Becoming A Successful Higher Education Administrator

I enrolled at Missouri State University in the spring semester of 2014. I had declared my major in Criminology and Criminal Justice due to my passion for helping others. I have always been a firm believer that everyone deserves help, no matter what situation they may be in. I knew that this field was what I loved learning about, however in the beginning I was not quite sure on what field I wanted to focus on. Nevertheless, after watching a documentary in a class I was enrolled in about the life of a parole officer, I knew this is what my purpose in life should be. After long consideration I determined that Probation and Parole is what I am the most passionate about.

Last year, if you were to question where I saw myself in the next few years, my answer wouldn’t have been applying to college. During that time, I had a successful career as a store manager, and for the most part, that was all I could ever see myself doing. I excelled as a store manager, and I enjoyed the frequent interactions with the various diverse individuals that I got to experience. However, I was never elated nor passionate about that career choice. In fact, I can distinctively remember the moments where I would arrive home from work in the late hours of the night, pondering if this was all there was for me.

After reading Sonja Ardoin’s (2014) “the strategic guide to shaping your student affairs career” book, I read a variety of important content that has allowed me to reflect not only in my fieldwork position, as an Advising Assistant for the Puente Program, but also my current status as a graduate student in the Educational Counseling program.

Twenty-six years ago. I began the quest to find the perfect college. As I drove down the driveway of Bay Path College, I knew this was the college I was going to attend. I was drawn to the rural setting, the beautiful campus and the small academic community. My intent for life after high school was to get my associates degree, earn some money, then begin working toward my bachelor degree. In retrospect, I did not possess the confidence or drive needed to be a good student. I struggled for the next couple of years to earn my Associates degree, however was apprehensive to commit to the time or expense it would take to continue my education. After a very long break in schooling, I now approach education with a new mindset and ready to commit

It was by accident that I became a student services professional. My undergraduate experiences started in the College of Business and ended in Family and Child Studies. After some self-evaluation and events out of my control, I decided Business was no longer what I wanted to do. The very moment that changed it all for me was shortly after my mother became a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer and I finally met one of the families she was advocating for. There was an instant connection with one of the teenage daughters. Things clicked for me once I realized she was looking up to me as a role model. I was always drawn to experiences that were holistically oriented so I spoke with my advisor to see what other avenues I could take. At that time, I was introduced to Family and Child Studies which led me to venture into a Bachelors of Science in Marriage and Family.

After working in and educational environment where the students are unemployed or underemployed, I went back to get a Psychology degree to see what made the students think and do as they did. Then after that, I wanted to obtain my masters in Adult Education, since I enjoyed facilitating adults for many years. I enrolled in Troy University in October, 2014. I chose curriculum and instruction because I wanted to become more equipped to effectively facilitate adults with the content that they need to learn. The more that I know about the subject, the better I will be to teach the students what they really need to learn on the topic. What makes me happy is when students enroll for the employment and job readiness course and come to class with the goal to help themselves. The show that they want to learn all that they can to better themselves by gaining more skills to enable them to better provide for their family. On the other hand, what makes me sad is when students enroll in the course because they are made to come and then once they come, they don’t try to get involved to better themselves, because they don’t want to be there to help themselves or their family in whatever situation they are currently in. I have a desire to be able to develop my very own curriculum of choice in the future. In the future, I would also like to move to another state and gain more experience with other cultures in an educational

I am currently in my final year studying a Bachelor of Business majoring in Management and Logistics. I completed my high school education at a well respected school in Brisbane and received good grades, however, I was unsure of what career path I wanted to follow. I was accepted into a Bachelor of Business but deferred University to work as a retail assistant and travel. I decided to change my course of action and applied for a position for a Bachelor of Nursing. I was accepted and completed 1.5 years of the degree. However, as we run a family business, a dealer of new and used commercial trucks and trailers, my father encouraged me to transfer back into a Bachelor of Business to further my education as a business graduate. Once I transferred into the Bachelor of Business program, I commenced work as a Store Person in one of our warehouses. As I furthered my education and sustained unrelated injuries, which prevented me from working in the position, I was transferred into the Parts department to work as a Parts Administration Assistant. I soon moved down the Gold Coast and transferred from Nathan campus to Gold Coast campus to continue my studies. I commenced a new position as Online Store Coordinator and Marketing Assistant at our Yatala branch.

Through my challenges and work I realized that I want to pursue my education in Educational Counseling. Educational counseling has always fascinated me, but I never realized I could pursue it as a career path. I had a fear of applying because of my low Grade Point Average (GPA), but I remember conquering the same fear as an

My moment of epiphany came when I started working for Upstate Medical University’s Student Affair Department in their Student Success Center as an Office Manager. The Student Success Center focuses on underrepresented medical students through its CSTEP Program. As an Office Manager, I have had the pleasure with working with the medical students and upper faculty members. I have developed a camaraderie with a number of medical students. Many of the medical students come to me to converse about challenges or obstacles that they have had to encounter and/or hurdles they need to overcome. I truly believe my students come to me because I have a benevolent attitude and assiduously work ethic that they have observed. Although, I am not a counselor I appreciate that they feel comfortable to confide in me and these are extra responsibilities that I have embraced has a mentor and an advisor to my students. Then, I had this” aha moment,” that I should do more investment in myself and be a role model for these students as a Higher Education Administration Admission faculty member.

Throughout my professional career in higher education, I have grown a strong interest in serving non-traditional and community college students. This unique population thrives when they have access to student support services and transformative educational opportunities. I have the desire to be in a position where I am able to dictate how these students are serviced and, or how accessible educational opportunities are to them. I received my Bachelor’s degree from East Carolina University in Family and Community Service with aspirations of being a social worker, but shortly after leaving the institution I gained employment in Thomasville City School system. There I had the chance to mentor and teach transferable life skills and soon realized

As I began studying here at Seattle University, I was aware of my career goals, yet I did not know the academic path that would lead me to them. My career goals were not focused towards a specific discipline, as all I intended to pursue was a career that would contribute to the improvement of my native Hawaiian community. As the school year progressed, I joined student organizations such as hall council and gained leadership positions. In hall council, we were responsible for addressing the needs and desires of our fellow student residents in order to unify our dorm hall community. This experience allowed me to realize that I enjoy fulfilling the needs of others and contributing to the community. Being a part of hall council also reminded me

Failure and rejection go hand in hand. One of my most considerable failures was being rejected for a Camp Pike counselor position. Camp Pike is place where pettiness, gossip, prejudices, and jealousy are forgotten. My weeks there were a time to runaway from all things negative; they were a time of joy. For one week out of the whole year, I went to Colorado, Springs and witnessed Gods beauty. However, it is a failure of mine because I did not reach my goal of being a role model and a leader for campers.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a statement of professional philosophy. First, I will introduce myself as a student affairs educator. Next, I will gather together my beliefs on student affairs, and provide a context for my professional practice. Lastly, I will explain how I will contribute to the profession. My aspiration to become a student affairs professional derives from the challenges I experienced as an Asian American, first generation, and low-socioeconomic status.

One day in 2011, I had an epiphany that I wanted to become the CEO of a hospital one day. The CEO of Rose Medical Center became aware of this and informed me that I could certainly have his job one day, but I must first go back to school and get my Master's degree. He is not the only person that has hounded me about going back to school. Many other managers, administrators and even family members have said the same. Clearly they see something in me that I had not quite yet see in myself. I think I am finally coming to the realization that if they think I can obtain a Master's degree, then I certainly possess the skills, knowledge and motivation to go back to school. It is time for me to shake up my content, routine life and take the step to bettering myself and fulfilling the commitment I made to myself on December 31,

I was conversing with a few students of mine that I mentor during the summer months and I realized that I really need to be in the academic world. Several students retorted to me that “I need to be a School Counselor or a prominent figure in the school districts. That is when I had that epiphany and I’ve realized that I want to work with students of all ages. When I am interacting with students I am at my happiest. Therefore, I would like to pursue my Master Degree in Higher Education Administration.