University Memorial Center Reflective Essay

At my graduate assistantship at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), the graduate students from Monmouth were introduced to a few of the key offices that work with Residential Education and Housing. Through this introduction, I was able to meet Kelly Hennessy, who is the current Associate Dean of Students in the Department of Health and Wellness at The College of New Jersey. As a future Student Affairs professional, one of my end goals would ultimately become a Dean of Students, so it was exciting to interview Hennessy and see how she got to where she is today. Originally when Hennessy first started her college years, she thought that she wanted to be a teacher. After working with the professionals in her Residence Life Office and Leadership Office at the University of Buffalo, where she received both her bachelors and master’s degrees, she realized that her passion was no longer teaching, but rather to become the professionals she was surrounded and inspired by every day. Hennessy has worked in Residence Life for majority of her career up to about two years ago when the Department of Health and Wellness first started on TCNJ’s campus.

Even after making the transition to Deer River High School in sixth grade, I continued to glide through school. My pattern of being underchallenged continued until I discovered College in the Schools classes this past fall. Finally, I was challenged (perhaps at times even more so than I imagined,) and I’ve grown exponentially in the past academic year. However, I feel as if that exponential growth is reaching its capacity in this specific environment. Becoming a part of the College of St. Scholastica’s academic environment would allow me to begin a new pattern of exponential growth both as a student and as a person.

Coming to TWU (Texas Woman’s University) this fall for college was a good decision on my part. Not only are the staff and faculty helpful but they are also there when you need them. When I came on move in day I learned that my LLC (Living Learning Community) had a PA (Peer Advisor) and an RA (Resident Assistant). Rachel (the PA) was and is always there when I need her and had never let me down, and even though it is her job as a PA you can tell that she really does enjoy what she does and likes helping others.

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.

Reflecting on this course over this semester, there have been many lessons learned that will be valuable, as we enter the business world. Our first lesson was to learn to work together, as a team, to prepare a short memo, long memo, letter, and email for use in the business world. This is a lesson that will experience many times as we do our daily work. Punctuation and grammar are so important to present to the client and other organizations that we are professionals. It could mean the loss of a sale or acquiring new business. It’s like dressing for work; looking professional or unprofessional.

Dr. Sonia Rosado has served as an educator, a mentor, and friend to the Muir College staff for the last 10 years - something that certainly must be draining. And yet, she does it with the belief that each staff and every day is just as important as the last. Each year serves a different community of incoming students and also works as a continuation of the last.

My desire was to challenge myself and pursue my belief in life-long learning. And yes, the last eight weeks have definitely been a challenge intellectually in IDS 101. After the first two weeks of school, I seriously questioned why I would go back to school at fifty-one years of age for personal satisfaction. The days were long and I wasn’t sure I still had the self-discipline and determination that would be needed to finish. Over the last eight weeks, this class gave me numerous opportunities to hone my skills in critical thinking, research, and writing. This class has given me the necessary skills to continue toward completing my degree.

The growth I have experienced while attending Hinds has forever altered my life’s course. When I first came to Hinds I was a sickly dual enrollment student who could not even begin to bear the thought of speaking in front of an audience. A diagnosis of Crohn’s disease turned me from an outgoing and involved high school student into a bedridden recluse. The various programs and clubs on campus combined with my everyday classes allowed me the opportunity to improve not only my public speaking skills, but also my leadership abilities. Hinds gave me an opportunity to return to my original self through education, the Honors Program and Phi Theta Kappa (PTK).

Lorenzo Hailes is the Chief Program Officer, and Director of Student Experience with NewBridge Cleveland Center for Arts and Technology. He is responsible for leading and managing all programing objectives for NewBridge, including; planning, organizing, operating, staffing, and budgeting. He collaborates with the programming team to provide any and all support and resources to our students. During Lorenzo’s tenure at NewBridge, he has proved himself to be a force in helping unemployed and underemployed adults complete quality education in healthcare, and then securing gainful employment upon completion. In addition, Lorenzo has a great passion for helping our youth be successful. He is committed to helping our students embrace education, graduate

Adding to my capability to contribute to the close-knit honors college community, I participated in an eight-month, leadership and summer-camp program called CIRCLE geared towards promoting communication, empathy, responsibility, and empowerment. I learned about myself from the two-month application process by reflecting in writing and an interview about my values. The second phase was a five-month process where we had weekly assignments and

This essay is a reflective essay on my learning development from a young age through to my current position as a University Student. I will be relating my learning development back to two theories of human development, Vygotstsky’s socio-cultural theory and Marcia’s version of Erikson’s theory of identity development. I will identify and discuss the challenge I have faced with my identity and how this has impacted on my development.

Due to recent changes, it appears that Jackson Memorial is on the right track to a stable and a brighter future. Jackson always strives to stay true to what it stands for, and that is providing the best quality care to first, the residents of Miami-Dade, and others in need of medical care. Although it seems as though Jackson is on the right path to success, there are many areas to improve in order to fully restore the financial state of the hospital and to remain competitive in the healthcare industry. Based on the findings, there are a few recommendations Jackson should consider in order to restore profits and maintain competitive advantage, include enhancing their internal control system, implementing new innovative UV disinfection devices,

I do not allow life’s lethal blows to stop me from moving to the next level. I hope you can see the passion I have for learning, the environment and coming to the aid of those in need. The person I am and the experiences I have will add to this program’s diversity and depth of learning in and out of the classroom. I believe that this program will aid in developing my professional identity into one that is respected, credible and authentic. This institution will further enhance my acquired skills while adding new ones to my arsenal, which will in turn equip me with what I need to take on the world. Lastly, I leave you with a sediment from the Amazing Maya Angelou. “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it” ~ Maya

Collaborations are present in learning communities and first year experience programs, but school leaders have to move beyond the norms and work seemingly together to create an environment of success for the students. First year experience programs are prominent on many university campuses but are optional on others. However, these departments utilize career placement counselors, academic advisors, testing coordinators, mentoring options, and academic success centers to increase the likelihood of students progressing from freshman year through graduation.

Student personnel point of view encompasses the student as a whole. The concept of education is broadened o the student’’s well rounded development- physically, socially, emotionally and spiritually as well as intellectually. (sppv) Student affairs not only emphasize on academic excellence but to shape each individual as a unique human by providing a holistic learning and living environment. Student Affairs professionals play a pivotal role in the development of the students. By applying different theories in student development, they can foster student learning to help them shape their identity. Student affairs staff members must view themselves as educators to refute the belief that learning is held only in the classroom. (contested issue, 29). Learning does not only occur in the classroom but through out of class activities as well. Student affairs staff should talk about student learning and development to enhance the multiplicity of growth areas for students in higher education. These learning and development experiences do not simply happen to students. They happen with their active involvement. There are numerous branches of fields in student affairs that attend to the unique needs of each individual. Residence Director trains Residence assistance to cater to the needs of first year students who are new to the college environment. RA plays a major role of introducing the life of college through building relationships and community to help them develop their sense of