Degree in Student Affairs, and Campus Mental Health  Services.

Networking, Mentoring, and Learning – My Goals to Live the Legacy and Be the Movement: Kim McAloney

My name is Kim McAloney.  I am an Ethnic Studies major at Oregon State University.  I am a social justice minded future student affairs professional!

I am excited about all the professional development and networking opportunities available at NASPA Annual Conference.  I attended NASPA’s Multicultural Institute and not only learned a lot, but made some great connections with both students and professionals.  I am excited for both the known and unknown opportunities that await in Chicago!

Refreshing reflections of a NASPA first-timer: Kim Kushner

To a first-time attendee, the NASPA Annual Conference can seem like an intimidating and challenging experience. However, it can also be one of the most exciting parts of a young professional’s career. I am excited to blog about my anticipation, anxiety, and energy in the months leading up to this conference. Although I often reflect on my personal and professional development for graduate school assignments, this blogging reflection process will be extremely beneficial as I try to sort through the opportunities available for me at this large event. Through this blogging experience, I hope to discover the professional development opportunities afforded to me at NASPA, my goals for attending this conference, and some of the conference sessions I plan to attend. Before I explore these topics any further, let me first introduce myself to this blogging community.

My name is Kim Kushner and I am a second year Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) master’s student at Indiana University. I am originally from Buffalo, NY and graduated from The Ohio State University (OSU) in 2006 with a degree in English and a minor in Spanish. At OSU, I was an active student leader in dance marathon and diversity education programming, and worked as a Resident Advisor for first-year and upperclassmen populations. After graduation, I worked for Hillel: the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life at Princeton University and Indiana University. At Hillel, I was an educator and resource within the two campus communities as I partnered with university offices and community agencies to promote cultural and religious pluralism. As a current HESA student, I work at the IU Student Alumni Association, advising students in large-scale campus events (e.g., Homecoming), career services initiatives, and other leadership development programs. I have also worked at Buffalo State College as the National Orientation Directors Association (NODA) intern, and at StudentVoice as their Graduate Intern.

The aforementioned experiences have shaped who I am as a practitioner, and who I hope to become as a young leader and scholar within the student affairs profession. Through these experiences, I have discovered that my enthusiasm for this profession involves education outside of the classroom and the ability to guide students in achieving their personal, academic, and professional goals. I am passionate about living my life for the betterment of the students with whom I work, helping them develop holistically as they discover their own passions. Although I am not exactly sure what I want to do after graduation in May 2010 (98 days and counting!), I know that I want a position that has me directly interacting with students on a daily basis. These interactions will ultimately help me find joy in my work, providing me with the ability to be an energized and engaged practitioner and reflective learner.

One of my goals for attending NASPA is to actively engage in the various professional development opportunities afforded to me throughout The Placement Exchange, the pre-conference workshops, and the different conference sessions. I plan to achieve this goal through networking with other conference attendees. Although networking is often an elusive term to new professionals, I understand that NASPA will provide me with networking experiences that I may not encounter without the conference’s guidance and support. Thus, through attending conference sessions and having informal conversations between sessions, I hope to meet professionals with diverse knowledge, research interests, and experiences. Although I have concrete research interests (i.e., international education, student leadership programs, minority student identity development), my career path is undefined. Through learning about others’ professional journeys, I will better reflect on my own personal, academic, and professional interests and future ambitions. I also hope to meet people from all across the world, challenging me to think critically about the ways I currently research and practice.

Another professional development goal I have concerns getting more involved in the various NASPA Knowledge Communities (KC). In particular, I hope to get more involved in the Student Leadership Programs Knowledge Community (SLP-KC). Throughout the past year, I have been involved in the SLP-KC. Through participating in conference calls and communicating with members, I learned about student leadership trainings and educational opportunities. I am currently co-leading the , collaborating with peers to showcase the KC’s history and mission while interacting with new and active members. Through volunteering to promote the SLP-KC at the national level, I hope to contribute to NASPA by showcasing the services of an active KC with invaluable resources. I hope to also network with individuals who share interests similar to my own, thereby helping me learn about career opportunities in fields such as student activities, orientation/new student programs, and leadership education. Moreover, I also want to get involved in the New Professionals and Graduates Knowledge Community (NPGS-KC) to further benefit from my NASPA attendance and to contribute to the overall conference. I am currently deciding whether or not I want to participate in the NPGS Case Study Competition; by the time of my next blog, I should have more to write about regarding this professional development opportunity.

Lastly, another major goal of attending NASPA is to expose myself to diverse sessions related to topics that interest me. As soon as I registered for the conference in December, I started to build my NASPA itinerary online. Currently, sessions that most interest me include topics related to assessment, evaluation, and learning outcomes. As a young professional, StudentVoice pre-conference workshops on survey making and sessions such as Measuring up: The challenges of assessment and evaluation will allow me to learn the latest assessment trends; these sessions will help me improve my qualitative and quantitative assessment skills and become a better researcher and effective practitioner. In addition, I am also interested in attending sessions dedicated to student activities/leadership development, international issues, and multicultural programming/advocacy. Some sessions that might fulfill these interests include:

–          Toward Diverse Democracy: Students Leading Identity-Based Groups

–          East Meets West: Integration of Student Development Theories

–          “What about us?” : Engaging Second-year Students

–          Assisting Returned Study Abroad Students: Strategies for Success

I have only begun to explore all of the different session opportunities throughout NASPA. I am excited to continue to build my itinerary and attend sessions that will expand my interests and learn about topics to which I have yet to be exposed.

Overall, by attending the NASPA Annual Conference, I hope to enhance my understanding of contemporary issues related to the student affairs field and learn more about student affairs administration, policy, theory, and practice. Although I have had significant professional experiences in different student affairs functional areas, I hope to utilize this conference to further reflect on how theory and practice can strengthen my ability to work with diverse students, alumni, administrators, and other university constituents. Through engaging in a conference environment that challenges and supports my administrative, supervision, advising, research, and assessment skill development, I will better link theory to practice, increasing my potential as a scholar, educator, and leader. I look forward to continuing to share my excitement and anxiety with my peers in the blogging community in the next few months!