Professional & Personal Proclamation
My first-year orientation at, Niagara County Community College (NCCC) was one to remember. I was nervous about starting college but luckily, I was starting school with my best friend. We attended the incoming student orientation that hosted workshops, fun games, inflatables, and a cookout to end the night. While sitting in the lecture hall during the workshops the faculty and staff were presenting on everything the institution had to offer there was one person I could not forget. Her name was Molly, and she was presenting on the student leadership program. Molly was energetic and very passionate about student engagement that she was able to engage the room full of students. I knew at that moment, getting involved was something I had to do to enhance my college experience. I immediately signed up to be apart of the leadership program. Not only was I lucky enough to work with Molly in the leadership program. but I was able to connect with Heather (Coordinator of Student Life) who supported and advised student organizations at NCCC.
When I began my time at NCCC, I was nervous to branch out but working closely with Heather led me to so many wonderful opportunities. As a result of joining the leadership program, my membership in student organizations increased. I was an active member of the Student Programming Board (SPB), Student Senate, I was also an Orientation Leader and Student Ambassador. All these opportunities allowed me to learn about student affairs and that I could make a career in this field. During my second semester I was chosen to travel with a group of students to represent NCCC at APCA (Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities). The APCA National Conference for campuses all over to attended and find different workshops, activities and so much more to bring back to their campuses. This experience served as a benchmark in my undergraduate career that led me to fall in love with the student affairs profession even more. During the rest of my undergraduate career, I felt as though I lived and breathed student affairs. I often wonder if I never met Heather would I still be as involved in student affairs as I am now.
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I have always leaned more towards the student activities side rather than the academic side of student affairs. I personally am more connected to student activities because it is what drew me into the profession. There are so many rewarding aspects of this job that continuously motivate me such as sitting at a table tossing around ideas for events, choosing one and creating it from scratch. Seeing students get excited about a small little event idea that you find off Pinterest is one of the most satisfying feelings. Having students constantly asking when the next event is or if we can hold a certain type of event is what keeps me focused on providing the best experience we can for each student.
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Throughout my undergraduate and the beginning of my graduate career, I had the opportunity to watch how each faculty, staff, and student personnel member presented themselves. I have quickly learned that I want to be an administrator who is versatile in every aspect of student affairs. I want to be an administrator that a student can come to with any concern they might have or someone that is open to general conversation. I will be the type of administrator that is dedicated, driven and focused on providing a safe, welcoming environment for each student. I will also be the type of administrator that is open for change, suggestion and criticism. I know I will not be perfect, I will make mistakes and not always understand something right in the moment, but I will reflect on the situation and figure out what went well and what I need to improve. Student affairs is not about being perfect in the eye of the student but showing them that we were students once and that there are days we all struggle but it is about how you pick yourself up and complete the rest of the day, task or event with the best possible attitude. Through this field, I believe that students, faculty, and staff should know that I am here to change the lives of students for the better, provide them with many opportunities for them to grow as an individual and as a campus community member. They should also know that I am here as a devoted student affairs professional, someone who is dedicated to their job and will work all day and night to get the job done while completing everything to the best of my abilities.
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Through this profession, I hope to make connections with students, faculty, and staff on professional and personal levels. I hope that I get to be someone that changes someone’s day for the better, someone that gets to inspire young students to follow their dreams. I hope that I get to be someone that gets to take a small idea and turn it into something that the campus community falls in love with and brings student and faculty closer together. I also hope that this profession provides me with the knowledge to learn and multiple opportunities to be able to better myself as a member of the student affairs community.
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The student affairs profession is so important to me because when I first started my college career, I never felt like I belonged, as a commuter student I went to class and went home. Although I joined the leadership program right away it was only one small part of my everyday routine. The more I got involved the more people I met and the more connections I made across my own campus as well as the country. Going to different conferences and holding many different leadership roles I was able to branch out of my comfort zone and provide myself with an amazing five years of undergraduate experiences. I hope through my graduate career and professional career that I will be able to change at least one person’s life. I hope that I can provide them with the similar opportunities I was given and watch them grow into the amazing person they are destined to be.