Strengths (LO 2, 5, 8, & 9; Artifacts B2, C1, E, G, H, J) Integrative Theme For me, the theme that has been

consistent throughout my time in the Student Development Administration program is self-authorship. Since beginning the program, I feel like I have transitioned through multiple stages of self-authorship. Because I did not come from a student affairs background, entering the program was both a crossroad, as well as an opportunity to pursue my own passions and become the author of my own life (Baxter-Magolda, 2001). Throughout my time in the SDA program, I have tried to continue to explore my own self-authorship by pushing myself towards growth in areas where I had little to no exposure. Overall, most of the strengths I have been able to develop or sharpen during my graduate experience have been a result of my desire to cultivate my internal foundation (Baxter-Magolda, 2001). Learning Outcome Dimensions Advising includes LOs 2 and 5. The three key dimensions of LO 2 are development, transition, and support. Through my experience as an advisor in two distinct institutions, I have had a chance develop my own advising style, and learn how to best support different populations of students. This development is evidenced by Artifact H, which illustrates my self-assessed competency in the advising realm. I have found Schlossbergs (1984) Transition Theory and Perrys (1968) Theory of Intellectual and Ethical Development and to be helpful in understanding what transitions students are going through and where they stand developmentally (for example, when my students ask what should I major in to get a job, I can recognize that they are in a dualistic stage and use that information to inform how I proceed).

The three key dimensions of LO 5 are institutional type, student population, and institutional mission. Advising in both an open access public institution and a missionbased private institution has allowed me to grow my ability to adapt my advising style for different student populations. As is highlighted in Artifact H, I have found Orzoco et al.s (2010) theory of advising diverse students to be helpful in guiding my understanding of how to support underrepresented students, and how to take into account my own privileges when working with students. This theory came into direct play during one of my advising appointments at Cascadia in which a student was struggling with the fact that her family was not supportive of her attending college. Although I come from an environment that values a college education, I had to put those assumptions and biases aside to try and support her through this difficult process, and encourage her to follow her own path. Collaboration and communication includes LO 8. The three key dimensions of LO 8 are presentations, research, and reflection. Although I have completed numerous presentations and research papers during my time in the program, my research paper and presentation for SDAD 559: American Community College on South Seattle Community Colleges multicultural and womens centers is one that stands out (Artifact C1). I felt extremely proud of the report for its content, and my groups ability to think critically about the function and effectiveness of specific offices on South Seattles campus. While we found that the centers provided various layers of support for underrepresented students, we also found some distinct areas for growth for the centers. Because we were doing a qualitative assessment of two offices, the report also simulated a professional

scenario that I will likely encounter in the future, and helped me to imagine how I might approach such a project. Understanding educational policy includes LO 9. The three key dimensions of LO 9 are institutional type, institutional mission, and organizational structure. In SDAD 585: Higher Education Finance, I completed a research paper on the efficiency of community colleges (Artifact J), which gave me a much more comprehensive understanding of how funding is driven by mission and institutional type, and how financial policies affect the operation of an institution. Development of Learning Outcomes PastIn the past, my understanding of the three areas was limited. For example, I knew what advising was, but did not know what qualities it took to be a good advisor. I had even less understanding of higher education policy, which was a completely new area for me. With regards to collaboration and communication, I had utilized and developed this area in previous positions, but had never gotten the opportunity to work in groups to develop workshops or presentations. PresentMy positions in advising at Seattle U and Cascadia have helped me develop in LO 2. As Artifact B2 illustrates, I believe that finding a balance between challenging and supporting students is important to demonstrate to students that you care enough to help them, but you also believe in them enough to encourage them to be autonomous. As Blimling & Whitt (1999) point out, challenging students demonstrates that they matter to the people around them, and I have tried to adopt this best practice in my work.

During my internship in athletics, I led the development of a peer mentorship program for first-year students, which helped me develop in LO 5. The peer mentorship program is aimed at providing a support system to help student athletes balance their responsibilities, while also staying on top of their academics and engaged in the campus community. This internship allowed me to explore a population I was unfamiliar with, as well as to develop programming that could be adapted for use in other areas. One of the best opportunities to develop in LO 8 was in SDAD 578: Student Development Theory. In this class, we created a workshop on linguistic prejudice that helped others develop their multicultural competency (Artifact E, Artifact G). The process of working in a group to research and present on a social justice issue was a great way to enhance my presenting and collaborative skills, and has helped me in other situations in which I am expected to develop or present workshops. Artifact J, my final report for SDAD 585: Higher Education Finance demonstrates my competency in LO 9. Not only did I research and analyze the funding methods for community colleges, but I also reflected on how these methods were shaped by the community college mission. In this way, I got a chance to study financial policies, while at the same time gaining a better understanding of what barriers financial policies can create in serving diverse student populations. FutureIn all three of these areas I still have a lot of room for growth. In advising, I hope to continue to pursue opportunities to expand my ability to advise diverse populations. Because I have multiple privileged identities, I will specifically look to develop in my understanding of how to serve those who do not hold the same privileged identities, which will require a lot of intentionality around my own growth. In

collaboration and communication, I am interested in doing my own research, and would love to collaborate with other professionals on a research project. Finally, in educational policy, I would like to become more familiar with institutional decision-making, and will seek out opportunities to familiarize myself with how policies are developed and implemented. This experience will help me think critically about how policies affect different student populations, which is a perspective I hope to always bring to my work.

References Baxter-Magolda, M. (2001). Making their own way: Narratives for transforming higher education to promote self-development. Sterling, VA: Stylus. Bliming, G., Whitt, E., and Associates (1999). Good practice in student affairs: Principles to foster student learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publications. Orozco, G.L., Alvarez, A.L., & Gutkin, T.(2010). Effective advising of diverse students in community college. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 34(9), 717- 737. Perry, W. G. Jr. (1968). Forms of intellectual and ethical development in the college years: A scheme. New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston. Schlossberg, N. K. (1984). Counseling adults in transition. New York: Springer.